I still remember that when my niece was just a year old, my sister and brother-in-law literally worked their backs off to get rid of her pacifier habit. While it can be comforting for babies in the beginning, its long-term usage is really not ideal.
Looking at my family, I can understand why this couple lost it when the mother-in-law brought back their toddler’s habit of using a pacifier. All their sleepless nights and efforts were wasted because the grandma didn’t know how to stop the crying. Just scroll down to find out what they did next!
More info: Reddit
It's really frustrating when parents set up rules for their family who babysit, and they get broken without a thought
Image credits: pch.vector / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster and her husband had spent many sleepless nights trying to get rid of their toddler's habit of using a pacifier, and it worked
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
However, when her mother-in-law babysat the toddler for just four hours, she shoved a pacifier in their mouth as she couldn't stop the crying
Image credits: shapovalphoto / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The couple was beyond furious as their toddler got into their old habit again, so they banned the grandma from babysitting without supervision
Image credits: UnusualImpress9600
This angered the mother-in-law so much that she played the victim in front of the rest of the family, but the couple refused to budge
It seems like tales about toxic mothers-in-law are endless because here’s another one where the original poster (OP) is the daughter-in-law. She and her husband had spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to get rid of their toddler’s habit of using a pacifier. In fact, they would surrender any dummies they found or hand them over to their baby sibling, who needed them.
Much to the parents’ dismay, however, it all changed when OP’s mother-in-law babysat the toddler for just four hours. Apparently, the kid started crying, and the woman didn’t know how to stop it, so she shoved a pacifier in their mouth. To say that the couple was furious is an understatement because the child got back into an old, unhealthy habit.
The kid’s baby sibling was in the teething stage, and pacifiers were needed to ease the discomfort. That’s why the couple needed dummies in the house, but it started turning into a nightmare. Their toddler would steal it from the baby’s mouth and throw a tantrum if the couple tried to take it away. OP also caught the kid trying to sneak into her room, trying to find it.
Obviously, they would be frustrated with the grandma because of this, so they refused to let her babysit the kid without supervision. Well, the woman took this so badly that she started lying to their family and friends that the couple was “punishing” her for getting the toddler to stop crying. However, that didn’t deter the couple from changing their decision.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Cohort studies report that 58%–85% of infants use pacifiers, peaking around age 3 months. However, research shows that when babies become dependent on it, it can increase the risk of middle ear infection. In fact, its prolonged usage might lead to dental concerns as well. While it can be useful initially, parents always want to get rid of the habit as soon as possible.
Moreover, experts also warn that if the pacifier habit continues for a long time, it may have negative consequences on speech, language acquisition, and cognitive development, especially in toddlers. Well, looking at things closely, we can totally understand why any parents would be infuriated when their child relapses into this habit despite their efforts.
What further annoyed netizens was that the mother-in-law never really shared the real reason why the kid was crying so much that she had to give them a pacifier. OP claimed that both her children are pretty chill and don’t really throw a fit. Even when she tried to understand the reason, the woman kept giving vague replies.
Folks felt that she was not really qualified to babysit if that’s how she was handling the situation. Seems like the boundary the couple drew was necessary. Research also emphasizes that establishing boundaries is important to protect emotional health, personal well-being, and to reduce conflict. Would you have done the same thing as the couple? Let us know in the comments!
Netizens were amazed that she didn't know how to console a crying toddler, and they deemed her unfit to babysit
