Pacifier? What pacifier?
Forest has been a pacifier junkie since birth. Before having kids I had a very strong dislike of pacifiers but was willing to let it slide for bedtimes. Logan gave his up at five months but we hit 3 years old with Forest and I was so ready to say goodbye to that thing. Being the information junkie that I am, I had read up about pacifiers and knew that there was no harm in Forest’s using one now or even for another couple years. I’d read that kids usually give them up on their own between 3 – 5 and that was ok. So I went into this as a bit of an experiment. Let’s just see if he’s more ready then he knows he is.
I’d read some mentions to people using the “pacifier fairy” as a means to the end and thought we’d give it a try. Like the tooth fairy, the pacifier fairy takes the pacifier(s) (passing them on to new babies) and leaves a toy in it’s/their place. So I mentioned this to Forest a couple times and he cutely changed the name from pacifier fairy to pacifier angel. Who am I to know the difference? On New Years Day we mentioned it several times to Forest and he agreed that he was ready to do it that night. During a grocery store trip I picked up a neat toy for him and at some point I realized we should do a bit of a ceremony to help him understand what it was all about.
That night Green Daddy, Orange Daddy, Forest and Logan and I gathered in the living room. Green Daddy placed two of their old bibs that I had as keepsakes into a basket to represent them growing out of that stage. Then Logan placed in a diaper representing his willingness to give up diapers and start potty training soon. Then Forest placed his pacifier in the basket. We rattled their silver baby rattles and they each were given feathers in place of the diaper and pacifier.
At bedtime we realized that Forest thought he’d be able to give up one of his two pacis and get a present. Didn’t want to admit that it meant giving them both up. After he fell asleep, Brad and I discussed it and decided to go for it anyway. Both were put away for emergency (Daddy’s a softy) and the new toy was left out in it’s place. Forest woke in the morning missing his paci and wondering where the toy was. After I showed it to him he was distracted for a few hours. I told him to come and give me big hugs when he got sad and missing it. We had a few hugs that day but he was able to get a nap and to bed that night without any misadventures. We are now on day three and he hasn’t asked for it all day. Not even for his nap.
I think we got lucky on the timing but I’m happy to say that we are now a pacifier free household. Whew!
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Congratulations on this smooth transition!
We did something similar – the Paci Wizard – at 2 1/2. It worked really well. I think the key is to do it when you think they’re ready and not to hurry it up. After all, someone said, you don’t see people in college with pacis. :)