1. Wait until you find a pacifier that looks like this (if you're "lucky" like us, you'll find it just before bedtime and have to scramble for a game plan):
2. Identify the pacifier chewer (Jude) and put him to bed sans choking hazard. Thank the Lord when he falls right to sleep, and then call the abuelitos for advice.
3. Before turning in for the night, cut the ends off of all the pacifiers you can find so that there's no longer any suction when the kids try to use them:
4. In the morning (after the no-paci kid surprises you by sleeping all night without a problem), wait for someone to ask you for a chupón. Show the kids the mutilated pacifiers and explain that the pacifiers have ouchies; let the kids test them out so that they can see that they don't work anymore. Then have the kids toss their broken chupones into the trash:
5. Throughout the day, if anyone asks for a chupón, remind everybody that we threw them away because they had ouchies and didn't work anymore. Be thankful when the kids accept this explanation!
6. After a surprisingly quiet morning, endure a very loud nap. Stay strong. No matter how much they party or scream, do not give anyone a pacifier. Eventually, everyone will wear themselves out and SLEEP.
7. After an even quieter afternoon, put all of the kids to bed without pacifiers. Marvel when they all fall asleep right away and sleep all night!
We're currently on day 2 with no chupones and the girls have only asked for them once or twice (the boys seemingly could not care less). Dahlia still had a hard time falling asleep at nap time today (took her about an hour, as opposed to 2 hours yesterday), but everyone else seems to have already adjusted to the change. I can't believe it was that easy!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteCongrats! We will have to take this advice!
ReplyDeleteWow! Great job! :) Watch their thumbs now - some kids find their thumbs to cope. :)
ReplyDeleteKind of hating you right now. But I'm glad for you. But I still kind of hating you. I have been cutting the paci down bit by bit for about two weeks. She still asks for it at every bed time and cries if she wakes without it during the night. Maybe I should throw all of them away. :(
ReplyDeleteMelody, I wanted to do a gradual thing, too, but my mom said it had to be a clean break ... cold turkey. Lucy has asked for hers every time she goes to her crib, but I keep reminding her that we threw them away because they didn't work anymore. So far, so good!
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteChupones... I like that word. :)
What about when they see other kids out in public with their pacis?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to break this thing when she is constantly seeing other kids at daycare with theirs. UGH!
Like I have anything to complain about when you have 4X the kids to break though.
Ah, can't help you with the daycare issue ... I broke my entire daycare of the paci at one time! lol
ReplyDeleteYou are brave! I don't know if I'm up for this, even with only one. She's so addicted that she has to have her entire collection (green one, blue one, purple one, and pink one) every night in bed with her. Nice job!
ReplyDelete