I wrote a post a few weeks ago about how I was finally ready to let go of my girls' babyhood. Well, it's now time to let go of one of the time-honored and ever-revered tokens of said childhood--the pacifier.
I have always been a proponent of the pacifier. It has saved my sanity on multitudes of occasions, and quite honestly, who knows in what mental state I would be in had my girls not clung to them like their very lives depended on it. However, I did not plan on the fact that they would be 22 months old and still attached to them. Ryan also used a pacifier, and was easily weaned off around 10 months. In my mind, I assumed that it would be that easy again. Mmmmm.....wrong.
I do know however, that I do not want 2 year olds running around with pacifiers in their mouths, especially now that they are talking. It's already hard enough to decipher what they are saying!!
So, I have 2 months in which to accomplish my goal. They currently only get them at nap time and bedtime (and we do take them to church as part of the breakdownscreamcrywailSacramentMeetinggrocerystoreemergencybag), but those are also the most critical. In my favor, I have learned a few things. Now that Miss Houdini has somewhat been tamed, I realize that I will not be able to go into this casually. Oh no--it's going to require a full-on strategic plan. So, I've been pondering my options, and these are a few I've come up with.
1. Snip off the end, leaving them nothing to suck on, hoping they will lose interest.
2. Throw them in the garbage can while the girls are watching, after I have explained very carefully the merits of being a "big girl", and the fact that they no longer need them.
3. This one is a tricky one...it has led me to question whether or not there really is a "pacifier heaven".
4. Plain ol' bribery. I'm thinking chocolate.
I'm sure the public at large is also appreciative of the fact that we have used them for so long, especially those at church, the grocery store, the library, and Target. I admit, they will be missed, and the fact that I can no longer depend on them will take some getting used to (again, think chocolate). One thing I won't miss? Frantically searching on an almost daily basis (and many times in the middle of the night) every single nook and cranny of the house and car trying to find the ever-elusive pacifier. Seriously, they're like socks...where do they go?
I have always been a proponent of the pacifier. It has saved my sanity on multitudes of occasions, and quite honestly, who knows in what mental state I would be in had my girls not clung to them like their very lives depended on it. However, I did not plan on the fact that they would be 22 months old and still attached to them. Ryan also used a pacifier, and was easily weaned off around 10 months. In my mind, I assumed that it would be that easy again. Mmmmm.....wrong.
I do know however, that I do not want 2 year olds running around with pacifiers in their mouths, especially now that they are talking. It's already hard enough to decipher what they are saying!!
So, I have 2 months in which to accomplish my goal. They currently only get them at nap time and bedtime (and we do take them to church as part of the breakdownscreamcrywailSacramentMeetinggrocerystoreemergencybag), but those are also the most critical. In my favor, I have learned a few things. Now that Miss Houdini has somewhat been tamed, I realize that I will not be able to go into this casually. Oh no--it's going to require a full-on strategic plan. So, I've been pondering my options, and these are a few I've come up with.
1. Snip off the end, leaving them nothing to suck on, hoping they will lose interest.
2. Throw them in the garbage can while the girls are watching, after I have explained very carefully the merits of being a "big girl", and the fact that they no longer need them.
3. This one is a tricky one...it has led me to question whether or not there really is a "pacifier heaven".
4. Plain ol' bribery. I'm thinking chocolate.
I'm sure the public at large is also appreciative of the fact that we have used them for so long, especially those at church, the grocery store, the library, and Target. I admit, they will be missed, and the fact that I can no longer depend on them will take some getting used to (again, think chocolate). One thing I won't miss? Frantically searching on an almost daily basis (and many times in the middle of the night) every single nook and cranny of the house and car trying to find the ever-elusive pacifier. Seriously, they're like socks...where do they go?
6 comments:
I have been there before. It is always hard when you go through the transition and then before you know it it's done with and you can't help but think, "Why did we not do this sooner?". It sounds like you have some great ideas. Another idea I have heard is having the kids gather them all up and give them to someone who is about to have a baby or just had one. I'm thinking maybe Julie since they know her....just a thought! Good luck.
Sometimes habits are so hard to break. when I was ready to have the kids be done with sippy cups, I tossed them all in the trash. It was much easier than I thought.
My kids never took to pacifiers so I didn't have to worry about that, but I've heard it's a hard habit to break, so Good Luck!
Good luck! I did not have a problem with pacifiers, I threw Spencer's away at six months after being SO tierd of looking for it in the crib if he lost it in the night, and Nicole, well, she is four and has always loved her thumb. And that you CANNOT get rid of :)!! Sippy cups were our hard one. Once I decided I was REALLY ready, I threw them ALL away. It was so much easier to deal with when I knew there was absolutley no other choice.
that dang binkie! i have no advice yet but I'll definitely be looking to you for some in a few months :)
I saw the other night on that nanny show where they gathered them all up and put them into an envelope and sent them to the pacifer fairy. The next day the fairy had left in the mail box some little toys. Everyone new that the fairy had been there by the feathers and glitter that was around the mailbox. The little boy seemed not to have any trouble with it, but thatis tv for you. Anyway, I just thought I would share that with you. Winston was 3 before he gave his up.
Around 2 years old we were down to using binki's only for naps and bedtime. No public binki's!
It wasn't until 2 1/2 that the last one finally ripped. (I refused to buy any past her first birthday or so). I explained to Paige that the binki's needed to go to all of the babies and she wasn't one anymore. We threw it in the garbage and that was it. She did ask that night for her binki, but I just reminded her about the babies. She seemed to understand that because she then asked me if her little baby cousin could have her old one.
Amazing how things we are dreading end up being simpler than expected (and a relief too!).
But with said, I'm still wishing you good luck. You could easily be out-teamed!
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