Those of you who see us regularly will know that Noah still uses a pacifier. I've kind of spoiled him because I think of him as my baby. :) But the pacifier needs to go, as it's affecting the development of his teeth and gums.
The question is, how to go about it with a minimum of fuss? I did a little google-ing and found the suggestion to prick a small hole in the pacifier. I immediately remembered an old pacifier that got a hole in it somehow--he didn't care for it at all! He said it was too "squeaky." So I guess all of the pacifiers will be getting holes in them as of today. :) Hopefully, once he realizes that they are all "squeaking," he'll lose interest.
I'm posting this here for accountability! I hope it works!
Oh that so much did not work for us. JP sucked a half chewed dummy for ages. It was hard to get her to give it up (esp hard in church when we needed her to be quiet)
ReplyDeleteRight now I am battling a six yr old who loves loves loves to suck his thumb and is getting very odd teeth because of it.
Can't believe I'm stuck with such a basic problem with my 11th child, I guess I'm getting old or soft or something.
Hope Noah gives up his pacifier easily - some children do. How old is he?
Hx
Have you heard of Elizabeth Pantley? Her method for getting rid of the pacifier is to gradually reduce the amount of time it is used, until the child no longer needs it at all. It's called the "Gentle Removal Plan."
ReplyDeleteMy cousin took her three year old to her first dentist appointment and encouraged the girl to give her pacifiers to the dentist for another little baby. He played along quite nicely, and that was the end of that.
ReplyDeleteat the daycare we always told the kids that it was only for naptime, and then that they weren't babies any more so it had to go in the trash. i don't know how attached to it he is though, so that might be too tramatic I don't know!
ReplyDeleteHayley
Henrietta, Noah is two and a half. :)
ReplyDeleteLeah, I have heard of Elizabeth Pantley, but never read her books (they were always checked out at my last library--it was that sort of town). Problem with gradually reducing pacifier time is that I tend to forget that he has it, or forget that I was intending to remove it. I can be kind of absent-minded like that. :)
Katie, I've heard of that one, also heard of "trading it in" for a new toy at the toy store, or giving it to the "pacifier fairy" (like the tooth fairy, I guess). But I don't think Noah would willingly hand his over, not even for the sake of a new toy. Maybe I'm wrong. :)
I think I'll keep working with the hole method for now, though the holes will have to be enlarged, as he doesn't seem to have noticed them yet.
I still use one for Amy (shes 3) but it usually is only for bed...but lately we've had upheavals with traveling so it is hard trying to cut back to only nighttime again, but we've nearly got it.
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