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 goodbyelakers

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High Heels, Lipstick, Quirky Dresses, and sucking on plastic.....
NOT good.

By Linda

Think they should re-think what they are doing. We have taken custody recently of a 2 year old that sucked on a bottle all day long just to keep her "out of the way"...she now has to have her jaw re-set and all her baby teeth are ruined...time to take the pacifier away for health reasons if nothing else.

By Banana

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I am not a TomKat fan, but is this really a big deal...or anyone's business? My son used a pacifier; he threw it away when he was 13 months old. I probabily would have felt pressure to take it from him if he hadn't done it on his own, and likely would have taken it from him. However, he had attention issues while learning to tie his shoes. Every year, until he was seven, his doctor would go through the mile-marker check list of skills- tieing shoes was one of them. I finally said "listen, I'm not concerned- I'm sure he will be able to tie his shoes by the time he goes to college." Guess what- soon after...he began tieing his shoes. There is no "right" or perfect formula for parenting. We all do the best we can.

By Paula

Tom and Katie should try and keep Suri out of the limelight, in this day and age, it's not very smart. Perhaps they should keep themselves out of it too. This child has no siblings, so far, and it cannot be good for a 5 year old to constantly have cameras in her face, I doubt she even knows what's going on. Doesn't sound like Katie has anything to say about it.

By rkniolek

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she drinks from a bottle too, i took my kids binky away when he started on sippy cup i still have it as a keepsake i showed it to him one day and he didn't even have a clue what it was ha ha, also for suri she is a spoiled little brat, just look at her parents yikes...

By kate

SHAME ON YOU TWO......YOUR DAUGHTER LOOKS RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOES SHE STILL WEAR A DIAPER????????

By Sharon

Is she potty trained yet, or will she start going to the bathroom like a big girl at her own leisure.

By Ginger

Suri is too old for the pacifier AND to be carried everywhere. And I'm sorry, the older this child gets she looks more and more like Chris Klein. I don't see any of Tom in her features at. Suri is going to be so screwed up before she has a chance to reach her teen years and who will pay for the craziness - the regular folks who will have to meet her every need. So sad...

By simpsonsimpmike

Looks like Tomkat raised Katcrap

I actually agree with Tom and Katie's decision on this one. Soem kids just have a really hard time giving up the pacifier. Yes5 yers old is extreme, but I've known other extreme parenting situations (like kids who are breastfed until 3 or 4)and kids stil sturn out OK. When Suri realizes its not cool to use a pacifier, she'll stop using it. Child development and peer pressure can work wonders without the drama of parents taking the pacifier away. Of course, this implies she has to be around other kids--groups of kids. If she is isolated or home schooled only, it won't work.

By Bonbon

That kid is going to have the most buck teeth when she gets older, if your old enough to talk you don't need a pacifier!

By char

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My daughter drank out of a baby bottle when she felt like it until she was five. She was breast fed and very bright. Why the problem with a pacifier? If your children do not have problems, they just outgrow it. I have the brightest, most sociable, 18 year old ever. Just do not stress it if all else is OK. After all a baby bottle is a man made object, not really different from using a straw or a sports bottle, so why the stigma. Suri sure is gorgeous and bright not doubt also.

How many kids are pushed to be potty trained by age one and to drink with a cup at the same age, and they grew up to be crazy young teens and no Einsteins either. It really makes no difference

By CK

Tom's other children seem to be doing okay. They are not making headlines by drinking, partying, etc. so he must be doing something right. I would want my child off a binky by 5 but I cannot decide what they do for their own children. I guess we will have to wait and see how she is as a teen but it seems that he has raised 2 others with the same upbringing as Suri and done a good job so far. I do think they put Suri in the limelight too much though and that could make the difference in the future more than a binky.

By wilma

The child looks so stupid at her age with a pacifier..
But look who her father is..

By Beatrice

Yeah that right lets pick on a mother and her daughter over what, a binky-boy people just want to get angery over nothing-mental much.

By lookyloo

So, a woman with a hormonal inbalance after giving birth should just "snap out of it" but Tom Cruise can't get the binky out of his five year old's mouth. Tom Cruise should have been sterile. Better yet, Tom Cruise's father should have been sterile.

By Sue

As a parent, I would say to Suri "See this picture of you in your binkie? Not
a very good look for a young girl, dont ya think? Maybe its time to let it go since
your a big girl now"

By llednez

I feel so sorry for this poor child. With those two whack jobs as parents, she'll be in counseling by the time she's eight. What a shame.

By mw

Yeah, she'll know when it's time to throw that thing away, when she is walking down the aisle to get married, and then she will say time to throw the binkie away.

By librarynun2

That pacifier will ruin Suri's teeth. Oh wait, her parents dont care because they're rich enough to pay for any dental work she will require because of the precious "binky".

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