Paci-free-er!

Upon reading that my close friend's 16 month old son has recently given up his pacifier without much of a fuss, I was inspired to try removing my son's pacifier as well. I thought it would be really tough for him because he always needs his pacifier and his teddy bear to fall asleep (or so I thought). So we didn't give it to him for his nap on Saturday and he cried for about twenty minutes, then fell asleep. I was shocked. I figured it was a fluke and he would be up crying all night for sure. Again at bedtime, he cried for longer, but eventually fell asleep without the pacifier. Of course, he still has Teddy. But now that the pacifier is gone, he doesn't seem as attached to the Teddy as he was before. The rest of the weekend went about the same - some crying, but no lost sleep.

I know it's only been a couple of pacifier-free days, but I already notice a difference in the quality and quantity of his speech. He is asking for what he wants more, rather than just whining about it. I'm thankful for this little push in the right direction. It reminds me how we can get stuck in our daily routine and sometimes are afraid to disrupt the flow, but kids are more adaptable than we give them credit for!