There is a lot of stigma around pacifiers and their use. Some say they can cause nipple confusion but rarely talk about how they can help reduce SIDS. For us introducing a pacifier was a no-brainer! Because let’s be honest, they are an instant lifesaver when you have a screaming baby that you need to settle when in a pinch. We used a pacifier with Greyson and with Emberly and I do NOT regret it one bit!
But there comes a time when it is time to say bye-bye to the paci and it was that time for us. Greyson had all his teeth, was sleeping through the night, settling himself if he woke, and understood why things had to leave. So I thought it was the perfect time to ditch the paci. Then when the last one got a hole in it we said goodbye for good. I’m sharing how we did it and what things we did below. I hope it helps you and your toddler ditch the pacifier too!
But first here is an adorable photo of baby Greyson smiling behind his soother at 6 months old, my goodness he was so cheeky.
| How We Ditched The Pacifier |
|Baby Steps | For us I knew that slow and steady would be the way to go because it is hard to break habits even for adults and the same goes for toddlers. For us the transition started around 15 months, that is when the pacifier only became for bedtime and nap.
| Talk About It | We talked about how one day it would be time for the pacifier to go “bye-bye” and how Greyson wouldn’t need it anymore. We explain why it is time for the paci to leave and I would regularly ask if he wanted to say bye to his paci (or “suckie” as we called it)
| Don’t Replace Them | If it breaks that means it is time to say bye. That is what helped us! The day Greyson’s pacifiers got a hole in it I showed him, explained how it was broken and time to throw it away.
| Let Them Do It | Let them be the ones to throw out the pacifier in the garbage or have them give it to the pacifier fairy. This really helped us because it didn’t make taking the pacifier away seem like a punishment, instead it was his decision.
| No Need To Rush It | If using a pacifier isn’t interfering with tooth development, eating, or normal daily activities then why rush it? If you take it away one day and it ends in endless tears try again in a few weeks or months. Waiting until Greyson was ready, made the transition nearly tearless.
| Reward It | Instead of rewarding it we just praised him for giving up the paci and it worked great for us. Plus he already had his best friend Timmy the sheep to help him through it. But if your little one is having a hard time rewarding them my be that little thing that helps them feel better about it.
I have also heard of a few other ways of stopping pacifier use. Some give them to the pacifier fairy to take away. Some get their little one to pick out a special teddy and put them soother in the teddy. They are no longer sucking on it but it is still with them. Or some just go cold turkey. Whatever you choose I hope it works for you!!
I know ditching the pacifier seems like a daunting task but there is no way to know how your little one will do without trying. So give it a try following some advice above. Who knows maybe it will be easier than you think?
I was surprised how well it went for Greyson. He hasn’t used one since and never asks about it either. So I think that’s a win in our books! I hope that some of the advice above helps you and your littles in making that BIG step to becoming a big boy or girl a little easier.
Follow us along on Instagram and Facebook to see what we get up to day-to-day! We are always doing something fun from baking to crafting to adventuring!
xoxo, Taylor
