Several posters have commented on the widespread use of pacifiers in Israel.
They are very widespread here in Norway too, and no one bats an eye at
toddlers or preschoolers with the ubiquitous pacifier.  They are among the
most common items found in women's bags when they check in to maternity
wards to give birth (most of them know that the hospitals don't supply them
free and unsolicited any longer) and are sent to mothers who return
commercial coupons about magazine subscriptions, book clubs for children,
toys, you name it.  On Friday there was a feature story in one of the Oslo
papers about the costs of rearing a child and the photo to illustrate it was
of a toddler replete with a pink plastic object decorated with Dumbo the
elephant in a spot she would NEVER see it, because she was sucking on the
back of the picture.  To me, that would be like going to have a portrait
photo taken with your hair in rollers, but there's no accounting for taste.
There is really no problem with breastfeeding anywhere at all, except
climatic problems during our 6-8 months of chilly weather.  Still, pacifier
use persists, and still, 80% of babies 6 months old are still being
breastfed, about half of them exclusively so.  I do feel more bothered when
I see people giving their toddlers soft drinks in feeding bottles, but I
don't understand why they have to have either thing, if they get fed when
they need to.
Rachel Myr
not a rubber fetishist, in Norway

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