Bo-Bo All Gone

Bo-Bo was our pacifier. That’s what we called it in Spanish. Some call it the paci, the binky or a special little nick name. It’s been almost two months since Buggy stopped using the bo-bo and it’s been great. This was our second time trying to say good by to her bo-bo and I have to say that it was quite easy this time around. The first time was over the summer and we last three days. It was pure hell. I swear it was like withholding candy from a crack head! I honestly didn’t know who this little girl was – she was mean and full of sass! She had destroyed quite a few paci’s by chewing on them, poking holes in them and even when they were completely useless she still wanted it – total comfort for her.

I did notice a change back in August while we were on vacation. Keeping her busy during the day was great because she didn’t ask for it at all until it was time for a nap or going down for the night. When we got back from vacation she wanted it more but I would tell her that she doesn’t need it and distract her even more and more times than not she would just leave it somewhere and we couldn’t find it. I only had one bo-bo and although I had a few on hand for emergency I refused to bring them out. In October we tried again when she started at her new school. The teachers would take it away from her except for nap and she would ask for it in the car when I picked her up. I just kept telling her that we forgot it at school and she seemed to be ok with it. She would ask for it but I kept telling her that we forgot it at school. When when at school the teachers would tell her that she forgot it at home. They did have it in case she really really needed it – so not to disrupt the rest of the kids during nap time but eventually she stopped asking for it. It took us about 3-4 days doing that routine and she stopped asking for it. If she sees a picture of herself with it she will ask about it but I just tell her that the bo-bo is all gone. She will repeat it and then say awe, bo-bo all gone mami. Yes baby, bo-bo all gone.

Her pediatrician wanted me to pull the plug on it by 18 months but I was afraid that she would then start sucking her thumb which I used to do way into kindergarten. I didn’t want that for her especially because it’s much harder to break that habit than the pacifier and the damage it could do to your mouth – buck teeth and braces- yea you really don’t want to see my kid pictures!

How did your little one handle leaving the pacifier?

Irene