Saturday, February 16, 2008

What Do You Think?

So, I'm curious. What do people think is an appropriate age to have your child stop using a sippy cup, a pacifier, a bottle, a crib...

I know that probably only 5 people read this blog (and not with much regularity, at that) but I'm curious...

Sippy Cup - I personally think 4 is the cut off. That being said, my middle child has issues with his grip and holding onto things and just within the last 3 months has been able to use utensils (he just turned 4 in January). We are just starting with the real cup and he is a dribbler. And an impatient dribbler at that. If he spills on himself, he starts to cry.

Pacifier - I think this is the reason why I decided to do this post. I saw a child in the grocery store that was no less than 4 and had a pacifier in her mouth. Trying to spout out full sentences with a piece of silicone and plastic stuck in her mouth. It was ridiculous. Now, I have children. They are not the best in the behavior department even sometimes. But I wouldn't let them keep a pacifier to let me have a few minutes of peace and quiet. That's what their rooms are for. For me, if the kid is younger than 2 years old, I guess it's okay to have one. My oldest was the ideal situation. She had it in her bed until 18 months but at 12 months I took it away completely during the day. My 17 month old, littlest monkey, has one pretty much whenever she wants it. I've become more relaxed on it in my old age. But I'm starting to get rid of it more and more every day. One of these days, I'm cutting a hole in that puppy...

Bottle - This is another one that I have seen a child that is older than I personally thought appropriate and still had a bottle. Older by ALOT! I am a total stickler on this one. When the kid switches over from formula to whole milk at one year, the bottle is gone. Completely. No question. I won't point and stare unless the kid is older than two, but personally, one is the oldest for me. Sorry.

What do you think? Do you care? Do you just wait for the kid to want to move on? I'm not even going to go into the potty-training realm... I'm having my own issues with that one...

6 comments:

betty said...

What is the age for sippy cup? What about just giving them the pacifier at nap/night time? What about the whole "favorite blanket" thing? I don't remember things being so complicated when you guys were little!

joni said...

Allie never did the bottle thing. We went right from boob to sippy cup. She now uses the cups with straws and regular cups for meals. Now about the pacifier. I have been a little lax about that with her. She still uses one to sleep but it has to stay on her bed. I figure when she turns 3 it will go.

Jessica L said...

Now obviously, this whole thing is dependent on the individual kid, but if there is nothing wrong and you are just doing it for convenience for yourself, then that's where I find issue. Of course, the passive submissive person that I am, I don't ever say a word. I just think it internally and will them to read my mind.

Mom - the age for a sippy cup is old enough to be able to hold it and not spill on themselves... You should just give them one when you can sit there and help them use it. The "only at night" thing with the pacifier is fine for a while, but you have to remember that there are studies that show that kids who had pacifiers for a long time had orthodontia problems. But those studies could be wrong too... The favorite blanket thing, after seeing that one detergent commercial, completely grosses me out. I have never seen some kid with a "lovey" that isn't all filthy and disgusting. Yeah, your kid may be comforted, but they are also probably a carrier of some horrible, contagious disease... I don't think it was as complicated back then because people didn't analyze stuff to death. To have lived back in the simpler times... :)

joni said...

Like when moms let their kids eat hot dogs...

Jessica L said...

Okay, don't get mad at me about that hot dog thing... They said that the kids who ate alot of hot dogs (more than 2 times a month) had an elevated chances at having juvenile diabetes. I'm not judging. I was just passing on information! :)

Likely said...

for me: bottle and paci gone at a year.

sippy - 3 years or earlier if they can handle it.

what's this about hot dogs? i need to read more on your blog.