We did it! We are completely
paci free! I don't say that to gloat over anyone having a hard time with the transition; it's simply a statement of relief!
For several months now, we've only used
pacis in their beds at night & during nap times. I wanted to make sure that we got rid of them & got back to sleeping well before my surgery in June since I won't be able to traipse upstairs to console them at that point.
So, last Wednesday I decided to take the plunge since J was scheduled to be in town for at least a week & a half. You know, in case it got rough around here!
We threw away all but one
paci per kid & then cut the tip off of their remaining one. Mallory put it in her mouth & sucked on it as if there was no difference. Jake immediately pulled it out of his mouth & gave it a confused, sideways look, then looked at me. "Is your
paci broken?" I asked. "Bo-ken," he confirmed. Even so, he put it back in his mouth & attempted to suck on it. There were a few tears at bedtime that night, but after 30 minutes or so, they were both asleep.
Jake cried for forty minutes at nap time on Thursday & then finally slept after cuddling on the couch with me for a while. Thursday night I cut a bit more off of each one. Mallory, again, seemed not to mind. Jake was very concerned but still managed to suck/chew on it & get to sleep.
Friday afternoon, Jake didn't nap at all but seemed to have more than enough energy, so I didn't bother trying to make him. Later that day, I thought I'd take a shot in the dark. I asked Jake if he wanted to throw his
paci in the trash since it was broken, then held the trash can out toward him. He tossed it in & was subsequently praised for being such a big boy! I asked Mal if she wanted to throw hers away & was met by an adamant "No!" A couple of hours later, though, she agreed that it was broken & threw it away.
We've had three great nights & three great nap times since then, so I think we're home free! If you ask them why they're big kids, they'll tell you "
paci trash" or some version of that. We're so proud of our big kids!
For several months now, we've only used pacis in their beds at night & during nap times. I wanted to make sure that we got rid of them & got back to sleeping well before my surgery in June since I won't be able to traipse upstairs to console them at that point.
So, last Wednesday I decided to take the plunge since J was scheduled to be in town for at least a week & a half. You know, in case it got rough around here!
We threw away all but one paci per kid & then cut the tip off of their remaining one. Mallory put it in her mouth & sucked on it as if there was no difference. Jake immediately pulled it out of his mouth & gave it a confused, sideways look, then looked at me. "Is your paci broken?" I asked. "Bo-ken," he confirmed. Even so, he put it back in his mouth & attempted to suck on it. There were a few tears at bedtime that night, but after 30 minutes or so, they were both asleep.
Jake cried for forty minutes at nap time on Thursday & then finally slept after cuddling on the couch with me for a while. Thursday night I cut a bit more off of each one. Mallory, again, seemed not to mind. Jake was very concerned but still managed to suck/chew on it & get to sleep.
Friday afternoon, Jake didn't nap at all but seemed to have more than enough energy, so I didn't bother trying to make him. Later that day, I thought I'd take a shot in the dark. I asked Jake if he wanted to throw his paci in the trash since it was broken, then held the trash can out toward him. He tossed it in & was subsequently praised for being such a big boy! I asked Mal if she wanted to throw hers away & was met by an adamant "No!" A couple of hours later, though, she agreed that it was broken & threw it away.
We've had three great nights & three great nap times since then, so I think we're home free! If you ask them why they're big kids, they'll tell you "paci trash" or some version of that. We're so proud of our big kids!
3 comments:
Good for Jake and Mallory! They are getting so big!
I'll try and remember these strategies in a couple months when we say bye bye to Ranger's!
That sounds really familiar! I'm glad the transition went well, and you no longer have to bother with pacis.
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