Dummy Fairy: Saying goodbye to the dummy

Pacifier for a gift

What the pacifier fairy is all about

The pacifier fairy was created based on the model of the tooth fairy and probably also originates from the American or British area. She is supposed to to ease the loss of the pacifier. People say that the pacifier fairy collects the pacifiers of older children to bring them to newborns who don't yet have a pacifier.

Children love stories, but as you probably notice yourselves every day when telling them, it's the details that matter. If youtalk about the pacifier fairy, you should paint a believable picture of this fantastic fairy-tale character. So before you introduce the pacifier fairy, you should have already thought about what her name is, where she lives, what hobbies she has and what her workday as agood pacifier-weaning fairylooks like.

If the story is well received by your child, you can explain,how the fairy collects the pacifier. Your child places their pacifier voluntarily on the windowsill or in front of the door in the evening. Saying goodbye is a little easier if the pacifier is not on the bedside table or under the pillow. After sleeping, the pacifier is gone the next morning; in its place there is a small gift and perhaps a letter from the pacifier fairy.

Geschichten Schnuller abgewöhnen | Schlafendes Baby

Be consistent with pacifier weaning

Your child will surely be delighted with the gift or the letter from the magical pacifier fairy. But don't forget that thefarewell to the pacifier can be associated with strong emotions in some children. So expect your child to grieve and need comfort. Focus on being there for your child and distracting them as best as you can – because from now onthe pacifier is a thing of the past.

Not only must your child be consistent now, you must also play along. It's best to dispose of all pacifiers in the household immediately. In these first days it's also important that your childdoesn't simply keep sucking their thumb. That can also be as harmful as the pacifier or even more harmful to the child's dental alignment.

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Bye-bye pacifier!

More ideas for how to get rid of the pacifier

Pacifier party

You can celebrate with your family - perhaps also with families you are friends with who alsowant to go without pacifiers - by holding a pacifier party. There is cake and juice and the children, in a ceremonial ritual, give up their pacifiers or bury them in the ground. A great idea is also to tie the pacifiers to helium balloons and let them float into the air.

Passing on the pacifier:

If someone in your circle has just had a baby, you can agree with your child that they will pass on theirpacifier to the newborn. Your child is already grown up and the little baby urgently needs a pacifier. Arrange with the baby's mother that your child may hand over the pacifier.

Pacifier tree:

In some countries it is customary that childrentie their pacifiers to a treeand say goodbye to them there. If they like, they can come back later and look at their pacifiers on the tree again. In some cities there are even designated pacifier trees that are covered all over with colorful pacifiers.

Pacifier boat:

When thepacifier sails away in a homemade paper boat, it is a lovely moment and perhaps a little easier to cope with. Make a little boat together with your child that you paint or decorate colorfully. If you paint the hull with nail polish or spray it with hairspray, the boat will last longer on the water. Find a stream or a lake and place the pacifier in the boat on the water – your child can wave and say goodbye this way.

The most important questions about pacifier weaning

At what age should my child stop sucking?

Orthodontists recommend completely giving up the pacifier by the second birthday at the latest. At this age, any possible deformities of the jaw and palate can still fully correct themselves. On the other hand, the pacifier is often the most important comfort and a sleep aid, which even parents are reluctant to give up. Many children therefore still have a pacifier now and then even at three or four years old – as long as you limit the pacifier to certain times and only give it in certain situations, that's also fine.

When is the best time for weaning?

Some children hardly miss their pacifier at all; for others it is a major change. In any case, you should choose a calm, relaxed time when no changes are expected. A Pacifier weaning parallel to starting kindergarten or moving will probably be rather difficult. Prepare your child for the weaning by talking about the pacifier from time to time.

How can I make pacifier weaning easier?

A big help is if pacifier times have already been gradually reduced and, for example, your child only needs the pacifier in the car or in bed at night. Stories like that of the pacifier fairy also help your child give up the pacifier. This gives giving up the pacifier a purpose and your child feels they have decided to give up the pacifier themselves.

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