I've created a monster

So I never pulled the plug, and I know that I have to next month. I am trying to get my daughter prepared by telling her that when she's three she has to give it to the paci-fairy. HOWEVER, it's going to be so hard. She loves her paci -- has it constantly. For nighttime and nap sleep -- and the car because she gets car sick.

This morning she woke up at 5:30am b/c her paci fell out of her bed and she couldn't get it. I had to get it and then she went back to bed until 7:15am....what am I going to do?

Suggestions? Support??? Ughhhhh....I created a paci monster.

 

:hug: My dd had her paci until she was 3.5. She was very very addicted to it, but she also needed it. She was always very overwhelmed in situations with lots of people, or at a new place, and she literally would sob and sob without her paci. We were finally able to take it away at 3.5 yrs old. She was upset but by then she had matured enough to learn how to calm herself down without it.

 

We pulled the plug a month or two ago and were thinking it was going to be awful - both were pretty attached. But it actually went very well with one exception - one of my boys now sucks his thumb or finger. The dentist said not to worry about unless he continues to do it when he is closer to 4. When we ask him to stop he says NO but I do tell him I cant understand him speaking when he and needs to take his finger out to talk to me.

 

Can you break her of the habit in small steps?

Like:

Week 1 - Pacis in bed and cars only, not while playing.
Week 2 - Pacis in bed only.
Week 3 - Pacis for nighttime and for falling asleep only (i.e. take it away once she goes to sleep and tell her that it if gets lost in the middle of the night to go back to sleep without it.)
Week 4 - take it away, but warn her, "in five more days, the Paci fairy is coming to take your Paci away", "In four more days. . ." etc.

We didn't do a fairy, we gave them to a new baby. After a day they didn't even ask.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. If she needs it, she needs it. Maybe start with no day time paci. Then gradually move on to the night. But if it keeps her from getting sick in the car, I wouldn't even bother until she is able to chew a piece of gum or something to help with the car sickness that is miserable.

 

I wouldn't worry about it if it's somewhat limited. We just took Jack's (DH made the call on the day we started potty training while I was out of town until afternoon). It actually was a real non-issue. Of course, he only had it for nightime, and it generally fell out of his mouth quickly anyway. But he was pretty attached.

 

My kids were addicted to their pacis. We took them away a couple of months ago and it went better than I expected. They gave their pacis to a baby. There was a lot of crying to fall asleep the first night but no crying after that at night. They did cry at nap time for a few days and either did not nap or took short naps. Within a week, napping was back to normal. Now I would say that they sleep better at night (less night waking searching for missing pacis). (Prior to that we had limited their use to sleeping only).

 

it's not quite the same, but I did "pull the plug" when mine were 2. I told them they were broken - actually my dd's were... the nipple part was falling apart. anyway, I just wanted to second that it might not be as big of a deal... though I totally agree with maybe starting with small steps. I even made them put the paci in their crib when we left the nursery in the morning several months before we stopped the pacis.

good luck!! Also maybe giving a new special night time stuffed animal or something really cool that you trade for the paci like a glo light.

 

p.s. DITTO! especially on the less waking searching for missing pacis!!

 

Can I ask why you "have" to get rid of it in the next month? Is it because your dentist/pedi has said to or because you decided she won't have it once she's three?
If it's an age limit that you just picked and she's that attached to it I would give her more time. Although I would limit her use of it as much as possible (ie only for sleeping and the car sickness). If it's something that she needs to do because of a medical/dental reason then I like becasquared's plan of gradually reducing her use over a few weeks.