Weaning From The Pacifier
Does your little one have a deep love for their pacifier? (Or paci, binky, dummy, insert what they like to call it here). There are many advantages to pacifier use, and at some point I will do a whole blog post on that topic. Today, however, we’re talking about the end of your pacifier journey. The time when you’ve decided it is time to say farewell to our paci friend, but I’m sure your little one has other ideas.
So how do you go about this little farewell that doesn’t feel so little to your little one?
You have a few options, and I’ve laid each of them out for you below…
Paci Fairy
This is my personal favorite method for toddlers! It is similar to the idea of the Tooth Fairy, but pacifier edition. To use this method, prepare your child starting about a week in advance telling them that the Paci Fairy will be coming. When the Paci Fairy comes, your child leaves her their pacifier and she replaces it with something very special. There are many books on the market that talk about the Paci Fairy coming, and I encourage you to pick one out and incorporate it into this preparation period! Talk about the Paci Fairy coming a lot in the week leading up to the transition. This can both help them adjust to the idea of the paci leaving and prepare themself and their little mind for the transition, as well as help them get really excited about the fairy bringing their special surprise, rather than being anxious or sad about their pacifier leaving.
When the day comes for the Paci Fairy to come, have them leave the paci in a special spot for the fairy when they go out somewhere for the day. While they’re away, replace the paci with some sort of special lovey or toy, it can be helpful if it is something they can sleep with to sort of “replace” the comfort of the paci. Most toddlers have really positive responses to this method, though when bedtime comes around, they still may need a little extra support which I’ll talk about below.
Reward Chart
Another option which you can use independently or in tandem with the Paci Fairy is to incorporate a reward chart. Similarly, I recommend preparing your child for this transition for about a week. Hype it up and make it really exciting. Talk about what a big kid they are now to be ready for this transition.
Sometimes incorporating a reason or purpose into why they have to give up the paci can be helpful. Something like telling them that other littler kids need their paci now, and they have to give it away to them can be helpful. When the day comes to give up their paci, you can either have them leave it in a special spot, pretend to package it up and mail it away, or even just have them toss it in the trash if that’s your kiddo’s vibe!
This is where the reward chart comes into play. If you’ve heard of this strategy for potty training, it’s very similar. You create some sort of sticker or marker chart for them and they earn a point or a sticker for every time they sleep without a paci until they reach a certain number. At that point they earn a very special prize, whatever would be motivating for your kid!
Sleep Training
Implementing a sleep training method is often needed when weaning from the pacifier, whether you’re using the Paci Fairy, a reward chart, or just going cold turkey. For children that use their paci consistently when they sleep, they are usually at least somewhat dependent on it to fall asleep, so they’ll need help learning to sleep without it.
This is especially true for if you decide to wean a younger baby off of the pacifier. They, unfortunately, won’t be able to understand the concept of the Paci Fairy or a reward chart, so you’ll depend on sleep training at this age.
If you utilize the Paci Fairy, reward chart, or something similar, your child still may need a little extra support, and this is where you would implement sleep training.
Start with taking the paci away overnight and implement sleep training as needed when you put them down to sleep, and if they wake in the night. Once you take the paci away, stick with it and stay consistent.
You can either take it away cold turkey altogether, or start with overnights, and move on to naps once your child has adjusted to sleeping overnight without the paci. Taking away the paci for naps and overnight together, or one at a time, is completely up to you and what you think your child would handle better based on their temperament. Either way, I always recommend that the first sleep without the paci be bedtime, they are more tired at bedtime, and will likely have an easier time falling asleep without their favorite sleep aid.
You know your kiddo and their personality best, so trust your gut when you decide on a strategy and stick to it! It can sometimes be a tough transition for a few days, but you’ve got this! Making sure you’re prepping your child for the transition if they are a toddler is one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself for this to be successful.
As always, if you’re having trouble with this transition and need some extra support, we are here to help! Reach out to us today!
~Becca