Pacifiers
I get asked often about pacifiers and what I think of them. I love a paci! Babies are comforted by sucking and a paci can be great for that! I do have a love/hate of a pacifier in the beginning stages because sometimes the babies do not know how to keep the paci in. And often we become what I call the Paci Rescuer. Try to space out as often you are re-inserting the paci. We want them to learn to keep the paci in. Avoid becoming the Paci Rescuer. Meaning if they spit it out, pause for a moment before giving it right back, they will learn faster to keep it in. You can increase your pause times as the baby gets older.
The best is when they learn to grab their pacifier and put it in their own mouth. This is a MAJOR win! Some advice? When this happens, I would sprinkle several in the crib so they can find them easily at sleep time. Also, practice this skill during the day. Take their hand and place a pacifier in it, then move their hand to their mouth with the paci. This will help them to learn the skill and become a pro.
Between 6 months and a year, I suggest paci use mainly for sleeping. If sick or travel, I would give as well. However, when you have good boundaries around the paci, for instance, only used for sleep, it helps to lower the dependence and also is a motivator for sleep. Kiddos want the paci and are motivated to have it. Offering it only at sleep times could be encouraging for a smoother nap and bedtime.
What is the ideal age to get rid of the paci? Based on research, development and speaking to some dentists, I believe anytime before 3 is reasonable. We weaned my daughter from her paci a week before she turned 3! We also only let her have it for sleep situations before we weaned her.
Okay, but how do you get rid of the pacifier and not have it by a complete nightmare?
Here are some tips:
Before you get rid of the paci, come up with a solid plan. How are you going to do it? When are you going to do it?
Prep the toddler or baby. You can simply just tell them what is coming. However, I prefer to do a countdown calendar. Place a sheet of paper on the fridge with 5-7 squares for the days and countdown by marking off each day until no more pacifiers.
Another way to get their buy in, is to make them part of the process. For example, if you have a number of pacifiers you could toss one a day. I would have your child throw away one a day and then mark the calendar (We did this before we took the last one to do something special with it).
Be all in and ready to help work through all emotions that follow.
Follow through with the plan. Below are a few ideas of plans for getting rid of the pacifier.
Ideas: Bye Bye Paci:
Build-a-Bear or DIY a Build-a-Bear:
Take your child to Build-a-Bear and have them make a stuffed animal and put the last paci in the new bear to get sewed in. You also could do this at home (if you are good at sewing). That way the pacifier isn’t fully gone but can no longer be used. And bonus, there is a replacement= new stuffed animal.
The Paci Fairy
Leave the pacifiers out at night for the fairy. This idea is like the tooth fairy. The fairy will take the pacifiers and then leave a gift the next day. Win/win!
Giving Paci Away
Do you know someone having a baby? This can be a helpful transition to gift the new baby the old pacifiers. Of course they will throw them away for you ;) but it is nice for kids to give away something. Again, I would give them a present in return for doing this good deed.
Throw Away
Simply have them throw the pacifiers away in the trash and say bye bye! It will really signify to them that the paci is gone. You can do 1 at a time and part of the countdown.
Cut the Paci
Cutting the tip (make sure nothing will come off) and typically they don't like that. And you can tell them the paci is broken. Sometimes, this naturally has them uninterested in the paci.
Overall, I like to reward the child with a replacement item such as a blanket, new stuffed animal, etc. to help ease the new change.
Remember, whatever method you choose to do, make sure to follow through and don't turn back. If you turn back, it will be harder the next time you try and will be very confusing for the child.
If your child has a hard time falling asleep without the paci, try and replace it with a comfort object like a blanket or stuffed animal. Give it time as this is a big transition. On average, I would give this change 1-2 weeks to become the new normal. Be consistent in your routine and approach. Let them feel the change and come out the other side. Good Luck!!