This is my darling daughter when she is desperately searching for her pacifier and realizes that her mother is keeping her from her one true love.
The tragedy. Two star crossed lovers forced apart. That girl would be one with the pacifier 24/7 if we allowed it. We have scaled back and she only gets it at bedtime or naptime and it resides in her bed as not to tempt her. However, when she is sick, we have caved and let her have her "boyfriend."
Mini #2 has had a lot of ear infections recently, so that means a lot of time with the pacifier. At the last doctor's appointment last week about the most recent ear issue and cold/virus thing, he commented on the need to "86" the pacifier as excessive sucking on things such as the bottle or pacifier are ear infection culprits.
What did you just say Doc????
You mean, we need to drag these two apart? Are you willing to come and facilitate that? Mr., Mini #1, and I will just check in at the Hilton for a few weeks while this breakup occurs.
The pediatrician wasn't down for that as he has three little ones at home. So, I kept the news from the sweet girl while I worked on a plan. I thought of the cute little things some friends did with their children, but it won't work with Mini #2. She is younger than some of the examples I know, so won't really get the "let's box up your most prized possession and send to baby _________. You don't need it anymore since you are a big girl. Let's share with this baby." She wouldn't really get it, but would also be one highly ticked off little girl that her mother boxed up her favorite thing right in front of her.
Option A: quit cold turkey. Pacifier? What pacifier? There isn't a pacifier nor have you ever had one...you must have dreamed that. We don't have any pacifiers for a 50 mile radius.
Option B: slowly work back down and even stop at nap, just at bedtime and gently wean ourselves from this obsessive relationship?
We have two more days of the antibiotic and I think we have decided that Option A is the best way to go. You know, best to just rip the bandaid right off.
Any suggestions, thoughts, we are taking them. Also, any prayers you can send our way as I'm sure we will need them.
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Happy Tuesday!!!
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Wish I knew a sure way. Alas, I've only heard of those you mentioned and the first seems the best. My daughter sucked her thumb which is a little harder to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteExcessive sucking causes ear infections?! What now? I've totally never heard that.
ReplyDeleteJ had her paci until after she was three--it took having a baby brother for her to realize "that's baby stuff". It drove me nuts, but she's fine. She only ever had one--maybe two--ear infections.
I felt like you were talking about the boy when I read this, though. He is the same was with his paci. We can't even get him to cut back to only naps & bed time. He is THAT addicted. Mostly, he's such a crier that we cave. It's horrible, but true.
You should come stay with us for a week & we'll do it together! Ha!!
We let my youngest have his pacifier (and bottle!) way too long, mostly because we were just so busy and tired and needed to sleep instead of dealing with withdrawal issues. What worked for us (both times) in getting rid of the pacifier was having a talk about how it's a 'baby thing' and how big they are getting. During a moment when they agree with you, have them throw the pacifier away themselves. Then when they ask for it, you can remind them that they threw it away because they were growing up. Yes, they are sad, but they are not mad at you, because they did it themselves. Maybe it's mean, but it seriously worked.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have a pacifier sucker than a thumb sucker. How on earth do you get rid of a thumb?
We did cold turkey with L. We both cried for three days, and then..BOOM! It was over and he never asked for it again. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a fun adventure any way you go! My parents told me the squirels took my pacifier and bottle for their babies -- I heard it worked well and I clearly wasn't tramatized by the experience.
ReplyDeletep.s. I owe you your books -- I'm still reading them!
Maybe this is an old wive's tale? But I heard cutting the end of the sucker makes them fall flat and therefore, render them unsatisfactory to suck.
ReplyDeleteIf that is in fact myth, I vote cold turkey. I'll have hard liquor ready when you come visit to numb the pain of the separation.
Although this was YEARS AGO, we just told our boys that when they were two, "they" said it was time to give up the paci. We just shrugged and said, "Those are are the rules... 'they' said so." Took a few days, but it worked. Good luck!!!
ReplyDelete