"Her Dentist Said..."

I know a lot of parents who have brought pediatricians, advocates, and attorneys to special education meetings. I'm not sure if this is an intimidation tactic (aren't we all trying to help your kid?!) or if they really think we MUST do whatever the expert in that field tells us to. Just so you know, we don't. I've always said the same thing in those meetings. "Thank you for your recommendations. We'll take them into consideration." I'm really good at using that line in my professional life, and I wish I could remember it more often as a parent.

Trying to wean Emily from her pacifier has been really stressful on all of us. We tried going cold turkey, but I gave in after she failed to nap for a week. It's been a few months, so now we're trying again. Day 1: She screamed. A lot. It was the cry-it-out stage all over again, but this time it sounded like someone had cut off an arm. Even worse, she's verbal enough now to throw in gems like, "MAMAAAAA!!!! PLEEEEAAAASE!!!" Brutal.

At this point Jason and I asked ourselves why we were doing this. "Her dentist said it will affect her bite, but that problem will correct itself if she stops using it around age 2." The second it came out of my mouth I realized how bad it sounded. I'm letting her dentist make a parenting decision? Ugh. Now I see there's no need to rush this. We've cut off the end of one (now her "big girl beeper") to make it less satisfying for her and she only uses it for naps and bedtime. I figure this is a middle ground that will help us move in the right direction without making me feel like I'm torturing my toddler. Dr. D, Thank you for your recommendation. We'll take that into consideration. I'm sure you can refer me to a good orthodontist when my kid needs braces.