taking away the pacifier

Chanie

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 1:58 pm

My son is 2.5 years old and still uses a pacifier for sleep.
I've been trying to take it away for some time, but always unsuccessful. An hour ago, when I put him to nap, I couldn't find the pacifier anywhere. At first he cried, then I bribed him with Purim nosh.. that he'll get when he wakes up. It's an hour later. He still is up in his room. I think the pacifier soothes him to sleep.. anyone has any idea of what I can do to help him through the transition?

Chanie

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 2:56 pm

my son goes to sleep on his own... if anyone is around he wants to talk Sad

Another problem is that he just started sleeping in a bed last week... so now he's able to get out of bed and play with toy instead of going to sleep.

deedee

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 3:09 pm

my little sis lost hers under the fridge when she was 2.5. my parents said it was gone and they didnt buy another one. she just accecpted it and went on. mother doesnt remember excessive crying.
if you dont have it anymore then he will also sense from you that its not an option anymore.
let him know its sleep time. turn off lights and say shema-or if nap have a diffrent song, or read book. after a while he will know that its bed time when u do these things.

Quote:

and play with toy instead of going to sleep.

make sure there arent any toys to play with on the ground and put up a gate so he cant get out of the room.

Chanie

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 5:08 pm

deedee wrote:

make sure there arent any toys to play with on the ground and put up a gate so he cant get out of the room.

I live in a 2 bedroom apt, so there really isn't any place to put his toys... when they talk of compact houses.. there is none more compact then mine. I've been looking for a bigger place but so far I have found nothing suitable.

Rivk

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 6:12 pm

Are you sure you want to take it away now, right after a different transition to the bed? Maybe wait a few more months. I've never done it, but maybe you can talk about it with him for a while and tell him that on his third birthday he'll be big enough to sleep without it. Good luck!

Chanie

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 7:12 pm

I didn't plan to do it now, but he miss placed one of his and destroyed another, I thought maybe this time I shouldn't buy another one.
He just went to sleep for the night... let's see how well he does, he hasn't called out to me yet.

hisorerus

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 8:48 pm

Help him ease himself off of it- I'm still traumatized from when my parents stole every one of my blankies. (I had to hide them for the longest time.) I don't think cold turkey is fair to push on a little kid who still needs a comfort object.

stem

Mon, Mar 28 2005, 9:38 pm

I respect my daughter's feelings about this issue, though if it were up to me, the pacifiers would be long gone. It sooths her to sleep, and calms her down when she is upset. Imagine if someone took away something that was crucial to your own relaxation (like maybe your pillow!).
We have been talking to my daughter about giving up her pacifier since she was 2 years old. We made a deal that when she turns 3 she will keep the pacifier in bed for sleeping only, and at 4 she will put them in the garbage (where they belong !!). Talking about it for so long makes the whole thing seem like a natural course of events, and is not scary or traumatizing even for a serious pacifier addict like my daughter.

curlyhead

Thu, Mar 31 2005, 6:25 am

my 2 yearold is still with his pacifier. I wish I could take it away but my baby also has one and if I take it away he will just take the babies pacifiers instead. He already like putting the babies pacifier in his mouth.

One of my friends had a great idea. To slowly cut some of the pacifier till there is so little left that the child rejects it

Pearl

Thu, Mar 31 2005, 6:36 am

Quote:

Rivky wrote:

One of my friends had a great idea. To slowly cut some of the pacifier till there is so little left that the child rejects it

do you mean cutting time with pacifier, or actually cutting the pacifier?
because if it is really cutting it up, then that could be dangerous.... if a pacifier is slightly damaged, a baby/toddler shouldn't suck on it, but it should be thrown out immediately!

as far as advice goes - can't give you much of that, Chanie, as my first 2 children (girls) wouldn't give up on the pacifier until they were 4 Crying

! by the time they were way past the age of 3, I told them that their pacifier was their full responsibility - if it would get lost, or damaged, then that would be the end of it, no replacements! they were extra careful..... Confused

so it took some time, but then it was over and done with!

when a child has to go through changes (start daycare, new baby in the house, moving house, etc) then that's not the time to take the pacifier away.....

girliesmommy

Thu, Mar 31 2005, 9:02 am

Pearl wrote:

Quote:

Rivky wrote:

One of my friends had a great idea. To slowly cut some of the pacifier till there is so little left that the child rejects it

I read in a magazine (can't remember which one) that a way to cut the habit is to cut a tiny hole in the tip of the pacifier. Then, when the child sucks it deflates, and they'll give it up alone.

I haven't tried this (yet!) but it sounds interesting! I have seen the warnings about damaged pacifiers being dangerous, but what exactly does damaged mean?

Pearl

Thu, Mar 31 2005, 9:07 am

Quote:

[quote="girliesmommya tiny hole in the tip of the pacifier.

[/quote]

that's what it means!! now, I can't bring any sources right now (I know that I will be boo-ed away because of it), but I was told by a nurse (you know, those that keep track of baby's development till the age of 4, like tipat halav in israel) that as soon as there is a little hole in it - toss it!

Chanie

Thu, Mar 31 2005, 1:32 pm

SUCCESS STORY!

This is the 4th day thay my son has been pacifier free. He was just put to sleep for the 7th time without it.
This morning he found his missing pacifier but wasn't disturbed when my husband took it away.
I'm going to throw it in the garbage today.

Rivky wrote:

if I take it away he will just take the babies pacifiers instead

Thank G-d my son doesn't do that. He has the opposite problem, he has a hard time sharing anything with the baby. "Shli shli v'shelach shelach" (what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours)

Pearl

Fri, Apr 01 2005, 1:48 am

Quote:

[quote="Chanie"]I'm going to throw it in the garbage today.[/quote

if I were you, I would keep it somewhere hidden in a drawer for a week or so....to be on the safe side!

but - so far, so good! mazzal tov!

raizy

Sun, Apr 03 2005, 12:37 am

help I am in the same boot . I have two kids 2.5 and 3.5 who love their pacifers...
I told them that this pashack when my baby turns one we will throw it all in the fire and no more pacifer and no more bottles.

I did not go out and buy pacifer and bottles for pashcah. my baby I bought a playtex sibsters and hope that he will take it. he does know how to drink from a straw.

so I will get rid of it in one shot all 3 kids.

my oldest was never addicted to the pacifer and to bottles like the others.

everyone wish me luck and tell me if I am making a big mistake....

raizy

Sun, Apr 03 2005, 12:41 am

you are right my son who is almost turning 3 . takes the pacifer right out of the baby mouth... so when my baby starts to holler I know what happened and then I go chasing after my son to give it back.... I have it all color coded so I know whose it is.. he cant tell me that it was his and the baby just bye "accidents" picked up his. Rolling Eyes

what kids think of that we parent have to outsmart them.....