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EchoMom 05:45 AM 11-01-2012
To paci-wean a 2 year old?

I have a 24 month old new DCG, been with me a month almost. She is totally paci addicted and comes everyday with paci in mouth. She'd keep it in all day long. Sometimes she even stares at her lunch and won't eat because her paci is in and you have to tell her to take it out so she can eat. She babbles when she's in a good mood, but none of it is understandable. When she's in a bad mood she just whines and fake cries instead of "using her words."

If I take the paci away, she has a fit that sometimes ends in a few minutes but sometimes doesn't. If I take the paci away, her hands instantly go in her mouth and she chews and sucks on her fingers. Totally unsanitary and gross spreading of germs, really grosses me out and I don't like those nasty germy fingers all over the toys and house and kids.

She's full time so here 4 or 5 days a week about 8 hours or less each day.

Parents don't like her with the paci, but obviously aren't trying to break her of it they just let her have it 24/7.

So..... Should I just let her have it because
1. it's cleaner than germy fingers
2. keeps her quiet
3. saves her fingers from being chewed and sucked to redness
4. not my kid so not my problem to parent

Or, should I take it away and try to break her of it because
1. she needs to talk
2. no one else walks around with pacis all day at my house, not even babies 3. she's full time so I should try to make improvements in her life.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 05:50 AM 11-01-2012
I don't allow pacifiers here. I have ages 2 to 5. So, if it were me I would take it every morning that she arrived and put it away. Eventually she'll stop throwing such large fits due to the routine of taking it away on a daily basis at your home.
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EchoMom 05:56 AM 11-01-2012
But what about the nasty germy hand sucking/chewing?
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cheerfuldom 06:29 AM 11-01-2012
I would wean down to nap time only. Thats what I do for all mobile kids. Then I would start reminding her "no hands in your mouth". I tell parents when I am weaning down to nap time so I can get their support hopefully but also as a good reminder about the sanitary issues.....other kids could find her paci (yuck) or she could start taking other kids pacis as she is still so attached. Its easier if you wean now!
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countrymom 06:29 AM 11-01-2012
could she be teething. I don't allow paci's here during the day, but if they need them for nap then no problem. i would just keep taking her hands out of her mouth.
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Lilbutterflie 06:37 AM 11-01-2012
Nasty germ hand sucking & chewing is just part of being a baby & toddler. Our bodies are amazing things and can handle germy hands better than anyone can imagine (I majored in Biology in college). That said, you do need to attempt to keep hands clean whenever possible for any kid, especially those little ones that like to put their hands in their mouths.

Dealing with the germs is much more beneficial to this child than allowing her to have the paci. The babies here get weaned from pacis during the day at around 4-6 mos, and at nap around 1 yr or earlier. The longer you wait- the more attached they become to it. It is incredibly bad for their language skills AND their teeth.

I would talk to her parents to let them know you are going to be weaning her off the paci during the day, and that you think they should be doing the same at home. I would start by just keeping it away from her during the day, and only allow it at nap. Get her well used to being without it during the day; and then wean her from it at nap as well.
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phoenix 07:02 AM 11-01-2012
Try to wean her if you can. When my boys were small they attended a daycare and the caregivers weaned them from daily paci use, to nap time paci use, to no paci use. I must admit, I was sooooo grateful to them. It was so hard to do at home bc by the time we arrived after work, DH and I were so exhausted it just wasn't worth the fight. But eventually, bc they were getting weaned at daycare, we were able to gradually enforce the habit at home and it made our lives so much easier. I try to do that now for the children in my own daycare. A little pay it forward same goes for potty training. Anything I can do here during the day that gives the parents a little help in the evening, is worth it to me. Happy kids means happy parents! Lol. As for the germs, I keep burp cloths handy to wipe slobbery hands. Eventually she will get tired of you doing that to her and she will stop. I definitely think the teething might be an issue. Those 2 yr molars are a bugger
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ABCDaycareMN 07:23 AM 11-01-2012
I would ween! I can't stand paci's. I'm so glad I weened both of my kids by the time they turned 6 months. I have also started to ween my neighbors 2 kids from them when they were outside playing. The mom was totally at fault for her kids to be so reliant to them. Every time they played in the sand box she ran to put the paci in their mouths so they wouldn't put sand in their mouth. I guess I think of it more as a learning environment. They will try the sand and never again.. Lol
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Soccermom 08:11 AM 11-01-2012
If it is bothering you, then you should try to wean her at daycare. Have her put it away and only give it to her at naptime. She will cry for a bit but she will get used to the idea that Paci's are a no-no at daycare.
However if you think that she is easier to care for with it and are fine with her having it, then I wouldn't bother. Obviously DCPS are not worried about it and sometimes with things like that, it isn't really worth the effort. Let them worry about her speech delays.
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Blackcat31 11:36 AM 11-01-2012
Originally Posted by Soccermom:
If it is bothering you, then you should try to wean her at daycare. Have her put it away and only give it to her at naptime. She will cry for a bit but she will get used to the idea that Paci's are a no-no at daycare.
However if you think that she is easier to care for with it and are fine with her having it, then I wouldn't bother. Obviously DCPS are not worried about it and sometimes with things like that, it isn't really worth the effort. Let them worry about her speech delays.
I agree that you should only wean if it bothers you.

I have been in your shoes and had a 3.5 yr old whose parents couldn't have cared less that he had a paci and weren't at all concerned about the effects it had on him.

What I did was allow the child to have it any time that he wanted but the only rule was he had to stay sitting on a giant floor pillow we had IF he chose to use it.

If he wanted to get up and play, he needed to leave the paci on the pillow/cushion.

That way it was his choice to use it or not but I wasn't having to worry about him walking around with it or it being in his mouth 24/7.

Once he decided it was more fun to join the others, he gladly left it on the pillow/cushion until one day he just didn't have it anymore.
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canadiancare 11:41 AM 11-01-2012
I only allow them at naptime.
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Lucy 12:04 PM 11-01-2012
She's smart enough to know that daycare and home are two very different places. When kids come here with binkies in their mouths, the first thing I do after mom leaves is put it in the diaper bag. It never sees the light of day till mom comes back. I don't explain, just pop it out, stick it in the diaper bag, and proceed with breakfast or greeting the next arrival. The child recognizes that things don't happen the same here as they do at home. If they protest, just make light of it... "Oh, you don't need that silly binky! Let's go eat some breakfast (or let's go play, or read a book, etc.)"
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EntropyControlSpecialist 12:33 PM 11-01-2012
Originally Posted by Lilbutterflie:
Nasty germ hand sucking & chewing is just part of being a baby & toddler. Our bodies are amazing things and can handle germy hands better than anyone can imagine (I majored in Biology in college). That said, you do need to attempt to keep hands clean whenever possible for any kid, especially those little ones that like to put their hands in their mouths.

Dealing with the germs is much more beneficial to this child than allowing her to have the paci. The babies here get weaned from pacis during the day at around 4-6 mos, and at nap around 1 yr or earlier. The longer you wait- the more attached they become to it. It is incredibly bad for their language skills AND their teeth.

I would talk to her parents to let them know you are going to be weaning her off the paci during the day, and that you think they should be doing the same at home. I would start by just keeping it away from her during the day, and only allow it at nap. Get her well used to being without it during the day; and then wean her from it at nap as well.
I love you and your science smarts. We still talk about Igrits since you told me their name.
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Tags:2 year old, pacifier - wean off
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