Yesterday we took Reagan for her 18 month check up. There was a little drama with them having us scheduled for today instead of yesterday, but they worked us in. She absolutely hated being stripped down to her diaper but finally got over it. I wish I'd had a video camera with me in the exam room because she was hilarious. There was a mural on the wall behind the table. She kept standing up and moving her hands all over it and talking like she was critiquing it or something. She is soooo silly. She is now 21.4 pounds and 31 3/4 inches. She's still a little thing but her length has caught up to the 50th percentile. Her weight is still between the 5th and10th and she still has a big head in the 70's. Hahaha. At her 12 month and 15 month appointments she had low iron and has been taking a supplement so we had to get that checked out. They drew blood so they could check for anemia and get iron studies done. Needless to say, she did not appreciate that. Thankfully though she only needed one shot to be caught up. Everything is fine with her iron. She doesn't have anemia and her iron levels were fine so we can stop the supplement. Yay! Here she is with her little bandage. She hated it and kept trying to pull it off.
She also appears to have banana face in this picture. lolWe also went to the DMV and finally got our TN drivers licenses. By the time we waited at the Dr.'s office, ate lunch, then went to the DMV she was ready for her nap so that was an exercise in patience and trying not to drive the whole place crazy with her whining. But overall it was a productive day because we checked a couple of things off our to do list.
Now for the question. Reagan still gets her paci at nap and bed times and occasionally during church when I can't get her to be quiet. I know it's time to start weening her from it. For you ladies with experience, what is your opinion on the best way to do this. I tried just not giving it to her at nap time today. When I left the room she kept saying, "Oh no," and then cried for a good 15 minutes before I went in and gave it to her. What strategies have worked for y'all?
We are in the process of weening Benjamin from his as well. We are taking a 3-step approach which has proven to work thus far, and we are hoping to be paci-free by the end of next week or the one following, depending on how Benjamin does.
ReplyDeleteHere's the 3-step process:
Step 1: No paci during waking hours whatsoever. Not in church, not in the car. If Benjamin asks for one (usually in the car) we will say "No, paci's are for babies and you are a big boy now." and usually he'll quiet down about it and find something else to focus on. Pacis are given during naptime and bedtime.
Step 2: No paci during waking hours and no paci at bedtime. It is easier for Benjamin to fall asleep at night by himself without having a paci. (This is the step we are currently on) He will ask for his paci at bedtime when he gets his Eeyore, but we tell him that he is a big boy in his big boy bed and he doesn't need his paci in his big boy bed. (You can explain it to Reagan however it works for you) This means Benjamin only gets his paci at naptime during the day.
Step 3: We have not gotten here yet, but the plan is to cut out the paci all together. None during the day, none at bedtime, and none at naptime. I think this one will be the hardest part. But hopefully in a couple of weeks at most we will have lost the paci all together!
Good luck to you! My advice is to STAY STRONG! Don't give in. I saw a little girl who was four or five at the Doctor's Office SCREAMING for her paci ("I WONT MAH PACI!") and after fifteen minutes her mom finally gave it to her... tsk tsk... a four-five year old shouldn't have it!!! ;) It was after this that I said "We need to break Ben of his paci like now". LOL!
James has only gotten his paci at naps, worship, and bedtime. We started this week by only letting him have it at bedtime. The key for me is just not giving in. The first time, I just wanted to give it to him so he would stop crying. He wasn't crying really hard, but was definitely upset. It seemed like an eternity, but in reality, it was only about 10 minutes. After a few naps, it has gotten easier and easier. Once he is doing pretty well without it at naps, then we'll start taking it away at night.
ReplyDeleteHey,with my girls I cut the end off of all the paci's and left them laying around the house. As they found them, they would tell me it was broke and I would direct them to through it away. We just talked about how they were broke and there wasn't anymore. They accepted it and that was that. I think it is easier the sooner you do it also. I took them away from them at 15 months. Hope this helps!
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