Recently I have had the pacifier talk with several friends. Deciding when to get rid of the pacifier is a big decision! For some children it may be a minor event. But for others like my kids, it was a huge adjustment! So, I decided to call on the Pacifier Fairy (otherwise known as the Paci Fairy) for a little extra help!
If you haven’t heard of the Paci Fairy, then allow me to let you in on a little secret – She Is Amazing! And she is exactly what my kids needed!
This article is written by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Potty Training & Pacifiers collection
My Kids Loved Their Pacifiers
For my little ones, their pacifiers were one of my can’t-live-without necessities! It not only helped to soothe them when fussy. But it also served as a therapy tool for their eating issues. When our first son was born he could not suck or swallow. It took months of 8+ hours a day working with him. But once he finally started learning, the pacifier was a way to give him 24/7 practice. As our babies got a little older we found that the pacifier helped to quiet them down when in stressful and/or public situations. And the pacifier also saved a lot of cell phones, keys, etc from becoming chew toys.
When to Get Rid of the Pacifier?
I once read an article that suggested either taking your child’s pacifier by the age of 1, or waiting until closer to 3 years of age – but not in between.
The reason being that in between 1 to 3 years of age so many milestones are hit. If you take away something that comforts and calms them, then you are increasing the chances that they may regress. This made a lot of sense. And since my children had very difficult first years, I decided to wait until age 3.
For me it was important that we conquered other milestones first such as potty training, sleeping in a big-kid bed, got through any biting phases, learned other tools for self-calming when upset, and got past any chance that a thumb would become a pacifier substitute – because you can’t take that away!
Before you are ready to get rid of the pacifier completely, you can start taking these easy steps for pacifier weaning
Introducing the Pacifier Fairy
So, around the age of 3, when we decided they (and we) were ready… we would start to talk about the Paci Fairy. We did this for a week or more leading up to the big day.
Finally, when that big day arrived (which was surrounded with weeks of NO changes in their life), we would decorate an envelope. Once finished we had our child give all their pacies one last kiss and stick them inside.
We then walked down our driveway, stuck our envelope in the mailbox, and walked back inside for bath time. After their bath we headed back to the mailbox to find our envelope had been taken by the Pacifier Fairy, and in its place she left a new wrapped present!
None of our kids ever received anything expensive, but it was something we knew they would love. Our daughter got a Cinderella Barbie with a matching blue horse. Our one son got a remote control car. And our third child got Hulk – his favorite super-hero.
How did the Paci Fairy method work?
In a word? Wonderfully! Every time my kids asked or cried for their paci, we would ask if they wanted to give their gift back? Thankfully they always said “no” and the discussion was over.
Our daughter was over the pacifier within a few days and really only asked for it a couple of times. But one of our boys, however, cried so hard the first night that he vomited (thanks reflux), but after that he was fine as well.
They Will Give Up Their Pacifiers Eventually
Like my wise pediatrician once told me about pacifiers “they won’t go off to college with it.” And I’m sure he is right! Even if I didn’t try to break the habit, I’m sure at some age prior to 18 they would have given it up.
Each child is so different. Some like their pacifiers, others LOVE them, and others could not care any less. So only you as the parent/care giver will know when the time is right to give up the paci.
However, whenever you do decide your child is ready to get rid of their pacifier, I encourage you to consider calling my friend the Paci Fairy.
For more on this topic, check out the full Potty Training & Pacifiers collection
Co-Owner: Karissa Tunis
Karissa Tunis is the co-owner of both the parenting website Adore Them and the family event company Milestone Family Expos. Through these ventures she is able to share inspiring, heartfelt insight with large audiences within local communities and across the country! Her knack for all-things-organization allows her to balance content creation, brand partnerships, and event planning without losing sight of what she wants for her own family. Despite her busy schedule, Karissa also makes it a priority to spend quality time with her husband and three children. You will often find her volunteering at her children’s schools, cheering them on from the soccer sidelines, or enjoying the great sites of Charleston, SC with her family.
Contact: Karissa@AdoreThem.com
