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older children and pacifier use

5K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  mizzoh 
#1 ·
ds is 6 and still uses a paci daily. he uses it at night to fall asleep, and during the day to "relax". we are sort of ok with this, and have been of the mind that when he's done with it he'll give it up. but, as he gets older and there's been no decline in use, we are beginning to wonder if he will ever stop. for those who let their child self-wean from the paci, how and when did it happen? please tell me he wont be 12 and still using one!
 
#2 ·
Hi there,

Our DS was 4 and had 4 pacifiers that he was very much addicted to! He played with them as well as slept with them. I thought for sure they would be heading off in his school bag with him on his first day of school. He was showing no sign of self weaning. After a very bad night of getting up several times to help him locate the missing 1 of the 4 pacifiers in his bed! I decided I had had enough. In the morning I thought about telling him it was time to get rid of one ... then a week later same thing - BUT I was so grumpy after having had a night of no sleep because of these things I just decided it was time to get rid of the lot of them. I told him another little boy was having trouble sleeping and we were going to give all of the pacifiers to him. I expected a HUGE kerfluffle that afternoon when he had a lie down but he happily went off to bed. He did ask me if the little boy had his pacifiers yet :) That night - again no trouble. I just couldnt believe it! After all those years of searching cots and beds for these things and then to have it all dealt with cold turkey! Hid them in a drawer for a day or so (just because I couldnt believe it was that easy - but dont think I would have given them back tho!) and he was fine.

I think sometimes you just need to make the decision for them. Its tough tho. Not sure how I would have gone with tears. But thats our story for you.

Good luck :)

xo
 
#3 ·
I bribed my almost four year old. Honestly, I wish I'd taken them much sooner. In the later years, there were problems from the long term pacifier use. At age four, I didn't think it was a problem, but by age 10, the problems became more obvious.

I have heard of people who take the pacifiers to Build A Bear, let them pick a bear, and put the pacifiers inside before having it sewn closed...that way, they always have them close by.
 
#5 ·
thanks for the replies. none of things would work with my kid.

most of the time i don't really mind that he still has it...i just wish he would decide on his own to be done with it! has anyone ever just waited it out? i want him to stop when he loses his top teeth ( so as not to make the adult one grow in crooked). both his top teeth are loose...so the time is coming
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by mizzoh View Post
i want him to stop when he loses his top teeth ( so as not to make the adult one grow in crooked). both his top teeth are loose...so the time is coming
Honestly, chances are, they will still grow in crooked anyway. It isn't just what's in his mouth when the teeth grown in, but what has been in his mouth for the last five or so years. The mouth forms to fit the pacifier, his tongue thrusts differently than a child who never had a pacifier, so his top teeth will still form differently. I learned this the hard way. When my daughter was six, she had a cute little lisp. (she hadn't had the pacifier in three years) but, the dentist AND the speech teacher at school could tell by her tongue thrust that she used a paci for longer than she should have.

So, at the age of 11, her front teeth stuck out like a beaver and she was teased in 4th grade. We got her braces and some other stuff the summer before 5th grade, and now she has a great smile.
 
#8 ·
I just asked him if there was anything he would trade his dummies for and he said yes, "one of those big bags of candies" they sell at the drugstore I can't believe it!! Interesting trade...but I'll take it. It's too late to do it today, but that's the plan for tomorrow.
 
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