I always though that I would like for my children to take a pacifier, feeling that it would be soooo much easier to take away than a thumb. My own long-term relationship with my thumb, which I sucked into 2nd grade, was my influence for this thinking. Unfortunately, Andrew and then Mandy both found their thumbs rather early on, eliminating the use of the pacifier forever. Now, they both still suck their thumbs, though only at night. And Andrew doesn't even know he is doing it. I have tried a variety of strategies to eliminate the habit to no avail, lest you think I have not tried.
Jeffrey, however, gladly takes the pacifier when he needs "comfort sucking". He really likes the Avent pacifiers, preferring them over the Playtex one we also have. I hope he does not find his thumb. When he outgrows the need to suck for comfort, it will be so easy to take away. The pacifier simply disappears, whereas the thumb is attached forever.
So my question is, which do you prefer, and why?
3 comments:
Thumb, definitely, because I don't have to find it for him in the middle of the night. And it's not that hard to break the habit if you know what motivates your kid. I anticipate having trouble with my thumb-addicted, strong-willed, independent Penny, but the other two were easy.
Brenna's paci was a big mistake.
Angie had a pacifier and she was completely off of it by 2 and 1/2. We gave it to Santa Claus to give to another baby who didn't have a pacifier. But by then we had weaned her from it for all but bedtime. And she didn't even use it except to fall asleep. I don't regret using a pacifier, except, as Jennie notes, that you sometimes have to find it for them in the middle of the night. But that's not too big of a deal either...at least, in my opinion. Maddie, too, is using a pacifier, and we'll start weaning her from that in a little while too.
We used pacifiers for all of the kids. No one ever used their thumb and we didn't even have to make a big deal about getting rid of them. I mentioned that they were getting too big for them and they should practice not using them at night. Then, one night I just "Forgot" to give them out. No one every said a word about them again!
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