(aka pacifier, "paci", "binky", "dede", plug, volume control...)The nuk and I-we have a love/hate relationship. Setting aside my complex about having a piece of plastic soothe my baby rather than Momma or Daddy, I'm finding that I can't live with it, and I can't live without it.
Brett liked his nuk, but he has never been a very oral kid, and we were able to terminate it's usage by around 7 months. Lydia has an insatiable need to suck! But I still hope to kick the habit before her 1st birthday. I just think it's easier to be done with it early rather than taking it away from a 3 year old.
So, what I love about the nuk is it helps my baby go to sleep. What I hate about it is it's got me running upstairs a dozen times during a restless nap to pop it back in. Do you know how much damage my son can do in our "child-proofed" living room in 20 seconds? And the nights have been even worse. How many times have I been woken from a peaceful slumber because my daughter needs to suck to sleep?
My husband's idea of a solution is to rubber band it to her face. I'm tempted to throw them all away now, and she'll just have to figure out how to sleep without it. I wonder if any readers have any better ideas...
Ha - no advice from my end but I'll have to check back! Delaney still uses her paci's primarily for sleep - though I always have one handy as sometimes in the car or just if she's having a rough day (or finds one lying about) she ends up with it too. I remember oh-so-well those days of rushing to get the paci back in her mouth a million times during one sleep period. We went through that too. Now Delaney sleeps better and it doesn't seem to happen as often. But I still keep one handy. I admit I don't have an elimination plan yet - I'm tempted but not brave enough to rock the boat yet. She will not be a kid running around the playground at 3 years old with one, but I haven't quite figured out the rest of the plan. Hope you get some good advice!
ReplyDeleteWould she transition to sucking her fingers or thumb? Nadia never liked the nuk so I can't give you advice on how to transition away from it. She's a thumb sucker, and the good thing about that is I don't need to put it back in her mouth for her. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had an idea for you. I had the same problem with my oldest son. The poor dear must have had 30 pacifiers in his crib in my desperate hope that he would find just ONE of them in the middle of the night! :)
ReplyDeletefrom mom: you never really liked the nuk, but when you were 2 G'ma B asked me if I was going to school with you...get it? (Doubt if you'll let this one through the filter) Your sister gave hers up at 18 months. Pick your battles.
ReplyDeleteI'm for the tossing it plan. She will learn to sooth herself very quickly.
ReplyDeleteLynn
Grace was a finger sucker but Shelby (now 14) loved her paci. When she was 12 months we said good bye to it. My husband cut the nipple off and told her it was broke. She slept with it in her fist for 3 nights and then it was over. She didn't even cry.
ReplyDeleteAs far as helping Lydia finding her paci I have no advice. If you figure out a way I am sure you can sell the idea and make millions!
I totally understand. My son had his until he was 20 months and my daughter until almost 26 months. So I really do not have any good advice. I alays reasoned that if they need to suck -- I would rather them have the "binky" instead of me or a bottle when they didn't need it. KWIM. With Seth, we really lost the last one we had one night right at bed time and we could not find it. So I said that's it. He's too old for it anyway. Of course he cried for a few nights wanting it. With Lily, she was way past what I had intended for her to have it. So I cut the end and showed it to her telling her it was broken. She was old enough to understand and did not fuss too much about it. She still talks about her "mimi" is broken. (It's only been 3 months w/o it.) It's not easy. I do recommend taking it away closer to one year. My kids seemed to become more dependent on it and manipulative about it past one year old. Some parents just say "no" totally to pacifier. But again I didn't like to always have a fussy baby. And others told me "You can throw away the binky, but you can not throw away the thumb." Once the binky is gone - that's it. With thumb suckers -- I've seen them still at 5 or 6 years. old. Have fun!!!
ReplyDeleteYour children are beautiful.
Gayla