The paci-fairy technique

Many young children have a ‘lovey’ they rely on for comfort – it can be a blankie, a battered old teddy bear, even a tattered scrap of one of your old T-shirts. But the binkie often has all of those beat!

It’s likely your child will have been using his pacifier for comfort since he was a newborn, so weaning him off it can be very difficult. It has to be done, though, especially if he uses it during the day. It will interfere with him talking if it’s plugging up his mouth all the time; and as it’s possible it could affect the position of his permanent teeth if he’s still in the habit of using it once they start to grow through. You can wean him off it gradually, perhaps by only allowing him to use it for naps and bedtime. But if you’re sure he’s ready to go cold-turkey, Supernanny’s paci-fairy technique can help ease its passing…

Step 1: Introduce the paci-fairy!

A good way of introducing the paci-fairy is to include her in a bedtime story one night prior to doing away with the pacifier. Tell your child about how she flies all over the world gathering up binkies from big kids who don’t really need them any more so she can give them to tiny new babies who do need them. You could even tell him she’s the tooth fairy’s kid sister!

Step 2: Break out the paci-fairy package

Decorate two large envelopes or small gift boxes with brightly colored glitter, pom poms, feathers, cut-out flowers – they need to look really magical! Address one to the paci-fairy and one to your child.

Step 3: Mail the binkies

Give your child the package addressed to the paci-fairy and explain that she dropped it off during the night because he’s such a big boy now that he doesn’t really need his pacifier any more. Encourage him to put all of his pacifiers in the package for the tiny babies who need them, and place it n the mailbox together (of course you’ll be removing it once his back its turned!).

Step 4: Give him the paci-fairy’s thank you gift!

Place a small gift or treat inside the package addressed to your child, along with paper confetti and glitter. Place it in the mailbox and then take him with you to ‘discover’ it together. You can then tell him the paci-fairy was so proud of him for being a big boy and giving up his binkies that she left him a gift in return!