The Paci Fairy

Hello,

I got a bunch of requests on Instagram to write a post about how we weaned Emerson from the pacifier.  I’m no expert here (just Googled some ideas and decided to go with the paci fairy!) but figured I’d share our experience in case it’s helpful for others.

First of all, there are so many different opinions about when to do it.

-People told me 6 months or she’d get more addicted (she did)

-My dentist told me at I had to get rid of it by 18 months and not a day later  or it’d ruin her mouth

-My Brooklyn doctor told me at 18 months that she was still so young and not to worry about it at all

-Canadian Instagram followers said their dental guidelines say 5 years!

-And our new pediatrician said absolutely do it well before new baby comes

Who knows!!!! But, I personally found the paci to be a lifesaver throughout all the teething, many sleep regressions, and the period between 15 months and 2 when kids are getting physical and testing the limits but can’t yet talk. And it’s absolutely magic for getting her to wind down for naps and sleep in in the mornings. So as hard as the past couple of days have been, I’d probably wait this long (or longer) again with #2 (unless I find out down the road that it did damage to her teeth that can’t be fixed with braces).

So here’s what we did:

1. Bought the paci fairy book.  The book isn’t that great and is kinda long, but it was an easy way to introduce the concept.  She was really into it for a couple of days and was really excited for the paci fairy. However, right around this point, she had an ear infection and then her top 3-year molars where breaking through and I decided it just wasn’t the right time after all.  Once the molars were in, we had specific window for starting potty training (bc of school and summer travel), so I had to put it on the back burner again and she completely lost interest in the book. I still ordered a Jelly Cat monkey (George) and Curious George books for the fairy to bring as the prize so I would be ready.
2. We continued to tell the story of the paci fairy without the book while we waited for the timing to be right.  We also started talking about how the new baby would need a paci and how it would be so nice if Emerson gave up her paci to the fairy so the new baby could have one.
3. We left her favorite paci [accidentally]  in the hotel after the wedding weekend.  I was really surprised that she didn’t seem to care that much, so I knew it was time.  I hid all the back-up pacis, so that we were down to just one and talked about the paci fairy at bedtime for a couple of nights.  She also loves her doctor, so on the evening of her 2.5 year check up, I told her that the doctor says it’s time to give up the paci to the paci fairy. Lastly, we went to the Jelly Cat website and talked about all the cuddly animals the paci fairy might bring, so she got pumped up about the prize in the morning.
4. At bedtime, we put paci in a box and left him by the window for the fairy. We reminded her that she had animals in her crib she could snuggle with to keep her company and that we would be in the next room. She was so excited that first night that she went right to bed and was thrilled to wake up and see what the fairy brought. She also woke up about 2 hours earlier than normal:(
5. I’ve been reading extra books at bed & nap time and giving  her extra hugs, cuddling, and rocking.  For the first two days, if she woke up upset, I went in to sing to her or rock her, but then started letting her cry/yell for 10 minutes before going in.

The second day was definitely the worst, as she had a terrible time winding down for her nap after a party we went to in the morning.   The worst side effect has been early morning wake-ups (6:20am versus 8:00am) and waking up from her nap after only 45 minutes (versus 2.5-3 hours). She’s also taking about an hour to fall asleep at night because she’s a night owl and is not calming down for bed without paci.

By day 4,  she slept until 6:50 in the morning, and went back to sleep after 5-10 minutes of crying when she woke up at the mid-point of her nap. And today, day 6, she slept until 7:15 and went down right away for her nap.  So, it’s small progress each day, but I’m hoping we’ve turned the corner.  I’ve been surprised that she’s not asking for paci at all, but just waking up yelling for me and crying. The whole process was sad for me too, but I’m relieved that it’s not horrible and will be over soon!