Pacifier, paci, binky, sucker…there are all sorts of pet names and milestones and preferred brands associated with this wonderful crutch. I was thrilled when mine could keep it in their mouths themselves and I didn’t have to do overnight plug-ins. I was even more elated when they could perform the self plug-in. There’s also that pesky milestone of stopping the paci altogether. When to do it? How to do it? And wow, who knew that babies are particular about their pacis and have preferred types. My daughter was an Avent gal. My son is a Soothie man. (he is in the minority as I rarely see Soothies continue past the hospital…but when I do, it’s instant bonding!)
We cut my daughter off cold turkey at 18 months old. It went like this: she turned 18 months and we stopped giving her the paci. We did not employ any weaning strategies such as limiting to naps/bedtime. There was no hanging the paci on a tree to let the paci fairy retrieve and pass on to other babies in need. There was no leaving the paci at some destination such as Disney, etc. Cold turkey.
My son is 2 years old. His crib is currently home to at least 4 pacis. Naptime/bedtime means he is double fisted – one in his mouth and one in his hand. Or if he’s trying to be funny, 2 pacis in his mouth. Recently, my daughter demonstrated the paci hat trick – 3 pacis at once! (for the record, she’s off the paci…see “cold turkey” in second paragraph above) He throws the pacis back into the crib before he gets out and he knows that pacis stay in the crib.
I have not devised any clever plan for cutting him off. As my MIL, who had 5 kids, said “I’m sure he will not go to kindergarten with it” and I agree. (this comment, by the way, would have sent me over the edge if said with my first child) I’m just not sweating it. Some may think my non-chalant stance will backfire and is crazy talk and that failing to plan is planning to fail…blah…blah…blah… Maybe I’m just becoming lazy in my advanced maternal age.
While I’m talking crazy, I should also confess that I’m not even going to try potty training until he’s at least 2 and a half. No need to drag it out for months like I did with my first so why not wait? I’m such a rebel! Smarties, anything you are rebelling against that you care to share?
4 comments
My oldest was a paci-junkie. I think we counted 22 at one time going strong in all of her favorite hiding places around the house. At age 3, we started cutting them until we came down to the last 2. She held on to those until 3 1/2 and one day, they were gone. It was such a small event, I can't believe we ever stressed over it! But then we had three more children who sucked their fingers. Now how do you stop that bad habit? I have two at once who are hard-core thumb suckers. And I'm thinking they are going off to college with this habit. Any advice?
Our daughter was a hardcore thumb sucker too. The summer after second grade, we gave her the choice of not sucking her thumb and getting birthday gifts for her birthday or continue to suck her thumb and get the device cemented in the roof of her mouth to help her stop. Obviously she chose the birthday gifts, so for one week we wrapped her hand in an ace bandage at bedtime and for the first 3 days, she also wore the ace bandage all day, as she would pop her thumb in her mouth and not even realize it. After a week (really less than) she never sucked it again, and she had a wonderful birthday celebration! 🙂
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am not alone. Yeeesssss. My 2-year-old son clings to his pacifer during naptime and bedtime and I can not seem to get him to give it up. I've tried cutting his paci's (twice) only to be driven (literally) to the closest 24-hour grocery store in the middle of the night for a new paci. It is so nice to know that I am not the only mom who has a toddler still needing his paci. Thank you very much for the post.
Love this article Susan. Reagan is an Avent junkie also. Loves her some paci. Someone told me the other day that at 6 months you should take paci away from your baby. Are you kidding me? No way. I am still trying to get her use to no swaddle, there is no way I will be removing the paci any time soon. Thanks again for some great humor .