Anyone else have a 'dummy-all-day' child?!

We were doing really well the dummy for Max - only for naps and bedtime. But he was ill for a few weeks around 15 months and since then he wants it ALL day. If I take it away he screams/winges/cries - so I just let him have it! He is a bit of a moaner/tantrum thrower and the dummy really does keep him more calm. Anyone else have a similar child? I never wanted my children to have a dummy all the time but it keeps the peace!

 

My girls never used pacifiers but I have a thumbsucker who sucks probably 20 out of 24hrs a day!

 

We were doing well too (just naps and bedtime), but now Karina is using it a lot more than she should. I'm not sure when or why it happened. Annelise sucks her fingers a lot too. I would try to limit the paci use, but there are a lot of changes happening right now. We've stopped day care for the summer (I'm a teacher) and we're transitioning to one nap. I can't fathom trying to take the paci from her right now because she's so crabby and overtired from not having a morning nap. I feel your pain though.

 

Both of mine love their pacys and keep them most of the day. I want to take them away too but if I take my DS's away he bites a lot and DD will take his if I take hers.....both are teething and getting molars and without pacys in they put EVERYTHING in their mouths, all the toys, the books, lint off the floor, you name it! I can't really "teach" them anything, how to stack blocks, or read a book, or do the shape sorters if the stuff is always in their mouth so I just give it to them. That said, I feel it is a catch 22 as they are both somewhat behind in speech (him more than her) and I know they might talk more without it......really at a standstill on this one

 

I'm guilty of letting Jackson use his most of the day. I was doing really good with taking it away outside of naps/bedtime a few months ago. Then, the boys got sick for weeks on end - one thing after another! I just couldn't take away his one real source of comfort, since little else really serves to soothe him.

Interestingly, yesterday morning Jackson gave me his paci and asked me to hold it. He didn't ask for it again until 3:30 that afternoon - 7 waking hours without a paci! Today, he is also happily hanging out without it. Maybe he's giving it up on his own?!!! Too soon to tell but I sure hope so!

Jackson is way behind his brother (who doesn't use a paci) in speech but I hope that he will catch up. He has also had a ton of ear infections so I wonder if that's a culprit in the speech thing, too. It's so hard to know what's best for them.

 

One of my twins never used the paci, she just didn't like it. The other was attached to it for awhile, mainly because she was in the NICU so long that it was like her security blanket, esp. when putting her to sleep. She only had one particular kind that she liked too. I don't know how we actually got her to stop using it...I think it got lost one day and we couldn't find it to put her down and so she just had to be upset. After a few days of not having it, it's like she forgot about it. LOL

 

Both of mine would have it 24/7 if I allowed them to. They find them in their toys or in other places stashed (under cribs) and come be-bopping out of their bedroom with one in their mouth, then they walk right over to me and hand it to me. But if I'm not "watching" them, they're like an ostrich. They'll keep it in their mouth until they notice me watching them.

 

QUOTE
without pacys in they put EVERYTHING in their mouths, all the toys, the books, lint off the floor, you name it!


Actually, this is a GOOD thing! Kids learn about textures and things through mouthing them. It also helps their mouth muscles get ready for speech.

 

QUOTE(sharongl @ Jun 5 2009, 11:59 AM) [snapback]1342434[/snapback]
Actually, this is a GOOD thing! Kids learn about textures and things through mouthing them. It also helps their mouth muscles get ready for speech.



Yay! An excuse for dog hair in their mouth!