littlespacecadets

[littlespacecadets]

🌟 Pacifiers 101 🌟

✨ Whether you call it a pacifier, soother, dummy, paci, or any other name, many cadets aboard the little space station enjoy them! Here's the rundown of things you should know about them before you buy one! ✨

🌠 An adult sized pacifier is the safe and best choice. 🌠

While baby pacifiers are more easily accessible, they aren't meant for people with bigger mouths/teeth. Baby pacis are too short and are only able to reach just past your teeth. Pacifiers are supposed to end up at the roof of your mouth, which is why different sizes exist in the first place. If a paci is too short/small, then there are two outcomes:

Instead of your tongue keeping your paci from slipping out, you would bite down on it to keep it in place. Clenching your jaw shut for too long can cause aches and pain in both your jawline and your teeth.

If you attempt to suck your baby paci, your tongue will push itself against your front teeth repeatedly. This repeated force from your tongue is strong enough to push your teeth forward, which, if done excessively and over a long enough time frame, can lead to either an overbite or underbite. Long before that happens however, your front teeth will ache.

Adult pacifiers should not cause these problems. There are only a very few exceptions where they would not help, and I'll list them:

You have barely lost your front teeth. Teeth and genetics are weird, and while the majority of people will have lost their front teeth when they were 6 or 7, some people lose their baby teeth later than that. Some individuals even get an entire second set of adult teeth! If any of these situations apply to you, then using any pacifier (but especially a too small one) after your new teeth have grown in is an unwise idea. There are gaps in the bone underneath your gumline, which means your teeth are especially sensitive to any type of pressure and are highly susceptible to shifting out of alignment. It typically takes a year for the bone underneath to solidify, in which case you should wait to use a paci until then.

You have braces/have barely gotten your braces removed. Similar to the circumstances above, if your teeth have recently been purposefully shifted into alignment, using a pacifier can cause aches and movement in your teeth. This can be prevented with the very important tool your dentist gave you: a retainer! Adult pacifiers fit perfectly behind your retainers, which will prevent any movement and/or pressure on your teeth. I would recommend not using your pacifier without a retainer until: you are instructed to stop using a retainer altogether or a year after you are instructed to use your retainer only while you're sleeping. These times are greater than if you had new teeth because the older you are, the longer your body takes to grow - this includes bone. The older you have dental work done, the longer it'll take for this bone to fully fill the space your teeth have vacated; if your dentist has instructed you to use your retainer for the rest of your life, I do not recommend using a pacifier for long periods of time without a retainer in place, as you have an increased risk of developing an overbite.

Your mouth is too small. The question is in which way your mouth too small? For example, if your teeth are too big for your mouth (and you may have even had some of them removed to make space/have straight teeth) then chances are that you would have to use an adult paci. However, if your teeth are short and otherwise child-sized, then you may instead find that the largest baby paci (36 months) will suit you fine and cause no pain. In this very specific circumstance, a baby pacifier may suit your needs better, as, to reiterate, as long as the paci ends at the roof of your mouth then you shouldn't have any problems.

🌠 The Care and Cleaning of Your Pacifier 🌠

All pacifiers should be properly cleaned and sanitized when you first get one. Afterwards, they should be routinely cleaned to prevent bacteria and germs from growing and entering your mouth, even if they don't seem dirty.

Wash it with warm water and dish soap. Take a clean cloth or towel, damp it with warm water, add a squirt of dish soap, and carefully clean the nipple and the back of the shield. Other soaps may not be food safe - as in, suitable for something you're going to be putting in your mouth - so it's best to be careful.

Use pacifier wipes. In stores, there exist specific wipes to clean pacifiers with! Some are vaguely flavored, so even if you might pop your paci in right after cleaning, it won't leave a chemical taste in your mouth.

In the event that your pacifier needs to be completely sanitized (such as dropped on the ground or other unsanitary place or if used during an illness) your options are:

If you have an undecorated pacifier, as in one without any added embellishments, then you can bring some water to a boil, disassemble and toss the paci in there, stir it around for 2-5 minutes, remove it, and allow it to cool completely before putting it back together and placing it in your mouth.

If you have a decorated pacifer, check with the seller to see if there are any specific cleaning instructions.

After using your pacifier, make sure it is dry before putting it in storage to prevent the development of germs and bacteria - if possible, cleaning it after usage is recommended for long term storage.

Storage can be any container or location that is clean and dry: an old lunch box, a new pencil case/box/bag, a new make-up bag, a tin container, a tupperware container, a mason jar, a Halloween pail, an Easter basket, a Valentine's Day box/tin/mailbox, and even a drawer are all examples of what you can use. If your pacifier storage can be easily cleaned, then feel free to use it!

🌠 Pacifier Usage 🌠

While using your pacifier, it's best to avoid the practices that can lead to aches and pain, as previously mentioned.

Your tongue should not be touching or pushing against your front teeth at any point in the process, as this is what commonly leads to teeth aches and teeth shifting out of alignment. On top of this, you run the risk of becoming comfortable resting your tongue against your teeth even when you aren't using your pacifier, which can also lead to your teeth shifting out of alignment.

Instead, your tongue should be resting along the bulb of the nipple, which should be right below your hard or soft pallet. Suckling may push the bulb towards the back of the mouth (or, your tongue moves along the stem of the nipple), but as long as your tongue doesn't brace the nipple against any teeth, you shouldn't experience any discomfort.

You may be tempted to bite down on your pacifier to keep it in your mouth, but as long as it's properly sized, that's not necessary. In fact, biting down on it can strain your jaw, similar to how teeth grinding can do the same. If you find yourself doing this often, with the jaw pain to go along with it, you may find it better to buy a mouth guard - some models even have a pacifier-like exterior, and you can view them as a more teether-like alternative.

When using your pacifier for long periods of time, you may begin to notice discoloration alongside the corners/edges of your mouth. This is common for people who use pacifiers, people who have retainers, or people who produce more saliva/drool more than average.

Don't fret! Lip balms that promise "lip repair", "intense therapy", and "skin protecting" can be used at the corners of your mouth to soothe any irritation and prevent future discoloration from occurring again. If these are unavailable, petroleum jelly may help.

✨ Class dismissed - now go ahead and get the pacifier of your dreams, cadet!✨

[littlespacecadets]

Greetings and salutations, cadets! I'm popping back here real quick because I've been seeing a lot of posts in the agere tags about buying regression items online, so I wanted to elaborate on this specific tip!

The first problem many people have, is that they don't own a debit or credit card. The easiest solution to this is to buy a gift card! There are several regression items on Amazon, such as onesies, pacifiers, and toys, so an Amazon gift card should be sufficient.

However, you can also buy a Visa gift card! Just like every other gift card, they're available in stores, but unlike other gift cards they can be used anywhere debit or credit cards are accepted! This means they can be used in several different online shops, not just one store. Some are even refillable, which means you can bring one back to the store you brought it from, and put more money on it!

For those who are unfamiliar with buying gift cards in person, all you have to do is bring one to a cash register, pay for it (the amount that you want to be on there, as well as usually an activation fee, which I think is less than $5), and then the cashier will activate it so it could be used. And that's it!

As for disguising your online purchase, if it's on a gift card, it won't show up on any type of debit/credit card statement, which is useful for anyone whose bank accounts are monitored. For those using their own card, some shops may disclose what you purchased in the statement, but many don't. As an example, if you purchase something from Amazon, it'll just say you bought something from them, not listing anything specific.

In addition to the excuses listed in the original post, another good excuse is to purchase undergarments alongside your regression item. That way, if you were to open your package away from prying eyes, and are then asked about it, you have something to show if pressed. It'll be completely understandable why you wouldn't want to open your order of undies out where anyone can see them!

I hope you can enjoy your present, cadet! You deserve it!

🌟 Little Space Tip #11 🌟

As the holiday season approaches, many people will be ordering and buying gifts for their loved ones! Because of this, you can use the occasion to order your very own pacifier online!

First of all, you’ll have to be ordering other gifts online so the pacifier delivery won’t be suspicious. Because of the occasion, if you tell others not to open any of your deliveries because you’re ordering gifts, they’ll likely oblige because they won’t want to spoil any surprises for themselves!

If you’re unable to order other gifts online, but are still able to buy just the pacifier, you can still use the occasion to disguise your purchase. You can claim that a friend sent their delivery to you because their family might ruin the surprise, so they sent it to you to prevent that! Just be sure to have a friend’s name on the mailing address. That should be enough to dissuade them from opening the package, because they won’t want to open someone else’s mail or else they’ll be considered rude!

[littlespacecadets]

🌟 Little Space Tip #7 🌟

No matter if you call them onesies, union suits, kigurumis, or footie pajamas, they’re great as both a fun costume and a comfy little space outfit! They’re available at many retailers (some examples being Target, Walmart, JCPenney, Spencer��s, Rue21, Hot Topic, ect.) in their pajama sections now that the weather is getting chilly, as well as at Halloween pop-up shops, usually listed as either “union suits” or as “costumed pajamas”

They’re perfect to use as costumes because whether they’re a character or animal, they are designed to be instantly recognizable. I’ve seen many young adults wear these for Halloween, many receiving compliments from others for wearing something that’s comfortable yet fun and cute! 

As pajamas, they’re great because they are, of course, reminiscent of the pjs many had worn when they were toddlers. They’re soft, warm, cozy, and some even have pockets! 

Nothing feels littler than wearing fun pajamas, so if you need an excuse to buy one, it’s the perfect time of the year to do it!

[littlespacecadets]

✨ Roger decided to dress up as an aviator this Halloween! He’s hoping that everyone reading this will be able to get some delicious treats! ✨

[littlespacecadets]

🌜 Little Journal Prompt #7 🌜

In the middle of little space, you’ve found a tailor who has access to all the fabrics and patterns in the universe and wants to make you something as thanks for helping them! 

☆ What clothing or costume do you want them to make you? 

☆ What does it look like? 

☆ What is it made out of? 

☆ Is there anything extra special about it?

Whatever it is that you choose, it’s sure to fit you perfectly!

[littlespacecadets]

hiya! do you happen to know ways you can be little and do little things while you still live with parents? thank you !

Greetings, cadet! Here’s a post with tips about sharing a room, which is also applicable to your situation! Additionally, you can:

Create a separate Youtube account just for little space stuff! Youtube thankfully has a quick “channel switcher” where you’ll be able to sign in once, then be able to quickly switch between them. Personally, it gives me peace of mind knowing that all the stuff I watch while little is kept separate from what I watch when big. Additionally, you’ll be able to follow and watch channels like Sesame Street without the chance of a recommended “little” video popping up on the side of a normal video

Get “collectable” toys! By this I mean if you want toys but don’t necessarily think it’s safe to get actual children’s toys, get the “collectable” ones! Action figures, Funko Pops, even soft plushies, most popular media will have some sort of merchandise that’ll come out for it, all of which make great toys for playtime! I personally own an adorable Catbug plush, over 30 Funkos, and a bunch of action figures, and they all are great for playtime. And if I get caught playing with them near the shelf? I can just say that I was admiring them or rearranging them!

Also important: everyone loves Disney! Young or old, Disney tries to cater to everyone, meaning that people of all ages can enjoy them! The animation is top notch, so even bigs can enjoy them! The music is award winning, so if you’re caught listening to a soundtrack, it’s completely understandable! They have merchandise for everyone and everything, so if you wanted get a stuffie along with a fun shirt or hoodie, you’re just another fan! It’s part of everyone’s nostalgia, so you should be fine

And - this one is risky - let them know that you like childish things! If you love stuffed animals, let them know! They’ll probably give you some for the holidays/your birthday. Still love an old kid show? Tell them that it was one of the highest forms of media you’ve seen, and they might accept it if they find you watching an old episode “for nostalgia” and might even pick some merchandise up for you! (I may or may not have been gifted vintage Blue’s Clues merch - from thrift stores - and new Rugrats merch) Want more “little” clothes? Show them images of people rocking the pastel aesthetic fashion, 90s fashion, maybe even 80s fashion (think Bold colors and Distinct patterns), and they’re likely accept it if you buy similar clothing for yourself! Overalls are also sold pretty much everywhere now, so feel free to buy some without any suspicion!

I hope I was able to help! I know of this struggle intimately, so all these methods (including those in the linked post) are tried and tested by myself, so hopefully they’ll work out for you too!

[littlespacecadets]

🚀 Little Space Reminder #7 🚀

It doesn’t matter whether you’re big or small, anyone can wear a costume and dress up! Throughout little space, there are many reasons to do so, including wearing something to look regal/fancy for a dinner or party, wearing something to scare off any mean monsters, or, most importantly, to have fun!

[littlespacecadets]

It looks like many of our cadets have dressed up! Well, no matter if they’re fancy, spooky, or comfy, I love all of their costumes!

✨ More Coloring Pages! ✨

[littlespacecadets]

🍭 So much sugar!!! 🍭

Ground Control: cadet, there seems to be a problem with your heart monitor, can you verify the readings?

Little: roger that!

...

everything seems to be accurate!

G.C: but

but the readings say that your heart rate is way higher than usual?

are you okay???

Little: oh I'm perfectly fine!

I just found the candy jar!

and I may have eaten as much as I could

G.C: oh no

[littlespacecadets]

🌟 Little Space Tip #6 🌟

For some little space cadets, getting a pacifier is out of the question. However, if you feel the need to self sooth, lollipops are a good alternative! As long as you don’t overdo it and make sure you brush your teeth afterwards to prevent cavities, you’re all set to go! And if you want to feel really little, using a ring pop should do the trick! 

They’re cute, tasty, and widely available, and they’re sure to not turn any heads if you’re caught sucking on one, because that’s how you’re supposed to eat them!

[littlespacecadets]

✨ Galactic candy is sure to send your taste buds flying!  ✨

[littlespacecadets]

🌜 Little Journal Prompt #6 🌜

You’re traveling through little space when you see it - a planet full of sweets, treats, and candy! When you land the rocket and explore, what’s the first thing you do, surrounded by an edible and delectable world? What sights do you see and what things do you eat?

[littlespacecadets]

Hi! I was wondering if you knew of any tips for age regressors who’s caregivers are long-distance?

Hello there! I have to admit that while I may have been an age regressor for the past couple of years, I’ve never actually had a caregiver! So while I may not have had any experience, my cousin married someone she was in a LDR with, so here are some suggestions that are vaguely based off of what they did!

💜 Playing multiplayer games together! If both of you have gaming consoles and the same game, you guys can play together!  Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the best game for both little space and LDR, as you can visit eachothers’ towns and go on virtual dates!

💛 Reading a story! Phone calls and Skype calls are your guys’ best friend, so while on a call, your CG can read you a bedtime story! Project Gutenberg has a collection of children’s picture books that includes fairytales and Beatrix Potter books that would be great for bedtime!

💜 Exchanging a music playlist! While the days of mixtapes are over, sharing a playlist that was made explicitly for the other is great! They can be easily created on Youtube or Spotify, and can be either songs that made one think of the other, songs that one thought the other would enjoy, songs that one loves and hopes the other will too, or all of the above!

💛 Having a reward chart/system! You guys can work out a system where if you complete an activity or task and send proof of it, they can send you a digital “sticker”, where if you get a certain amount, you can get a reward! One LDR reward I can think of are recordings of book readings that you can play over and over again!

💜 Sending letters and packages! While phone calls and texting are great, nothing quite beats the excitement of opening mail from a loved one! Handwritten letters can warm each of your hearts, and surprises packages can too! If you can only send letters, you guys can exchange the aforementioned letters, as well as drawings, coloring pages, printed photos of eachother, and even stickers! Stamps don’t cost very much, and will be well worth the expense! If you guys can send packages, then they can contain clothes that the other wore and now smells like them, physical books, stuffies, and even yummy little treats! You guys can even buy something online and during check out put the other’s name and address for shipping, so that way you won’t have to go to the post office!

I hope at least one of these tips are able to help! ❤

[littlespacecadets]

🚀 Little Space Reminder #6 🚀

It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to treat yourself! Nor do you have to do something extraordinary in order to justify a special treat! Sometimes that’s all that’s needed to make a day special!

[littlespacecadets]

Sweet! This week’s coloring pages are all about candy!

✨ More Coloring Pages! ✨

[littlespacecadets]

✨ Sometimes little space cadets need a visual guide to better understand things, and sometimes they just like pretty pictures! Here’s an illustrated, simplified version of my post about how to blast off into little space! Enjoy! ✨

[littlespacecadets]

🌟 Little Space Tip #23 🌟

As the weather gets colder and the leaves begin to fall, Halloween and costume parties approach!

It's the perfect time of the year to play dress-up and wear cute costumes! While some may prefer to wear comfy costumed pajamas/onesies/union suits, there are plenty of other options!

Whether you chose to buy a costume or to make your own, you might want to show your little side. The good news is, people won't even bat an eye at an especially little costume, as it's all in the spirit of things! Below are a few costumes that may fill that need!

These are just a few of the cutest costumes I was able to find, perfect for littles of all ages!

You can be your favorite superhero, favorite animal, favorite toy, a cool profession, or a character from your favorite show, movie, or story book! You can even dress up and pretend you're from a different time period! Don't forget the classic costumes either, as ghosts, vampires, witches, scarecrows, monsters, and pumpkins are definitely perfect for the occasion!

If you don't want to buy a costume, you can also make your own! Thrift stores have a huge selection of various clothing options that can make up really cool costumes, which you can (usually) assemble for a great price!

Feel free to chose a costume not pictured, as these are just a few options for those that want to pick something that feels especially little! If you want to dress-up as a scary zombie or horror-movie monster, go for it!