Paci-free home

Around the end of November, Violet's very last paci broke. And it actually broke, we didn't break it for her. In the summer, when she was sleeping with 4 or 5 pacis every night, I did break two, then we lost one (and when I found it, it stayed "Lost"), she broke one... We were finally down to just one this fall. I knew that I should just break it and break her of the habit, but I also knew that it couldn't last forever the way she was chomping on it. So I decided to let it happen when it was going to happen.

One Sunday night, she started crying from her crib and when I went in, she handed me her paci - which she would never willingly do at bedtime - and I knew. "You throw it in the garbage?" she wailed. "I sleep with a broken paci," she changed her mind again and again about whether this broken, malfunctioning paci should be in bed with her or in the garbage. Finally, I threw it away.

When we broke the twins' pacis it was one tough weekend and then we pretty much went back to normal. Not so with Violet, being older and perhaps more attached to her paci. The first couple of days were similar, with a lot of crying, a lot of grieving and not much sleep.

But now, six weeks later or so, Violet still is struggling with her sleep. She naps only every 3rd or 4th day now. And she has a very hard time settling into sleep at night as well. She just can't get comfortable, it's harder for her to relax. And sometimes Violet won't sleep in her big girl bed, she wants her crib. She also seems to want me more than ever before.

Violet has always been a great sleeper, so we are adjusting to her resistance of sleep. I trust that eventually she'll settle in, but I'll admit that this process has been harder than I expected. Looking back I can see that I waited too long, we should have done this when she was much younger. But regardless, it's done and in the long run, it's good that it's done.