When I took my son to his 18 month old check up, my son was happily sucking on his pacifier when the doctor walked him. She took it out of his mouth so that she could look into his mouth and he kept telling her that he wanted he wanted his “paci” back. She told him that if he could ask for it, that he was too old for it. In fact, she suggested a great way to help us wean him from his paci. His doctor told me to only allow him to have his pacifier when he was sleeping.
My son was pretty attached to his pacifier since he was a young baby. I knew in my mind that I wanted to wean him from using the pacifier before he was two years old. I just didn’t know how I was going to go about doing it. His daycare was attempting to help us wean him from his pacifier. They would either take it away from him or ask him to stick it in his pants pocket. However, at home he was super attached to his paci and wouldn’t give it up.
A few weeks ago, I told him that he could only have his pacifier when he was sleeping. The next morning when he woke up, I told him that he had to leave his pacifier in the crib with Tigger. He wasn’t very happy that he had to leave his pacifier in his crib. After, leaving his pacifier in his crib he cried for a few minutes but he quickly forgot about his pacifier. I was hiding his pacifier in my pocket so that I could take it to the daycare so that he could have it during nap time.
One day, I totally forgot to take his pacifier out of my pocket one morning at the daycare. I didn’t realize that I still had it until mid-morning. So I decided to see how he did during the day without his pacifier. I was expecting to get a phone call from his daycare asking about his pacifier, but they never called me. His teacher said that he did great and didn’t even ask for his pacifier. I was amazed that he was able to take a nap without his pacifier. I am no longer taking his pacifier to daycare.
I am kinda sad that my baby boy is growing up so fast. He has done great with leaving his pacifier in his crib with Tigger. In fact, as soon as he gets up he will throw his pacifier at Tigger, as if Tigger is going to protect it all day long.
I plan on trying to take his pacifier away at night in the next few weeks. I just hope that my son doesn’t stay up half of the night and cry. He has slept with Tigger for the last few months, in fact, he always hugs Tigger as he drifts off to sleep. So in a few weeks when I take away his pacifier I hope that Tigger gives him the security that he needs to sleep at night.
