Suri Cruise, Nearly 5, Will Use a Pacifier as Long as She Wants

By Rob Shuter Posted Mar 8th 2011 12:13PM

The Cruise family is no stranger to controversy when it comes to their trendsetting daughter, Suri. In the past two years, critics have analyzed her love of high heels, quirky dresses and lipstick, and now she's been spotted in Vancouver with a pacifier in her mouth. The problem, of course, is that she's nearly 5, but anyone expecting Tom or Katie to be the ones to yank that binky anytime soon should think again.

"Suri just isn't told 'no' very often," an insider tells me. "Scientology encourages you to make your own decisions and learn lessons as you live your life. She'll know herself when it's time to throw the pacifier away, plain and simple."

Tom is the world's most famous Scientologist, and his wife quickly took to the religion, which has been a part of Suri's life from the moment she was born. When Katie gave birth in April 2006, signs reminding everyone to be silent were posted because it is believed a "silent birth" is the ideal way to enter the world.

"Their religion and beliefs are a huge part of who Tom and Katie are as individuals and parents," a friend of the couple's tells me. "It's not like they would not tell Suri not to touch a fire or run across the street, but certain things, they want her to decide herself, including when she feels it's the right time to stop using a pacifier."

Let's hope the Cruise family dentist doesn't hear about this binky business. Some of the main reasons against pacifiers is that it can impede the proper growth of one's teeth and mouth. According to experts, including the Academy of General Dentistry, prolonged use can even cause changes in the shape of the roof of your mouth.

What do you think? Should Tom and Katie leave Suri alone or step in and throw it away?

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Tags: Katie Holmes, Suri Cruise, Tom Cruise

Comments

(197)

Tuesday 08 March

By doneldathomas

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AMEN!!! so true....

By kathy

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Not only does that paci ruin teeth....sucking a paci at that age is a sign of insecurity. It is NOT an old wives' tale that setting reasonable limits and rules make a child feel safe. That kid is floundering and her parents are not providing any sort of guidance for her. So-they don't tell her "no"? What happens when she picks up that crack pipe or worse-takes an aspirin of medication??????

Wednesday 09 March

By shopndropgurl

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I'm pretty sure that's an urban legend. I'm infamous in my family for sucking my thumb until I was 4 or 5. I did have crooked teeth, but they were crooked because my jaw was too small to fit adult teeth in it. I've never had buck teeth.

By NICHI

Pacifiers have a purpose and when the purpose is served, it should be removed, given up, done with, taken and thats it. I've seen kids sucking their thumbs in elementary school and their teeth look the part. Disgusting and sad that the parents didn't do more to stop even that. All children need to be told, no, they need discipline and they need standards. Thats what our jobs as parents are. If she wants to suck on a "binky" when she turns 18, fine. Thats her choice. I took the bottle away from my son at 9 mos and gave him a sippy cup, it was also at that time that I took away his pacifier. He sucked in his sleep on and off for a few years afterwards but his teeth were NOT affected.

By slb

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I disagree about the thumb sucking. I was born with my thumb in my mouth and I sucked it until I was 12....Guess what, my teeth are perfectly straight and I NEVER had braces. My daughter sucks her thumb as well. She is 8 years old and people are always trying to get her to stop. I don't understand what the big deal is. If she needs braces, then my husband and I will pay for them. There are more important things in the world than a kid sucking their thumb or a binky.

By kittyfriskywhiskers

My best friend sucked her thumb until she was 12, also. The result? Bucked teeth and a misaligned jaw. My nephew sucked his thumb until he was 13. The result? Bucked teeth and a misaligned jaw. My best friend had to wear braces until graduation. My nephew got his off when he was 20. There may be exceptions to every rule, but every kid that I've know who took a pacifier or sucked their thumb on a regular basis long after they were too old for it, ended up with bucked teeth. Suri needs to learn to cope with life and the unpleasant parts of it, if it's a security issue, or she'll grow up not being able to deal with stress of any kind. If it's a power struggle with her parents, well......good luck to them when she's older, for not setting boudaries now.

By kay

I sucked my thumb until I was 12 and I got bucked teeth. My entire family has straight teeth. I stopped because I was teased and I had breathing problems. I wore braces until college, which sucked (pun intended). My daugther came out of the womb sucking her thumb and I took it out immediately. I gave her a binky and than threw it away as soon as it could fall on the dirty fall. She is 14 and her teeth are so beautiful - I smile every time my daughter smiles at me.

By Katie

i have 3 kids of my own and none of them used pacifiers. i have a child suris age, if he had a pacifier i would have made him give it up at 1. im sorry, if the child has to be off a bottle at 1 then pacifiers should have to go at 1 too!

By TurnOffTheBoobTube

I know the situation's different from child to child, but my Mom HATED pacifiers - she thought they were unsanitary and disgusting, and none of us kids had them.

All these years later, I still have my own teeth. Thanks Mom!

By Kathy

Poor little weirdo, she'll be on TV jumping on a couch before we know it.

Friday 27 May

By pkeitt

you nailed it. 'the beard', suri's mom is supposed to be preggars again. Turkey baster time folks!

By t

This is not good, no child should be using a binky, let alone a 5 year old. It shows insecurity and problems. Can you say, bad parenting?

By Abusymomof4

This is so sad...and I suppose when she is a teenager and she does what she wants, that will be just fine,too?! WOW - talk about a lack of parenting.

By Olivia

I was thinking the same thing. Sad. This kid is 5 years old and look at her expression when she caught the camera taking her pic.
Some people should not be parents.

By Bob

Train wreck waiting to happen. Sorry to see this kid being brought up this way.How can she not grow up to be a brat ,with out any body ever telling her no?

By YellowRose3218

Not very bright parents, theres no need for any child to use one of these things at this age.
If she still needs a pacifier at 5 years old, shes still wearing diapers too.
Some parents are too laid back, its easy to see how runs the home here. If they dont use discipline with Suri, she will be hard to be around when she grows up. This looks ridiculous.

By themeeker

She still has a binky at 5 years old? Wow, she's going to be more f'd up than that drooling loony she calls dad.

By Cindy

It's their kid, their problem. Why should we care?

By mw

I guess Suri runs the house, whatever she says goes. Just wait til she is a teenager, watch out. Tom and Katie will regret their decisions later in life.

By TheVoiceOfReason

Seems to me the child is trying to soothe herself. I can't imagine how strange it must be for her to be surrounded by paparazzi everywhere she goes...and they're probably calling her name, trying to get her to look their way so they can get their shots. Scary.

I'm sure every one of us, as parents, does something that someone else would criticize. Give her parents a break, they're doing the best they can.

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