No More Nuks
Author: Heather Slee
When I was pregnant with my daughter and reading every parenting book on the shelves, I read in one of my favorite informational books that babies should be weaned off their pacifiers at 6 months of age. I told this fact to my husband, and we agreed that it was sound advice. Now, at 10 months, Norah is at this very moment curled up with her dad on the couch, sucking on her froggy nuk. Honestly, I don't even think we tried to wean her off of it at 6 months. It wasn't a priority to us, and it helped her fall asleep.
Now, after reading numerous sources, I've found that there are many different opinions about what age to ditch the pacifier. If you're wondering when your child is supposed to give it up, you probably won't find any definite answers.
That said, there will be a time when you think the pacifier needs to go. I'm not even going to suggest an age here because every family is different. I've just compiled a few ideas to help you make the nuk-less transition a little easier!
Limit Usage
Start to slowly limit usage of the pacifier. If you notice your child sucking on their nuk just for the heck of it, see if you can get a hold of it, and then distract them with a new activity. Only offer the nuk back when it's nap time or bedtime, or maybe for a car ride. Once your child knows that pacifiers are only for certain times, you can start limiting those times too. No more nuks for naps, just bedtime, for example. Soon, the transition to no pacifier will be less of a challenge.
PaciFairy
Tell your toddler the story of the magical PaciFairy: One night a year (you pick), the PaciFairy visits all the houses of little boys and girls to gather all the pacifiers. The next morning, she delivers all the pacifiers to the newborn babies of the world. If you put your pacifier in this magical basket (or bag, or box, or whatever) tonight, when you awake, the pacifier will be gone, and the PaciFairy will have left you a gift to reward you for your generosity.
Rewards
Breaking a habit is tough at any age. One way to help your child cope is to reward them for abstaining from their pacifier. Create a reward chart on the fridge. For every milestone (naps, nights, hours - it's up to you) that your child does not go to their pacifier, give them a sticker. Once they get up to five stickers, for example, it's time for a prize, like a small toy or a trip to the library or whatever your child loves.
Don't beat yourself up too much if you think you've gone too long with the pacifier. Know that many, many parents and children are going through the same thing. The key is to be nurturing and supportive to your child while trying to ditch the nuk; they'll get there.
