Winning Pacifier Weaning Tip

on September 11, 2009 at 7:08 AM

You could try the Paci Fairy, pretend that Elmo is having a baby and mail the binky to him, or even donate it to the zoo. You could also try this brilliant, no-tears suggestion from Toddler Mom cafemama ...

"After a few half-hearted attempts to get my 2.5 year old son to give up his beloved pacifier, I decided he was old enough to bargain with, so I offered him a deal. He could take all his pacis to the toy store and use them to "buy" a toy of his choice. But, once he handed over the pacis to the cashier in the toy store, he could never have them back.

"He agreed to my deal, so the next day we rounded up all the stray pacis in the house, put them in a Ziploc bag, and headed to the toy store. At the store, he immediately fixated on a toy tennis racquet set (luckily only $10!) and we headed to the cashier.

"I quietly explained to her what was going on and that he was going to give her the bag and she could throw it away. She played along and thanked him for his purchase while I slyly paid with real money. Transaction complete! No more pacis. For the next few nights, he'd ask me where his paci was and I'd remind him of the toy store. He'd then tell me all about his amazing new tennis racquet. The best part ... no tears!"

Have you found a creative way to get rid of the pacifier? Post it in comments ...

Related posts:

Let Your 5 Year Old Have a Pacifier?

Top Reasons Moms Use Pacifiers

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: development & growth, discipline, gear

Comments (10)

Krysta622

on Sep 11, 2009 at 9:58 AM

The binky fairy visited us a few weeks ago. DD will be 4 in a month, and she was still using it just at bedtime, only in her bed. We were racking our brains to figure out what to do. We told her that big girls leave their binky under their pillow, and the binky fairy comes and takes it, for a baby that needs it, and leaves a special big girl gift. Also, she has been wanting to get earrings, so we used that as a barganing chip. Earrings are for big girls, you have to stop using your binky before we can take you to get earrings. A few weeks ago, she took it upon herself to put it under her pillow, and told me that it was for the binky fairy. Yay! I had to think quick and figure out a gift, found a Care Bear Ring Pop in our pantry, and swapped it out while she was asleep. When she woke up in the morning, she had forgotten about it. I asked her if the binky fairy came, and she ran to go check, and was so happy to find her big girl treat! Unfortunately, she's been having night terrors ever since, I think she just needs to find a new way to soothe herself in the middle of the night.

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CuriousSarahM

on Sep 11, 2009 at 2:31 PM

WHY didn't I think to tell my toddler Elmo needed her paci! Of course!

My son will be 1 in a couple of weeks, maybe I can convince both of them to hand over the paci and be rid of them for good!

babyboomboom

on Sep 12, 2009 at 1:01 AM

I'm trying to get my 15month old off the paci but it's the only thing that keeps him from grinding his teeth. I don't like the binky but I don't know how to get him to stop grinding.

isabeesmomma

on Sep 13, 2009 at 1:41 PM

to babyboomboom.... talk to the dentist about this they might offer a suggestion. They might have a mouth piece or something or maybe give a few times you would probably want the pacifier better than teeth grinding.

Paros

on Sep 13, 2009 at 8:42 PM

Last year on Christmas eve I told my son that when Santa will come and eat the piece of cake (no cookies that year) and drink his milk that he'll take his pacis and give it to babies who needed them and that it was very nice of him to do that. He had ask for it the next day and few days after when he went for a nap and a bedtime. I reminded him that Santa took it a give it to babies who needed them and that it was very nice of him to have done that. He had his moments where he was cranky but it went better then I thought. And a while after Christmas he had stopped asking for it.

9 month pacis free !!!

on Sep 13, 2009 at 8:52 PM

I went to a play date a while ago and and the lady who was the host had a little girl and her daughter was very attached to this stuffed animal, a bunny. The little girl got a bit upset when an other little kid took it and she explain why. I thought that was brilliant idea. She told us (me and an other mom who was there) that she took her daughter to build-a-bear and made the person who filled up the bunny put the paci inside so that the little girl will still have the paci with her but won't be able to use it anymore.

baby1love

on Sep 13, 2009 at 11:13 PM

Paros I love that idea but I am sooooooo afraid if we did that to our 2.5 year old she would still get upset without her "baba" . Maybe we could try it with one baba then see how that goes since we have about 4 around the house !

cannonsmama

on Sep 14, 2009 at 10:28 PM

I had heard of and was going to try the Build-a-bear way to get rid of the binky but Maybe the buying the toy way would work better! Thanks for the suggestions! you rock

BaezBoyz

on Sep 15, 2009 at 5:48 PM

My cousin did this with her daughter...

She tied the paci to the end of a balloon string and told her daughter that they were sending it to all the babies in Heaven that needed it..

naplesflmom

on Oct 2, 2009 at 8:47 AM

I was so excited to hear about an award winning and parent approved program called www.pacifierbgone.com. It is a 7 day weaning system that empowers the parent to remove the pacifier from their child in a FUN, LOVING, and MAGICAL way! My kids loved it and it was very easy.....