The Pacifier Policy

Jack has two loves in this world: his blanket and his pacifier. Affectionately known as "Blankie and Passo", or sometimes when he's expressing the fact that he needs them urgently, "blankiePASSO!", they are the two items he must have at all sleeping times, in the car on the way to Grandma's house and when he's not feeling well. Oh, and all the times he asks for them and I'm too worn out to argue. The kid has a sixth sense for a worn out doesn't-care-anymore mom.

But Jack's little boy face is looking a little strange these days with a plug in his mouth. I've wondered off and on when and how to phase it out, but I always end up putting it off. There's always a reason NOT to get rid of the pacifier. Like right now: Jack is sick. He's especially ornery. If I barely have a grasp on THIS child, a child deprived of his beloved passo will surely kill me, right? Better to let him keep it and worry about it later. He's not even three!

But he's ALMOST three. I have no idea how long kids keep their pacifiers these days. I'm not going to ask the moms I know - are you kidding? I'll probably get a bunch unintentional yet totally obvious "OMG you still let your kid have a PACIFIER?" looks, all of which will send me into one of my Parenting Spirals Of Shame. And then, in a fit of I Am TOO A Responsible Mom! I'll throw all the pacifiers into the garbage, and Jack will retaliate with a full year of refusing to sit on the potty, or some other horror. Obviously that is not, shall we say, ideal.

I also wonder if this is really the time to fight that battle. Jack's been sick for nearly two weeks, my husband is going on his first ever business trip and despite everything I said in that other post we are going to put our house on the market pretty soon. Jack and I would both need prescription drugs if I were to institute a new Pacifier Policy any time soon.

Even so, I almost went there this week. Jack has bitten through all of his pacifiers and I decided not to buy a new one. "Too bad," I shrugged. "This is your LAST PASSO. I am not going to buy you another passo just so you can bite through it!" And Jack, who'd been so affronted by his chewed up pacifier, suddenly clammed up. I heard NOTHING about his pacifier, and he willingly popped it in at each bedtime. After a couple days of wondering if he was going to accidentally swallow a bit of silicone, I broke down and bought a new pack of pacifiers. "Don't bite through this one!" I threatened, "because I am not going to buy you ANY MORE!"

HA.

I'll have to do it one of these days, but when? When did your kids give it up? And (I hesitate to ask) how painful was it, exactly?

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