A month ago while we were in St. Louis, Norah threw her pacifier in the garbage. We had been working with her, encouraging her that when she was ready to get rid of her paci and be a big girl.She could give them to Mason or throw them away. She was aware of the decision she made, she told us she was a big girl and didn't want to share her paci with Mason. She's a smart one.
Well we went with it. No paci led to screaming and tears with naps and bedtime. It also took away full nights of sleep, with Norah waking up in the middle of the night, yelling out "all done sleeping." She would look at Mason's paci longingly, often stealing it and caught throwing his paci away a few times. Jason and I stood firm, we were not going to cave.
Here we are a month later, sleep deprived and watching Norah developing terrible sleeping habits. What we decided the weekend when Norah was put to bed at 8pm, awake from 10:30pm to midnight and then up at 4am, was that it's just a pacifier. If this is what she needs for know to help her cope she can have it.
It was like reuniting her with her best friend, she was happy, oh so happy to have her paci back and sleep has returned, Thank Goodness!
The new paci rules are that Norah only gets her paci in her bed with naps and bedtime. She can't steal Mason's paci during the day otherwise she gets a time out. Let's hope sleeping through the night has returned.
2 comments:
I have empathy for you, long wakeful nights, efforts put in establishing new habits, oh that's exhausting! A whole month! Wow! I think you guys did the right thing, trying but then giving it back. Maybe she's just not ready to kick the paci habit yet. I remember when my parents were breaking my little sister of her paci. It took only a week! A whole month! I can't stop saying wow, thinking of the exhaustion this past month has been for you. Paci's are pretty wonderful. Kobe agrees. :)
I agree! Sleep is a necessity so whatever compromise works!
Post a Comment