Four of my kids have used pacifiers and breaking the habit was super hard with a couple of them. The fifth child that didn’t use a pacifier was a thumb sucker … and don’t even get me started on trying to break that habit {wink}. Tate has continued to use a soother {our word for a pacifier} and with her third birthday looming on the horizon, we decided it had to go. She’s had hers longer than any of her siblings, probably because I was dreading this moment. With previous kids, we’ve done cold turkey as well as a weaning process but if you need a way to get rid of the pacifier, this idea is my favorite. We’ve now used it with two of our kids and it was completely successful both times.
If a child is old enough to have a basic understanding that it’s time to say goodbye to the pacifier, this solution bears a finality that really seems to help.
Buy a bunch of helium balloons, preferably in the child’s favorite color. Turning this into a bit of a celebration is key. We prepared Tate for about a week in advance, trying to build up the anticipation about her soother party and preparing her for what was to come.
Tie all the pacifiers to the strings on the balloons …
… say goodbye to the pacifiers, and let the child release them into the sky.
The pacifiers will sail away and it’s obviously impossible for the child to grab them back.
I would recommend discussing what’s going to be done before you actually do it even if you’ve been discussing it throughout the week. Helping them understand is part of the process.
Tate laughed as her soothers flew away. She wasn’t quite as happy when naptime hit but the first nap was the only time she fussed at all. And it was easy for her to understand that she couldn’t get her pacifiers back because she had watched them fly far, far away.
I iced homemade cupcakes and then used mint lifesavers and a jellybean to create the pacifiers.
Overall, the day was a big success and the pacifier habit is officially broken.
What have you done to break the pacifier habit?
How sweet! What a big girl!
Take care,
Trish
That’s a fun idea! My sister had her two year old put her paci’s in a build-a-bear for her 2nd birthday. She will bring you her “bear” aka dog & will tell you her pacis are in there. So cute. Love the creative ideas!
Awww…that is so sweet! What a great idea!
Awww… I’m shedding a tear with you. Tate sure looks like she’s white knuckling it in the last picture. I hope the transition gets easier for her.
I kept all of Victor’s soothers in my drawer and every so often he would ask to see them to make sure they were all still safe.
I love how you celebrate the end of the soothers. It really is a big deal!
Awe…I’m actually crying a bit inside, too. My little guy still needs his “tee tee” for naps and bedtime, too. Glad it went back to normal pretty quickly, and LOVE the balloon idea.
That is so adorable!!! I hope the adjustment has gone smoothly–this is my dreaded day;)
I can’t believe she’s almost 3!! It means it’s that long since i saw you!
Oh, I dreaded the day my son gave them up but it went surprisingly smoothly and I hope it does for you too!
The tutu is perfect bye-bye soother attire.
Awww. I love that you celebrated this moment. Ours was met with many tears, maybe if I had made cupcakes it would have been better!:)