And so we caved

On August 11, 2011 · 8 Comments

In keeping with the world’s worst mother of the year feeling… I caved. It was me, all me. So I guess the title of this post should be I caved, not we.

On what you ask?

Well we had taken away the pacifier… had.

Training undies :)

So the first night was ok. He only asked for the pacifier once. Then again the next morning and after that it was basically done with. Well except for the awful night. That aside, we were doing ok. The main problem was that G DIDN’T SLEEP. Not at night, not at naptime. He just couldn’t calm himself enough to sleep.

I looked all over the internet for help and all I found was… maybe he’s just ready to give up naps. And bedtimes??

Our child needs his naps, he is so very active and he gets dark circles under his eyes by naptime. Not to mention 10pm bedtimes were not helping this whole process.

We tried, we really did, but it was almost two weeks and still he couldn’t sleep. So yesterday at naptime I stayed in the room with him to try and help him sleep. The room was dark, light music on, we had completed our normal routine. Diaper change, book, rock, crib. I sat there for a half an hour. He tossed and flopped and tossed some more. No playing, just tossing and yawning. Then I tried rocking him some more. He yawned and yawned but still sleep would not come. At this point it had been 45 minutes. And so I caved. I gave him his pacifier and he was asleep within 10 minutes.

Some things I have learned from this.

  1. We let his pacifier become a sleep trigger.
  2. I do not feel badly about helping him to sleep.
  3. I do feel bad because I was the one to cave. I feel like I failed D (not G).
  4. Baby girl will not keep her pacifier this long.

I gave him his ortho pro pacifer (not his favorite) which is supposed to be better for his teeth, so that’s at least something.

So now what?

 
  • Tammy@Type A

    my daughter kept hers until right before her third birthday.  i didn’t take it away from her, but as she lost them i didn’t replace them.  so finally around march, her third birthday was in may 2010, she had lost them all.  i had started around christmas time, so it took 3 months for her to lose them all.  and really it was great.  she was done with them and it was her fault, cause she lost them!  lol  good luck.

    • How did napping go for you after the pacifier was gone? But I guess at 3 it’s very different…

  • Michelle

    You know I am going through the same thing with Liam.  He is 2 1/2.  He is just not ready and I do not want him to suffer through his sleep either.  Its just not time and he is not ready.  I figure as long as he doesnt go to Kindergarden with it we will be ok 🙂   Good luck!!!!

    • it’s so tough, isn’t it? Did you worry about a tooth gap, or maybe he doesn’t have one yet? When do you think you’ll take it away?

  • You made me smile! That picture tells it all…
    Perhaps the time has not yet come to wean him off his pacifier?

    • No I don’t think the time has come. I’m not sure when it will be, but it’s not right now. Oh, and that’s butter in his hair… the restaurant had put basically an entire stick of butter in his noodles… and he found all of the melted liquid 🙂

  • Newest follower! Would love a follow back!  thanks for the party! laura

    http://imnotatrophywife.com

    cute blog and pics!

  • This Farm Family’s Life

    Oh how I can relate to this post.  We just weaned our daughter off the plug and she will be three in 3 weeks.  I tried to tell myself there were worse things.  Good luck and don’t be too hard on yourself!

    http://www.thisfarmfamilyslife.blogspot.com