Soosie. The word for soother we used for our babes. Soosie clip – the mastermind invention that meant we knew where to find the beloved soosie and could keep track of it easily. Soosie clips like this one were a good friend to us for about five years.
Seeing it reminds me of:
- Actually having babies after all – against all odds. Miraculous. Magnificent. Our babies with their dark eyes just like their father’s.
- Nights walking the floor with allergic crying babies that could not be soothed and who persistently pushed the soosie out with their tongues, wailing angrily. The frustration, lack of sleep, worry, and sense of desperation we shared when our senses of humour left the building.
- Peaceful moments with snuggled babies sucking rhythmically, hypnotically, as we rocked and sang and cuddled. The wonder, joy, peacefulness, and contentment with what we had created together.
- Hands that found their way to the soosie that was clipped to the sleeper and the beginnings of self-soothing that meant – praise all that’s holy – that we could sleep again.
- The beginning of limit setting when we lifted babies from cribs and unclipped the soosie, saying gently, “it’s for sleep time.” Now we are saying gently, “be home by midnight, for my sleep time”.
- The early stages of milestones reached and letting go – time to give the soosie up. The magical plan to give it to the squirrel babies who needed it and then listening to the pitiful whimpering for the next few bedtimes, in solidarity, while we kept each other from breaking and giving in to objection.
- One of the earliest tastes of the ready judgment of others – soosies were bad for babies; insisting that it remain in beds was cruel; we kept it too long/took it too soon. We needed it to prevent them from sucking their thumbs as long as their father had…wtf??? Maybe someone should have told me he sucked his thumb “forever”. I don’t think he still does…but I digress.
The soosie clip was also a symbol of our learning to make decisions about our babies together. To use a soosie. To clip it to jammies. To leave it in beds only. To remove it at the toddler stage. To survive the grieving for that beloved comfort because we believed that we made a good decision for our own children. Together.
That’s my story,
M
G’s perspective on this item was posted yesterday as The Soother Clip (a.k.a. Sleep Saver)
We called our babies pacifier a “pipe”. Not sure why, definitely NOTE a pot pipe! Maybe an old man’s pipe. Anyway, we had 3 or 4 in the crib after they got old enough to put it back in their mouths. I can see my oldest now holding one in each hand and switching them out… 18 years ago! OMG. Thanks for reminding me of the memories! Looking forward to more posts from the both of you!
That’s SO funny! My mom and dad called ours a “pipe” as well and I started with that but G didn’t like it and it didn’t catch on. Not sure where “soosie” came from but it was easier for them to say. They sure were loved objects weren’t they?? Our oldest is 18 too. I’m glad it gave you a happy reminder. Thanks for sharing with us.
I remember the middle of the night soosie finding missions with my eldest. Those were some hard times. Why didn’t we think of the clip? We ended up taking away the soother when she was 7 months old because we couldn’t take it anymore. After a couple of nights, all was forgotten. My youngest wouldn’t take a soother no matter how hard we tried. That was even harder.
Lovely memories M & G. I’m loving your blog!
Thanks Finola. I think every baby is different – some like soothers and some don’t, some like thumbs and some don’t…it’s trying to figure out what works for them, and you, that creates the challenge and the wonder. Glad you are enjoying the posts.
My youngest had a “Soo-Weoh” as she pronounced it when she was around a year -and we started calling it that too. After a year old, it was only reserved for nap and bedtime (until about 2 1/2 years old). The bonus was she still to this day doesn’t ever fight about it being bedtime. (I had two older ones that never had a soother and I do believe it made the difference there).
Good blog
You know, you may be on to something. Ours never really balked at bedtime – was always a happy time for them.
Love the blog
Thanks so very much