Like this week. I've been searching for "just the right time" to kick the pacifier habit around our house. Julianna has managed to hang on to hers (approaching the three year mark) and Lydia was following in her footsteps. With no major travel in sight, and baby #3 right around the corner, I was ready to get rid of some pacis! This week seemed perfect.
I planned a "no more pacis day" celebration - admittedly, this was mostly for Julianna, who knew of the anticipated event. Lydia was blind-sided. And, yes, I do realize that it's not fair that Julianna got to use a paci for almost three years, while Lydia only got to keep hers for 13 short months.
Julianna arrived home from the camping trip exhausted - which I thought confirmed my timing choice. Extra tired, extra easy to fall asleep without the paci. That evening before baths and bed, she gathered all her pacis into a ziploc bag. She thinks we might save them for the new baby. I know that they are definitely filthy, perhaps even toxic, and no way are they getting close to our new baby's mouth. But, it's a nice gesture that she wants to save them for the new baby, so I'm not arguing with her.
And she did great. Falling asleep that is. But a terrible cough struck and she was up for a significant chunk of the night. So was I. It might have been our worse night of sleep since Lydia was a newborn. At least she got lots of practice falling back asleep without the paci. Unfortunately, we were all exhausted when the next day hit, and then naptime rolled around, and she was distraught to find that the pacis were still gone. But, again, tiredness won out, and she fell right asleep.
After her first "paci-free" nap we celebrated with a cupcake and balloons.
Now she's in a groove. Before bed and nap she usually says, "but I don't have anything to put in my mouth". And I say something comforting like, "that's ok, time for bed anyways". And that's that.
[Lydia has fussed, and then slept, paci-less. She fusses less with each nap and bed time. I do miss her quiet little "drift off to sleep routine" but trust that it will return within a few short days.]
So, looking back, my timing was off. I am still fighting a cold and Julianna has a terrible cough. (Oh, and did I mention that Lydia cut a tooth - a big one - in the midst of all this?) Probably not the week to remove everyone's "pre-sleep comfort device". But there's no going back now. And I, for one, am looking at 6 paci-free months before #3 arrives!
Oh yeah, even with the minor disturbances that "kicking the paci habit" has brought to our little home, I'm encouraging baby #3 to use a paci. For one, it's a lot easier to get rid of than a thumb. And a paci on a long airplane ride is a beautiful thing when you're dealing with a sleep-deprived little one :) Plus, I've got a ziploc bag of pacis just waiting to be used - ha :)
5 comments:
Congrats to you all for quiting the habit :) Yes I had hoped that Hannah would choose but alas she developed a liking for her thumb (at a very young age of 2 weeks she found her thumb). I am in the process of encouraging her to enjoy her little bunny with long ears better than her thumb but we will see. . . .Hope everyone feels better soon!
Congratulations-- and as I recall you got to use yours about that long and Stephen significantly less -- also I think we just plain ran out of them one night and could not find any - not under a chair, in a toy box, anywhere- (memory subject to clarification)
love Dad/GrandDad
Dad's memory fails him. We were at the beach one summer night - you had turned 3 in May and Stephen was 12 months old - and alas no paci could be found. Searched the car, the house, all the suitcases and then Daddy went looking for a grocery store or drugstore that was open. As usual, we had gotten to the beach late and no stores were open - no 24 hour ones back then. So, you and Stephen both gave up your pacis that night - best I recall it was not a pleasant night and the next couple of days were tough, but you and Stephen loved the beach and you were both tired at nap time and at bedtime. Didn't think to make a celebration out of it - that was a good idea!
Caroline gave, I mean was forced to give, hers up on her 3rd birthday. When she was about 2 1/2 we told her paci had to stay in her bed and that worked well. And we talked for 6 months about when you turn 3 no more paci. She might have asked for her paci for 2 days then that was it. We started a little earlier with Will and a few months ago he started leaving paci in his bed every morning and after nap. I guess at Christmas we will take his paci away for good.
Love Julie
All these paci stories make me wish my kids took one. I have a 4 1/2 year old who won't give up his thumb and one who is 2 1/2 and following in his brother's footsteps. You can't exactly put a thumb in a plastic bag and throw it away! My next door neighbor suggested hot peppers.
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