This week is a weak one.  I’ll admit it.  Sometimes, WFMW somehow sneaks up on me and I haven’t given myself enough time to think through all my brilliance.  Ya know, because I take it all for granted. Ha!

But since we just weaned Lil Blue off the pacifier, I thought I’d share our method.  It’s not cute.  It’s not clever.  But it works and is mighty successful in our household.  Keep in mind, our pacifier kids were weaned from them around 20 months of age.  I don’t know if age plays any part in the success rate or not. 

First, round up all but one of the pacifiers.  Then snip the end off the “nipple” (oh, the search hits I’ll get with that!) part of the pacifier, right before bedtime.  I leave it in the bed for the child to discover.  Of course, there are some tears.  I just play dumb and sympathetic.  I act just as surprised as s/he is.  I offer lots of comfort and I say how sorry I am but I can’t fix it.  It’s broken.  And then I move on through the regular bedtime routine.  Be sympathetic and tender but don’t cater to the tears.  It’ll only cause more problems.  I offer a sippy cup if they have trouble going to sleep.  That seems to help.  And I leave the broken pacifier in the bed for a few days.  Just in case they forget that it “broke” and want it again. 

With my pacifier toddlers, it only took one or two nights before they are sleeping just as soundly as they did with the pacifiers.  And even the first night or two, post-pacifier aren’t that bad.  Maybe up briefly once or twice with very sad tears but after offering a sippy cup of water and some gentle back rubbing, they are soon off to la-la land again. 

Easy.  DON’T put it off.  Nip it in the bud now.  You can totally do it and so can your pacifier toddler. 

For more tips and ideas, go to Rocks In My Dryer.