Pacifier Woes

At my little guy's 18 month check up with the pediatrician, the doc said he had a warning for me. It perked my ears up because I wondered what the heck he could be warning me about? He said in the nicest way possible, "You can either get him off the pacifier now before he reaches the age of 2 or you will have to wait until he is three, because once he reaches 2 it will be just about impossible." I looked over at my son sucking away on his little security item as he stared at the doc seemingly thinking, "I am going to knock you out telling my parents that."

I knew that the pacifier would have to go at some time. I guess I just didn't anticipate that it would need to be now or in a few years that I would have to start this process of having no paci. My husband and I concluded together that we would rather start the process now rather then later when it probably would be much much harder. We knew it would be hard to do ween him off now, but we didn't anticipate how hard it would actually be.

We decided on a few measures of taking it away during the day time but at night we would allow my son to suck on his pacifier. Once he gets a bit better about not having it during the day time then we'll start the night time weening. Our attempts on this have not been so successful. Not because we don't try, believe me we have. I believe my son has a stash of pacifiers some where because after I thought I picked most of them up, I will turn around and see one in his mouth. Lord help me if I take it out because then a tantrum will be the next thing I have to deal with, but what is a Mom to do, I deal with the tantrum.

I am also trying to supplement the pacifier for other things so my son feels secure in his little world. I read that somewhere having a replacement security item helps. So we are trying to make his favorite doggie stuffed animal aka "Dog" to my son more accessible when he is getting fussy. Sometimes it works and sometimes my little guy wants it all. I can't blame him. I would want it all too.

Hopefully this pacifier situation will end soon because it is a seemingly unending pacifier war and my son has won many of the battles. However, Mommy it determined to win this war.