Its finally time. Its time to get rid of their soothers. Hoo boy, this is going to be hard. They love those darned things. But since William has come down with his third ear infection in a month this weekend and my internet research clearly indicates that prolonged soother use can increase middle ear infections, I think its time we get rid of them.
I was always planning to try to lose the soothers at Christmas anyway, but now I think it has to happen before. However, I think maybe I need to slow myself down rather than just tossing them in the garbage and praying they go to sleep at night anyway. A wise friend counseled that it would be cruel to just whip them away without setting the groundwork for their demise with the boys first. So as we were putting the boys to bed this evening, as they were calling out as usual for their "sooders! sooders!" (have I mentioned they really love them and haven't slept a single night without since day two at the hospital?), I casually brought it up.
"You know guys, these soothers are probably one of the reasons your ears are hurting so much. I think maybe we're going to have to stop using them soon."
Cue hysterical sobbing, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Hey, hey, hey, its okay. I didn't say you couldn't have them tonight. You can have them tonight. But I think in a couple of nights, we're going to have to stop."
More crying. More clutching of soothers to faces. William looks up at me from the change table and says desperately, "You're just pretending, right? You're just pretending?"
Now I feel like a horrible mother, but I say as gently as possible, "No, bud, I'm not pretending, we do have to stop using them soon, because they're hurting your ears. But..." I turn to Mark for inspiration and he jumps in, "Guys, I think we'll stop using the soothers but you'll have something else instead. Like a clock in your room."
We bought a big digital alarm clock for their room a month or two ago as a possible step to get them to sleep/stay in their rooms longer, but never brought it out since they started sleeping again on their own. But they'd been coveting the clock in its wrapper for a while. Maybe this is our answer? They calm down a little, distracted by the idea of a clock in their room and we get them in to bed.
Our plan at this point, unless you guys have other brilliant ideas, which I'm very keen to hear, is to keep raising the subject of going soother free for a couple more days. The clock can go in their room, with all its novelty-ness, but Mark also suggested that we maybe get them a special blanket that we can let them choose in a store (which I will scout out ahead of time to see its suitability for W&O appropriate blankets). I went one step further and thought that maybe we could take the soothers with us to the store and "pay" for the blankets with the soothers. All of this would be discussed with the boys ahead of time. What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
First: i like the idea of exchanging soother for blanket - cute but practical. good one!
Second: i helped to 'de-soother' my niece a few years back. i had my dog with me while visiting bro and fam for 6 weeks. my sis in law had heard that if you cut a hole in the end of the soother the sucking action compeltely stops and makes it unsatisfying to the child. So we cut a hole in two of the soothers (#3 and 4 were not immediately found) - niece put soother in mouth at bedtime and IMMEDIATELY gave a grouchy face, took soother out and said 'broken'....long story short (and after hysterical laughing in the hallway by sis and law and me), we blamed it on my dog "aw, sweety, lincoln must have chewed through the soother"....i think it worked, sort of. we also used a lot of tiny stickers as a bit of a bed time treat....
good luck?
kat.
Oooh, thanks Kat! I'm off to deface the soothers now and see what happens.
A friend of mine who has a really cool sewing business (http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheStraightStitch) has offered to make the blankets for the boys and will have them ready by Wednesday! She said we could come to her "shop" and that she accepts soothers as currency. I tried to bring the subject up with the boys this morning, but they weren't impressed. I think if the soothers aren't functioning well, thanks to a well placed hole, then perhaps Will and Owen would be more inclined to part with them.
Great tip!
I also really liked the idea of 'exchanging' the soothers for blankets. And having your blankets made specially sounds like a wonderful idea! Good luck! xxx
Hey Pasc... I know the dilemma, we just went through it this past summer, a few months after Nate turned three. We had talked about it for a while and at first I got the same reaction of "nooo!!!" But I told him, when he was ready, the "soother fairy" would come and take it to the babies that needed it and he would get a big boy prize. He explained to me the specific train he wanted. I went out and bought that train for the night when I thought it would be time. In the meantime, I did also cut the soother and even though he still wanted it at night, he couldn't really keep it in his mouth for long. He'd ask me for a new one but I would tell him, this is the one you get if you're going to have one.If anything I think it sort of broke him of the habit of the comfort of sucking. Then one night he went to sleep without it and I knew that was the night. In the morning, he asked for it first thing and I made a big deal about the "soother fairy" coming and went and got a note from the fairy with the special train. He sat there for a while knowing that if he opened the present before him, he'd be saying goodbye to his dear soother. It was actually a little emotional for me too. He did take the train and felt proud... however, come nap time and bedtime, he asked for it. He probably asked for it for about two weeks tops. Only one night was it really hard, when he woke up in the middle of the night wanting it. I had also got him this Thomas pillow for his bed, that I gave him instead and that seemed to comfort him enough to go back to sleep. So... it actually went way easier than I thought. I was actually surprised how it was kind of emotionally hard for me. (: I was staying at my parent's place in MT. and my mom helped to encourage me to stay strong and not give in, because once you do it, you don't want to go back on your word. Same thing... Nate had a soother from the day we brought him home from the hospital, he loved it. So... to say that now, it's like a distant memory to him is amazing and hopefully encouraging to you. You may also be surprised and they may do better than you expect.
Sorry this is so long... just a topic I relate to in a big way. And now I have extra strong willed, fiesty Ikey, we'll see how that one goes in a years time.(;
Thanks Jenna, your words of encouragement really help! I'm about to put the boys down for a nap with the newly cut soothers for the first time, so we'll see if any of us get a rest this afternoon. I'm determined to be strong and NOT go and get the two unopened soothers hidden in the cupboard downstairs!
Wow! You turn you back for 5 minutes and there's a whole new dilemma being dealt with. Great idea Pasc re soother currency and what good advice from everyone else. Here's hoping...... Bisous
Oh Pasqualina....I remember the dreaded day of Jake's choochy (as we called it) having to go. I did it close to Christmas and used the Choochy fairy story (she takes gently used soothers and gives them to the poor babies for Christmas) I had a a neighbour (who also doubled as the tooth fairy) write a short letter thanking Jake for making a baby as happy as he was with his chooch.
Seemed to work, and really although there were tears the first night he seemed sort of proud that he was able to give it up.
PS I still have one in a treasure box.....
Dee
Dee! You posted a comment!!! Well done you!
Thanks for your advice hon, I think I might save the damaged soothers in their box too...but WELL away from little curious hands!
Hugs
P
Post a Comment