My main reason for not using a pacifier is the fact that it shuts the baby up when all they're trying to do is communicate with you. If a baby is crying, we all know that means they need something. A pacifier is something artificial that sometimes makes the baby think his needs are being met. I think it's fine to use it once in a while (like at a doctor appointment when he's getting shots) but I disagree with it being used constantly. A baby deserves more than that. After the baby becomes dependent on the pacifier I think the parent has created a monster. The baby isn't happy without it. He'll cry if he doesn't have it, even more than he cried before you got him hooked. He isn't learning to self-soothe and he's probably not learning to communicate. Judging from the toddlers I've seen who love their pacifiers, they turn into little big babies.
Ugh, okay, I got it off my chest.
And now some pictures!
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7 comments:
WOW! I never knew that! I always thought it was ok to give a baby a pacifier. Good points thought. But how do you deal with parents who question why you don't give them a pacifier? Do you go on like this blog? Or do you just give a simple "She doesn't use a pacifier"?
Oh I forgot to say I really like your pictures. They are sweet and tender and almost retro looking. Will you frame them?
It is ok to give a baby a pacifier. This blog is just my own opinion.
Only one person has asked why I don't use pacifiers. I just said she (Maxine) doesn't like it (which is true).
Thanks for liking my pictures! I wasn't thinking about framing them but maybe I will :)
i never thought about that before. it is so common to give a baby a pacifier. i will definitely think more about this.
This is fantastic Sarah! I completely agree with you and I also believe that children should not be allowed to suck their thumbs, it causes them to associate their mouth with comfort. And when the binky or thumb are taken away... the next thing to comfort them will be food. So how did Rocky comfort herself?
Rocky never liked the pacifier or her thumb or any fingers. I can't think of anything she used, actually! I think since I was a stay at home mom for her first 2 years, she had me around to comfort her and if I couldn't, then it didn't hurt her to cry a little bit until I could. Maybe I am lucky I have happy babies.
There is a pressure point at the roof of the mouth that helps children (and adults) relax and feel comforted. This may be the instigator for the thumb-sucking response.
Sometimes kids don't want anything though, not all children are the same.
I helped raise one great kid for the first three years of his life. This kid was the exception. If he cried, he was in dire need of something.
Other children though cry just to hear the white noise. Pacifiers keep them from getting fat. Instead of shoving a bottle into their mouths, pacifiers help comfort them when arms and blankets can't do it.
I agree that they should not be used as a replacement for parenting, but the situations may differ for different kids.
A bad habit is best broken early so when your kid is old enough to speak, the pacifier should be gone.
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