Pacifier Fairy: Farewell to the Pacifier

Pacifier in exchange for a gift

What the pacifier fairy is all about

The pacifier fairy was modelled after the tooth fairy and probably also comes from the American or British region. She is supposed toto make losing the pacifier easier for children. It is said 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 count. When 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 already have thought about what her name is, where she lives, what hobbies she has and what her daily work asa good pacifier-weaning fairyis like.

If the story is well received by your child, you can explain,how the fairy picks up the pacifier. Your child voluntarily places their pacifier 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 has disappeared the next morning; in its place there is a small gift and maybe a letter from the pacifier fairy.

Geschichten Schnuller abgewöhnen | Schlafendes Baby

Be consistent when weaning off the pacifier

Your child will surely be delighted by 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 prepare yourself that your child grieves and needs comfort. Focus on being there for your child and distracting them as best you can – because from now onthe pacifier is a thing of the past.

Not only does your child now need to be consistent, you also have to go along. It's best to dispose of all pacifiers in the household right away. In these first days it's also important that your childdoesn't just continue sucking their thumb. This can be as harmful as the pacifier or even more harmful to the child's dental alignment.

Geschichten Schnuller abgewöhnen | Schnullerbaum

Bye-bye pacifier!

More ideas for how you can get rid of the pacifier

Pacifier party

You can, together with your family - perhaps also with families you are friends with, who also want to do without pacifiers - celebrate a pacifier party. There is cake and juice and the children give up their pacifiers in a celebratory ceremony 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 pacifiers:

If a baby has just been born among your acquaintances, you can agree with your child that they will pass on their pacifier to the newborn. Your child is already big now 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 for children to tie their pacifiers to a tree and say goodbye to them there. If they like, they can come back again and again later and look at their pacifiers in the tree. In some cities there are even designated pacifier trees that are covered all over with colorful pacifiers.

Pacifier boats:

If the pacifier sails away in a homemade paper boat, then it's a lovely moment and perhaps a little easier to bear. 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 stay on the water longer. Find a stream or a lake and set 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 giving up the pacifier by the second birthday at the latest. At this age, any deformities of the jaw and palate can still fully resolve. On the other hand, the pacifier is often the most important soother and a sleep aid, which parents are also reluctant to do without. Many children therefore still have a pacifier now and then at three or four years old – as long as you limit its use to certain times and only give it in specific situations, that's 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 other changes are happening. A pacifier weaning parallel to starting kindergarten or moving will probably be rather difficult. Prepare your child for weaning by talking about the pacifier now and then.

How can I make pacifier weaning easier?

A big help is when pacifier times have already been gradually reduced and your child, for example, only needs the pacifier in the car or in bed at night. Stories like the pacifier fairy also help your child give up the pacifier. That way, giving up the pacifier gains meaning and your child feels like they decided to give up the pacifier themselves.

Discover even more