OT: Giving up the pacifier

[moopdog]

DD never had a pacifier. We didn't see a need for one. This has really led me to wonder who is the one being pacified -- the child or the parent?

Not sure how proactive your statement was, but I have to assume it wasn't well intentioned. Why? I don't think anyone is on this thread because they are "considering" using a pacifier, so what's up with the comment?

Oh, and of COURSE it's the parent!! Anyone of us would fess up to that... that's the whole idea!

JK of course.... and this is all due to no morning coffee yet... I'll go rectify that right now..

 

[Jenn]

Why even open a thread titled "giving up the pacifier" if your child never used one......? Hmmm.....

 

[HillPete]

Congratulations!! We are in the same boat. My DS actually lost his last week. He knew it was lost and went down for his nap just fine. Of course, I found it while he was sleeping and tossed it. He has only asked for his bitsy twice in 11 days! I say go for it. The only down side for us is that the bitsy was a 'baby' thing and we are not ready to admit that our last baby is growing up! It's definitely a parent thing since he's clearly ok with the transition...

--H

 

[ncgolfer]

My DD gave hers to the kitten next door at 18 months and cried the first night but forgot about it after that. I thought she was old to have one at 18 months old, but come on people, does a 3 year old need a pacifer?

 

[Mellie0119]

DS (finallly) got rid of his this past August (turned 4 in March). Took a couple days, we had 3, and cut tiny holes near the tops, he didn't like them as well, but kept them for a few nights. Finally one night I decided to go cold turkey. Tossed them all. He had trouble falling asleep for a couple nights after that, but was fine. His little sis still has hers (18 mo) and he will pick hers up occasionally and sneak off into a corner for a "paci fix" he knows that they are hers, and for babies, but he still asks on occasion. We tell him our catch phrase for ditching the paci, "Pat-Pats? (his word for paci) We don't need no stinkin' Pat-pats!" Makes him laugh everytime and moves right on!

 

[GillieRose]

My son who is also 2 1/2 gave his pacifer up a couple of weeks ago. ( The dentist told us to take it away) Anyways he had 1 day of being cranky and has been fine ever since. I wouldn't get him a new one. You could always buy one for Disney just in case he has a hard time without. But he should be fine.

 

[Kanga1]

When my DS was little we mailed ours to Santa Claus and Santa left a little something in the mailbox for my DS. He never had a probelm with it, he thought he was helping santa by sending his SUZY for a "baby" now that he was a big boy. He was 2.5yrs then now he is 5 and he still remembers mailing his package to santa. I did make an ornament for the chirstmas tree for both kids using a Suzy and a piece of ribbon tied to it. I put their name and Bday on the ribbon the kids get a real kick out of hanging their's on the tree.

When my DD was 2, on New Year's Eve, she went to bed with her paci, but woke up the next morning with it gone. There was a note from the "New Year Baby" that said he was collecting pacifiers to give to all the new little babies born that year. In return, he left her a cute little necklace telling her what a "big girl" she is now! She screamed bloody murder for 10 solid minutes and then it was over. She never wanted it back. Occasionally when she sees a baby with a paci, she might mention that it used to be hers. The key to all this is: when you do this...throw ALL the paci's in the garbage so you are not tempted to give it back! (Unless, of course, you have other children who are using them!) HTH!

 

[debster812]

Well, I guess NCGolfer and RoyalCanadian would see me flogged. DS was not a paci baby, he was *gasp* a THUMB SUCKER!! (He used a paci for about 2 weeks, then nothing for the longest time, then discovered his lovey and thumby).

Man o man talk about a tough weaning. Can't cut holes in thumby.

He finally threw away all his loveys at age 4, and stopped sucking his thumb altogether when he turned 5. Prior to those milestones he was only using them in bed at night.

Good Luck to all of you, it's not easy, but as our pedi-dentist told us, "Orthodonture is going to be cheaper than Therapy" They all give their comforts up when they are ready.

 

[Briarmom]

Why even open a thread titled "giving up the pacifier" if your child never used one......? Hmmm.....

My guess is that he wanted to feel holier than thou about his PERFECT parenting skills. I'm sure his children have never eaten a french fry and would pass out from terror if they encountered a piece of dust in his perfect house. OOOOOOO judgemental people get under my skin! Especially since he has no experience in this area!
Anyway, to the op I would say not to give it back. The first night is the hardest. And to the pp who said her pediatrician is on her back about her dd having a bottle, I think you may need a new doctor. I let my kids have one bottle per day from their 1st bday to about 17 months. It was fine and for my older one it helped him sleep through the night (filled him up).
My ds gave up the paci at 2 years. We just did it cold turkey. My dd will probably do the same. A lot of kids won't take pacifiers, so I feel blessed that we haven't had to worry about thumb-sucking or a huge blanket or something. Also, their teeth are fine. I, who never sucked a thumb or a paci, am wearing braces at 28 years of age. You can't always prevent this crap.
Off my soapbox
Briar (who loves her pass) Mom

 

[pweyl36]

When my dd was 2 1/2 I started to cut the nipples of her binkys.
Every time she went to get one she would ask "what happened to her binky?"
So i just told her that they must have broke.After that she would just throw
them away and never asked for one again . My son on the other,
hand was about 2 1/2 ,one night we were laying in bed and he just took his binky out of his mouth and threw it on the floor. My husband and I just looked at each other and said I'm not picking it up. So we thought my son would ,but he never got out of bed and just fell asleep,And never p/u a binky again.Now if potty training him was so easy !!!!!

 

[RoyalCanadian]

My guess is that he wanted to feel holier than thou about his PERFECT parenting skills. I'm sure his children have never eaten a french fry and would pass out from terror if they encountered a piece of dust in his perfect house. OOOOOOO judgemental people get under my skin! Especially since he has no experience in this area!

Wow -- feeling a little judgemental today yourself, aren't we? I do have enough experience in the area of children using soothers/pacifiers/suzies/pacis etc. to consider the question. I've dealt with hundreds of children in my job -- some use them, some don't. I've been impressed with the creative ways parents have used to wean their children off the things -- best one was slowly cutting the nipple back until there was nothing left to suck. (yep -- someone out here posted the same thing -- very smart parents!)

As for DD5 -- we simply chose not to give her a pacifier while she was an infant. She did just fine without it because she didn't know what she was missing.

Not sure where the french fries and dust comment came from. Both are readily available in Canada and the best french fries in the world are made from Prince Edward Island potatoes.

DD5 loves french fries. So do I, although I don't particularly care for the "crispy" fries style. She's a ketchup dipper. I'm more of a salt & malt vinegar kind of guy myself. It's my British roots showing. DW likes mayonnaise on her french fries -- not sure what that's about, but all the restaurants in the beach resort town where she spent her summers has the stuff on the tables and the counters.

As for dust -- lots of it here. We're renovating and without the carpets down to catch the dust it seems the dust bunnies are breeding quite actively. Can't keep the Swiffer going fast enough to catch them!!

 

[Mom to Jordan]

I tried EVERYTHING to get my very fussy baby to take a passy or suck his thumb. No such luck! Anyway we need brases soon and my nephew that was never without his passy for three years has great teeth, so go figure.
The older I get the more laid back I become with these things. I have worked way too many years with 5 year olds and have never seen a non-specail needs kid go to kindergarten in diapers, with a passy or a bottle. A few snuggles go along for a few weeks but peer presure takes care of that too. I would not give it back if she has done fine the last few days but admit i might be chicken and pack one just in case the upset of routine makes things tough for her at WDW. Relax, and enjoy them. They grow too fast anyway!!

Jordan's mom

 

[BlueBayou]

I would not give it back. I think that would only bring you more trouble later.



My DD 4.5 was a big time binky baby. My pediatrician was not anti-binky, but she did say 18-months was the ideal time to get rid of them (for dental reasons - that it is an easier time to separate from the binky). She also suggested that forcing it earlier than that could have them turn to their thumbs. And you can’t exactly throw their thumbs away.



At her daycare they told her she did not need it for nap. She did fine at daycare without it. When she turned 18-months we kept it from her at naps at home. Then we told her she did not need it at night. She did cry for a good 20-minutes the first night. But within 4 days she was sleeping normally.

DD never had a pacifier. We didn't see a need for one. This has really led me to wonder who is the one being pacified -- the child or the parent?

I believe some kids/people are born with a need to comfort by sucking. She nursed almost 12 hours straight in the hospital after she was born. Even now at 4 ½ she will still make the sucking noise like she has the binky in her mouth when she sleeps.



My DD2 was never much of a binky baby. She only used it to fall asleep, and there was not a bit of trouble when we made it unavailable at 18 months.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I tried EVERYTHING to get my very fussy baby to take a passy or suck his thumb. No such luck! Anyway we need brases soon and my nephew that was never without his passy for three years has great teeth, so go figure.

It's probably incredibly difficult to prove a link between thumb-sucking/pacifier use and the need for orthodontic treatment at a later stage in life. There are so many variables that lead to the need for braces/retainers/tooth removal.

 

[Jacksmom99]

DS only liked one type of 'binky'. I tried to take it away from him at 12 months, but he started in on his thumb...back went the binky! At 18 months he started at a new daycare. Since he only liked one kind of binky, I gave daycare 2 and had 3 at home. Well, he lost both of his daycare ones, and the daycare provider bought some replacements without mentioning to me that he needed more. Well DS didn't like the new ones, and was napping fine without them. So, after our dog at the last one at home that was it, I think DS was about 19-20 months old.
He did try sucking on other baby's binky a couple of times, but he did fine at night with out it.

DD on the other hand, would not use a binky. In fact she wouldn't take a bottle until I went back to work when she was almost 4 months old. She sucks her thumb, it started in the hospital and I couldn't stop it. It was either me (breastfeeding) or her thumb. Since I didn't relish the idea of being the human pacifier, I gave up trying to stop the thumb sucking. Now, at almost 3, she's sporting some buck teeth and callouses on both thumbs. While I knew DS wouldn't go to kindergarten with his binky, I can't cut off DD's thumbs....... Oh well, like someone else posted, braces are cheaper than therapy.

 

[debster812]

Now, at almost 3, she's sporting some buck teeth and callouses on both thumbs. While I knew DS wouldn't go to kindergarten with his binky, I can't cut off DD's thumbs....... Oh well, like someone else posted, braces are cheaper than therapy.

PLEASE don't worry about this. She is still so little and so young. Neither my pediatrician or pediatric dentist expressed any concerns about DS's thumb sucking until he was past 4 years old. We did start talking about it, how 'big kids' did not suck their thumb, and how old do you think you would have to be to not have to suck your thumb, etc. But we never pushed it, and by the time DS finally quit, he was really only thumbsucking in his sleep.

It will be fine.

 

[Jacksmom99]

Thanks debster812, I know I shouldn't worry.

I should mention that my mom's not at all concerned. She sucked her thumb until she was 12, and has perfect teeth. I actually think she looks cute with her 'bankie' and her thumb in her mouth.

 

[sarahsmom73]

We cut the nipples too!!! It really worked!

 

[bugbugmom]

I hate to say it ....but I told DD 2 that the next door neighbors dog "Buck" took her pacifier. She saw him out in the yard playing and was okay with that!

 

[Amy&Dan]

My doctor told my son at his 4 year check up that the "Passie Fairy" needed to come see him. Yep, my bad mom history includes letting my son have his pacifier at night until age 4. I tried everything. But by almost 4 he was able to understand that if he left it out (it was one very old one since I refused to buy him anymore after age 3) something special would be there the next morning. We left it on the dining room table with a note saying it was time to give this passie to the new babies about to be born (like they'd want the nasty old thing!) and could he please get some videos! He went to bed fine, woke up, got his videos and never looked back. I still kid my doctor (he's 10) that she should have told us about the passie fairy sooner! I still have that old, dead pacifier, maybe I was the one with the problem!