The "P" word...

The bad habit. Jaxson’s attachment. Mommy & Daddy’s enemy. We are working to get rid of the pacifier. I struggle because it’s nice to have when he’s getting fidgety or when he’s screaming in a restaurant or other public place. But, he just looks too old for it when he has it in his mouth. Plus, I’m hoping by getting rid of it that it will encourage new words. He goes all day at daycare without it. But when he comes home, he wants it. He thinks he’s supposed to have a paci on car rides, while getting his diaper changed and when it’s night-night time. He even knows where we keep the paci’s in the house-box on his dresser shelf and bowl in the kitchen. I have hid the box in his bedroom. Yesterday afternoon began the journey. He had a meltdown after his bath (it was before dinner so that may have contributed a little) and stood in front of his dresser and pointed up to where the box was and cried and cried and cried. I know I’ve talked about his snubbing before but he really does get it from me. Crying hard brings on the “snubbing” and even after we are through crying we still snub a little. After about 10 minutes he came out of his bedroom and was okay. He had dinner and then we went for a walk around the neighborhood and he was fine. Then came bedtime…he already fights going to sleep so when he realized he wasn’t getting his paci then he was upset all over again. I put him in his bed for about 5 minutes while he screamed/cried/kicked. When I went back to get him, he was snubbing and went to sleep after about 3 minutes of rocking. He was even snubbing in his sleep. L I almost gave in…he went all night without it and even rode to daycare without it. Not saying that it was pretty trying to get him in the carseat without it but we did it. Picking him up this afternoon at daycare and not giving him the paci in the truck will probably be an ugly scene too. I’ve read some articles online all of which recommend taking it away around the age of 1. They say the sooner the better the easier. I don’t want to traumatize him because right now he doesn’t understand why I’m taking it away. Surely he won’t remember it when he’s older…I’ve read that if you cut the tip off of the paci and then give it to the child they will not want it because they think it’s “broke”. I don’t want to reintroduce it tonight after going cold turkey last night. The joys of parenting! I don’t think this adventure will be as easy as the bottle. The day after his 1 year checkup we put all the bottles up and we were completely done with them. He never cried for it. Hopefully this afternoon and the next few days will get better…