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Are Pacifiers Really All That Bad For Our Kids?

Should A Child Be Forced to Give Up Their Pacifier?


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HeIsRisen2018

Dramione love 3333
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Since I don't have children of my own yet I'm asking mostly for myself, but as an engaged woman I'm curious for opinions about it for my future. I was talking about in my childhood thread how I absolutely loved pacifiers as a child. I referred to them as a Pacis and I nearly always had one in my mouth up until the time I was either three or four years old and then I just decided to give them up on my own. My speech wasn't really all affected by it. I spoke a little later than other kids but when I started to talk I spoke just fine. Other than a stuttering pausing problem that I still have I don't really see a real issue with it. My teeth are nearly in perfect condition too. Not only have I never had a cavity, but I never needed braces since my teeth are perfectly straight which I heard was a real problem for children who continue to use pacifiers past age two. There is even this thing nowadays called a Paci Fairy where a fairy comes to collect all of the child's pacifiers and gives them away to the babies and replaces them with toys for the child. I guess it's sort of a neat idea but I personally don't find it necessary. I think that if that was done to me as a child I would have had a tougher time with all of my pacifiers being taken away knowing that I would never get them back and I would want to keep them and my new toys. For I knew that when I was a little girl that The Tooth Fairy let me keep both my tooth and the money (I still have my box full of baby teeth) so why shouldn't this new fairy be any different? I don't know, I personally don't see the harm in letting a child keep their pacifier I turned out just fine anyway. They're going to grow out of it eventually. It's not like they're going to graduate from college sucking on a pacifier. Well,..they're probably not going to anyway, but I would rather not go there.
 
It's not like they're going to graduate from college sucking on a pacifier
lol this line was just too in my face to not respond...
I will start with NO i donot believe the pacifiers are the problem..
Looking at what the world calls college educated they are so needy of being pacified it is nut ... Just plain ol childish.. snow flakes...

Pacifiers for babies and toddlers is something between kids and parents.. there is not one answer fits all ...
 
Pacifiers for babies and toddlers is something between kids and parents.. there is not one answer fits all ...[/QUOTE]


I agree and lol I know, :lol but there is this thing called an adult baby that just makes me shudder and cringe just thinking about it. :eek
 
pacifiers saved me more than once! I nursed all three of my kids and there were times when they just wanted to use me as a pacifier...so, pop in the pacifier and I could actually get things done. They gave it up voluntarily at about 2 (about the time they were weaned).
 
Some of our kids have used pacifiers and my wife would generally ween them off of them when they were about a year old. Practically speaking it is easier to get a kid to stop using a pacifier than it is to stop them from sucking their thumbs. We have a five-year-old who still will occasionally suck his thumb, and we have tried multiple ways to get him to stop.

When it comes to breaking them of the habit of pacifiers one way to do is to cut a hole in the tip of it. That prevents them from getting a good suck on the thing and they eventually give it up on their own.
 
I happened on a TV show last year , The First 48.
It's a homicide detectives show that follows real detectives as they try to solve homicides in the window of 48 hours wherein the evidence is likely fresh and able to be found.
Anyway, they have this woman they brought in as a suspect in the murder of another lady. She's a street tough chic with tats and a record as long as your arm for all sorts of crimes.
They have her in this chair against the wall in the interrogation room. She did do it turns out but these detectives are questioning her pretty hard with the evidence they have so far.
She's in her late 30's and there when it starts to get really tough with the questioning you can see her raise her hand to her face. She's sucking her thumb! But trying to cover it with her other fingers.

I never saw anything like that until a few weeks later in person. When a grown man was on a bus and his family around him started arguing while he was in the middle. We're leaving an amusement park and the bus is packed. He did the same thing. Sucked his thumb but covered it with his other fingers.

Pacifiers are great for newborns because it gets them to grow stronger in the suckling response for later when they're with the bottle or breast. However, it shouldn't be in my view the go-to to quell every little whine or upset. Because after awhile a baby can as they grow become dependent on the pacifier to alleviate their stress. Which is why I mentioned the adults sucking their thumbs.

If a baby isn't given a pacifier with regularity like that it is true they eventually leave it be on their own. Also, they shouldn't ever have one when their first teeth are coming in. Studies show the pacifier can displace the malleable tooth and gum anchoring due to the suckling and the width of the pacifier itself interfering against what would normally be a closed mouth.
Some people give their baby a pacifier to calm their upset with gum pain as their new teeth are breaking through . Not a good idea. And just as an aside, don't ever use brandy or some other liquor on baby gums. Studies show that can predispose the baby to alcoholism as they grow up.
 
Man WP, I had those disagreements over the raising of my first born. He is now 26, with those problems.

Anyway I don't remember ever having a pacifier but I do remember nobody being able to get me to stop sucking my thumb. I wasn't that old, but. Then we took a trip to an elderly relative who had this bright idea of putting something that tasted horrible on my thumb. This was discussed right in front of me, no trickery or psychology involved.

I don't remember what that substance was but I do remember she was a great cook and I'm sure it was something standard in her kitchen. Anyway it worked. I NEVER wanted to suck my thumb again!
 
In general, it is a parenting decision based on what they believe is best for the child.

I know that if the parents want an exclusively breastfed baby that pediatricians usually say to wait until breastfeeding is established, usually after a month or two

None of my babies were paci babies. My first was given one in the hospital without them asking me and I had so many problems breastfeeding as it was. With this one we ended up supplementing and it wasn't until she was 4 months old that she weaned herself completely off the formula to have full-time breastmilk. My second won't take a bottle even with breastmilk in it so she definitely doesn't enjoy pacifiers. I guess I am their human pacifier lol. Although, it is nice not having to feel the need to waah the pacifier everytine they drop it somewhere. One less thing to clean.

Either way, if my babies wanted a pacifier for comfort I would have let them. Although I probably would have weaned them off of it by 2 years for the concerns you listed like delayed speech, crooked teeth, etc.

Although I remember an American Idol contestant in their 20's that mentioned tget would suck their thumb at night still, but their teeth were straight and they could talk, of course.
 
People say Jesus was a pacifier. He was not, he rebuked and really gave it some from time to time. When people challenged him however he was calm and collected.
 
My baby love pacifier. As for me, for new mothers, one way to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is to use a soother for your breastfed baby.
 
My baby love pacifier. As for me, for new mothers, one way to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is to use a soother for your breastfed baby.
Nothing wrong with a pacifier. But don't let it take more place than the feel of another human.
Babies need to feel it's mother or father or someone loving.
Give the baby lots of love, lots of milk/food, and fresh air and it will never be sick, never have some kind of syndrom.
Sickness comes when we allow it or give it room to come.
Just don't let it. You are the master of your own space and family.
Sickness is not allowed ?
Blessings!
 
Nothing wrong with a pacifier. But don't let it take more place than the feel of another human.
Babies need to feel it's mother or father or someone loving.
Give the baby lots of love, lots of milk/food, and fresh air and it will never be sick, never have some kind of syndrom.
Sickness comes when we allow it or give it room to come.
Just don't let it. You are the master of your own space and family.
Sickness is not allowed ?
Blessings!

I'm not sure if we can stop babies from getting sick? They do sometimes, but it helps build those little immune systems, too. We can reduce illness with good habits, though :yes
 
I'm not sure if we can stop babies from getting sick? They do sometimes, but it helps build those little immune systems, too. We can reduce illness with good habits, though :yes
If a mild sickness helps baby's build a stronger immune system. And make them stronger.
I would say that it might benefit them more than hurt them.
So maybe we could separate what we call illness into two groups.
The once that build up and those that brake us down.
I don't think we have to accept any plage in our lives.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 ESV
 
If a mild sickness helps baby's build a stronger immune system. And make them stronger.
I would say that it might benefit them more than hurt them.
So maybe we could separate what we call illness into two groups.
The once that build up and those that brake us down.
I don't think we have to accept any plage in our lives.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24 ESV

I'm not sure I quite understand.
 
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