So, we made the ultimate decision today to do away with all pashus (pacifiers). We have been using them mainly at naptime and bedtime (only at home since they are not allowed in two-year-old rooms at school). However, we (meaning I) have been very lax about adhering to the strictly sleepy times rule. It just resulted in a lot of struggles for me in the morning, so half of the time it was brought downstairs, forgot about, brought to the car...
Anyway, we decided that today is the day. No reason for this day in particular really. I always told myself that we would never go beyond her second birthday with the pashus. But, her birthday falls at a difficult time. There is no way we could have driven as much as we did at Christmas time without the supreme comforting and calming tool. And then before we knew it, March has arrived.
When we came home from attempting to go to the park today (Lily was in a particularly stubborn mood and wanted nothing to do with swinging, sliding and such so we had to turn around and go home), we just decided it was now or never. We chose a method others have used with cutting the tops off of all the pashus so that they would not be pleasing to her. We let her see this happen this afternoon rather than having to deal with the trauma at bedtime. It resulted in anguish, agony, despair, hopelessness...and that was just from Carl and me. In all seriousness, I truly don't remember a time when I have had to sit by and watch her scream in heartache like we did today. (The only time that comes close was when she was around 10 months old and writhing in pain from cutting teeth before the Tylenol kicked in.) We remained nearby to comfort her if desired, but this was something we knew that she ultimately had to work through. After endlessly repeating, "I don't want them like that", she finally decided that she would like chocolate pudding, and we jumped at the opportunity to be able to provide some sort of solace. She had a fabulous time strutting down the aisles at the grocery store with the knowledge that she could pretty much get anything she wanted. After deciding on chocolate pudding, a donut, applesauce, grapes, and Cheetos as her comfort foods, we were on our way.
The funny thing that we have discovered with Lily is that if we allow a compromise in food at the beginning of a meal (such as chocolate pudding), she will often only eat a few bites of it and then eat the healthy food without any struggle at all. Tonight, she had some bites of pudding and a few Cheetos, and then promptly ate the rotisserie chicken, peas, saffron rice, applesauce, and grapes intended for dinner. She just likes her dessert before her dinner. (...just a sliver like her Grandma Meyer.)
As Carl stated, "We're going for the Triple Crown this year"...meaning 1) no more pashus, 2) potty-training, and 3) sleeping in her own bed every night. As if we didn't have enough blood pressure-raising things going on this year :)
June 2023
4 days ago
2 comments:
Hang in there and know that you are not alone! We are also beginning the weaning process w/Kate and the binky. Daddy is stronger than mommy at this point. Every night we "acknowledge" that our bedtime routine must be changed but neither of us have the will or the energy to try so life goes on . . . Ultimately, we end the day with Tim reassuring me that the girls will not want to sleep with us when they are ready for college and Kate will not walk into Philosophy 101 with a binky. Stay strong!
You guys do have a lot going on, but take it from someone who has to hear their child scream in disgust every day from being left alone in her crib, it gets easier to ignore them! :) Seriously, good luck...I fear that someday we will have similar issues while trying to wean Sophia from her own thumb and we can't cut that off, so at least you have that!
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