Taken with Canon 6D and a Sigma 35 1.4 lens. 1/250 SS, 1.8 f, 400 ISO
Scott: What is this about a… Paci Fairy?
Me: Oh, yeah. So the Paci Fairy is going to come this weekend and take all of Leyna’s pacis and leave her a present in exchange.
Scott: Wait… THIS weekend?
Me: Yeah.
Scott: Uhhh… and is the Paci Fairy leaving any pacis behind with us in case she has an epic meltdown?
Me: No. I think we need to take them straight to the dumpster that night so we don’t rely on them. We need to spend this week trying to find all the ones hidden around here, too.
Scott: What gave you this idea? Your friends are always telling you about crap like this, aren’t they?
Me: Well, it’s time, Scott. We have to get rid of them. I keep waiting for her to do it herself, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. And yeah, so what if my friends have employed the use of the Paci Fairy. What of it? They’re creative like that. And good liars.
Scott: So we’re just going to give them up. In one night. Cold turkey.
Me: Yup. Pretty much. I hope.
Scott: That’s like… if the Wine Fairy came and took all the wine from you!
Me: Dear, every time I get a fucking positive pregnancy test, the Wine Fairy takes all the wine away from me. And last time, I didn’t even have time to prepare!
- 714Shares
39 comments
Haha, I love this! I’ve been having the exact SAME issue with BG2. She loves that paci like it’s her job! A bit scared to go cold turkey. Can’t wait to see how it goes for Leyna!
I am terrified. No idea what I just signed us up for.
We went cold turkey on Halloween. She STILL asks for it. Stay strong!
RT @babyrabies: New #SliceOfLife post up! The Paci Fairy http://t.co/Z5vJHsjxNM
@babyrabies ha! That pesky wine fairy must be in cahoots with the Brie fairy! #wineandcheese
We just did this. Although Hannah gave exactly zero fucks about a paci fairy or being a big girl and getting a special present. So I literally just snatched them all up and that night when she asked for it at bed I told her no.
I’m a cruel, heartless mom but we spent weeks trying to talk it up and her response most of the time was “I not a big girl, I Hannah, I a baby.” and grabbing the paci back. SO
Honestly, the first night was mostly miserable. The second night just slightly miserable and the third night was infinitely better. The only bad part has been the middle of the night when we’d give her the paci in the name of sleep for all. But even that has been much better than anticipated.
Maddie, on other hand, bought the paci fairy thing hook, line & sinker and was a breeze. Let’s hope it’s that way for you.
Yeah… I’m not so convinced it will be easy with Leyna. She said to me last night, “After the fairy takes my pacis, we can go to Target and buy new ones!”
“@babyrabies: New #SliceOfLife post up! The Paci Fairy http://t.co/bxr65RgHJ3” ha! We love this woman! Anyone tried this with a little one?
My oldest got hooked on the paci in the NICU and we tried to have a visit from the paci fairy around his third birthday. It did not work, so the paci fairy returned one with the rule he could only have the paci at bedtime. Then at four we forgot to bring the paci on an overnight trip! So the Paci fairy had a gift for him when we got home and the paci’s magically disappeared for good but anytime something goes missing the paci fairy gets accused and sometimes he asks to see a photo of the baby who now uses his beloved paci.
I wish I could just say she could have only one and only when she goes to bed, but I know I would be the one to give in and let her take it everywhere. I am not sure we won’t give in though if it goes really awful. We are sleep deprived parents, after all.
There are two things I know: she won’t be sucking a paci when she goes to Kindergarten and you’ll do what is best for your family. It will work out.
We had similar issues with Ian. Ollie though gave it up cold turkey after turning one. I don’t know what I did right with him but praise god.
I’m really hopeful Lowell won’t be into it much longer. As it is, he hardly takes it. I’m going to stop pushing it.
Good luck! Depending on how it goes, I have also heard of people taking the paci’s to build a bear and stuffing them inside. Not sure if it is feasible, but another consideration if it comes to that. I lucked out with my kids. The first one was only allowed to use hers in her bed. I gradually got her down to only one in her bed and then cut the tip and she wouldn’t have anything to do with it and threw it away herself.
My son gave it up cold turkey at 5 months and I practically BEGGED him to start taking it again with no luck. Although I am glad now that I am not trying to take it away. 🙂
Right?? There was a point when Leyna was about that age that she rejected it, and I was like, NOPE, you’re going to take this darn thing. Her older brother wouldn’t take any kind of artificial nipple, and I was exhausted after being his soul bottle/pacifier for over a year. I’m hoping we can find a better balance with the baby now.
Just took our daughter’s away 2 weeks ago. On a Sunday. On a whim. She cried, “My powple nuk is bowken, you should go to da stow and buy new ones.” (purple nuk is broken) We cut the nipples (little holes), and she didn’t even want to hold them. Sad cries all last week, screaming fits all last week, and she finally slept through the night this week. It was time. She’s still pissed though. I drank much wine on Saturday to make myself sane again 🙂
Awww! I’m such a sucker. That is so sad!
We used the paci fairy too (It’s the mimi fairy at our house). We used a step down method over a few weeks though of no taking it in the car and then none at nap and finally all of them on the table at night with a note to the mimi fairy about being a big girl and giving her mimis to new babies who needed them. In return she received a small toy and a cookie. Worked well with both of my girls although sometimes they would ask about it and look very sad.
With Emilia, as she bit through them we tossed them. It was a sad day when the last & final paci met it’s maker. It was harder for her than us. She SEARCHED the house looking for any that may be hidden (there were none). We had one rough-ish night but she did great. For the record, Emilia was also 3. Good luck! Start prepping sister now!
We love the idea! Here’s a story we share with our MAM Moms and Dads to read to their kiddos for when it’s time to wean off MAM or any other kind of paci:
My name is Mampi. I am a pacifier. I am your Pacifier, and I am very happy to be yours.
You have a Mommy. I have a Mommy too. My Mommy is the Pacifier Fairy, and I love her very much.
I have many brothers and sisters.
Most of the time we live in Pacifier Land. It is wonderful there! But when a baby is born we are allowed to go to Earth. When the child reaches three years old we would like to return to our Mommy and to all our brothers and sisters. So we do not lose our way home, our Mommy calls us on a full moon-lit night. It is so sad if we cannot follow. Our Mommy cries.
If my Mommy calls me back, YOU must help me. You must put me on the window ledge before the full moon rises. I am much too small to climb up there alone. If you sleep deeply, the Moon will carry me to Pacifier Land on his silver beam. Will you help me? Please! Don’t be like little Sarah!
She did not want to send her Pacifier back, although she had made a promise. She did not put her Pacifier on the window ledge. Can you believe that?
Sarah’s Pacifier was my little brother. His name was Mampi. We are all called Mampi. At first everything was wonderful. Sarah and Mampi loved each other just as sweetly as we love each other. If Sarah became tired she put Mampi in her mouth and sucked until she fell happily to sleep. Just like you and me.
However one night – it was a full moon – they both woke up. A voice had woken them up, calling softly:
“Mampi! Can you hear me my little Mampi? Come home, your time on Earth is finished. We are waiting for you!” “That is my Mommy,” Mampi cried as he leapt up. His round Pacifier eyes glistened with delight.
“Mommy! Mommy I’m coming!” he called as he jumped up on the bed cover.
Suddenly, Sarah grabbed at Mampi and pressed him firmly in her hand. „No, Mampi belongs to me! I will not give him up!” she shrieked. Mampi was frightened – this was not the way it should be. “Sarah, you promised to put me on the window ledge, if my Mommy calls to me. I love her very dearly and I want to be with her again!”
“No,” said Sarah once more, and pressed Mampi even more firmly into her hand. She fell asleep again.
“Mommy, oh Mommy!” Mampi whispered, and began to weep bitterly.
Time passed. Suddenly Mampi had an idea. He wiped away his pacifier tears and thought: “I will climb onto the window ledge alone.” Softly he jumped from the bed and stood in front of the window. Oh, it was so high – much too high for a little pacifier!
Then he saw the curtain. Would he be able to use it for the high climb? Mampi gathered up all of his courage and grasped the curtain:
One – two – three – he swung himself.
Like a small monkey he hung onto the folds of the curtain. He swung himself higher, ever more higher – but the distance was very great and Mampi soon became tired.
“Just a bit further, and you’ll be on the window ledge,” whispered the curtain.
“I can’t …” groaned Mampi, “I really can’t.”
And in his despair he began to weep again. He sobbed so loudly that the noise woke up Sarah. Her eyes opened in fright as she saw Mampi hanging from the curtain.
“Hold on tight! I’ll get you down!” She called as she jumped from the bed. But Mampi was too high, and Sarah too small.
Then she saw the chair. In a flash she climbed onto it. “Hold tight! I’m coming!” She reached up and held Mampi in her outstretched hand. At just this moment the chair tipped over. With a loud crash they both fell to the floor.
“Mommy, Mommy!” screamed Sarah.
“Mommy, Mommy!” chirped Mampi.
Sarah’s Mother rushed into the bedroom.
“Child! What happened?” she asked, frightened.
Sarah told her all about Mampi and Pacifier Land and the Pacifier Fairy who was Mampi’s Mommy and how Mampi wanted to be with his Mommy again.
“One must honor what one has promised, Sarah”, said her Mother as she took Mampi in her warm hand.
“I would also like to be with my Mommy,” sobbed the Pacifier. „Of course little Mampi,” said Sarah’s Mother as she turned to Sarah.
What is the best for us to do? Did I not come immediately when you called? I believe that Mampi also needs his Mommy now.”
Sarah did not answer right away. Secretly, she winked at her small friend who lay still in her Mother’s hand. He pressed his face into his little hands and wept even more bitterly.
Sarah suddenly realized that Mampi’s Mommy was so far away that he could not see or hear her. The thought was not pleasant, and then she understood.
“I believe that Mampi needs his Mommy too,” she finally answered. She took Mampi from her Mother’s hand and gently placed him on the window ledge. She stroked him gently.
“Have a good journey. I will miss you. But now I can understand. The most important thing is to be with your Mommy. Can you come and visit me some time? That would be wonderful!”
“Yes, yes! I will come and see you – in your dreams,” promised the little Pacifier.
Sarah scurried back to her bed.
“I love you dearly, Mommy,” she whispered, putting her arms round her Mother’s neck. “Mampi loves his Mommy just as much,” said her mother.
“I know,” murmured the child, and fell asleep.
The next morning the window ledge was empty. The full moon had carried the little Pacifier back to his Mommy.
Mampi kept his promise. He came to see Sarah in many of her dreams. Again and again they enjoyed many jokes and laughed and reminded each other of the time when he was still on Earth. Mampi’s Pacifier Mommy appeared at the end of each dream. She took him into her arms lovingly. And if he smiled happily, then Sarah was happy because she knew that a Mommy was the most important thing – even for a little pacifier like Mampi.
We hope this helps! Best of luck!
We did this with Abby. Her “rewards” from the paci fairy were over the top, in hindsight, but it worked out. We told her the Paci Fairy takes them to new babies who need them since she was took big.
We didn’t even do the paci fairy…I was just a cold heartless mother and didn’t give it back to her after nap time on a random Saturday. It was a rough first night but by that Monday she either forgot about it or just didn’t care enough to keep up the whining. Good luck and make sure the wine fairy stops by before the paci fairy.
We took away our daughter’s Nuk when she turned two. She, in turn, replaced her Nuk with a “thumb Nuk”. Well played, kid.
“The Paci Fairy” good read http://t.co/Ga2k2g4b4c
We went cold turkey on the night of my daughter’s second birthday party. I told her in advance that she was too big for them, that they are for babies and that I would give her something else to help her sleep. That day I gave her some new pyjamas, a new bedtime book and her sleep owl. It’s called the “It’s OK to Wake owl” and its like those clocks that tell kids when its ok to wake up and when its still time for sleep…she asked me for the paci the very first night, and while it took about 4 nights for her to go sleep as easily as before, she didn’t ask, or cry for it at all. It simply took her longer to go to sleep because she was so used to having it to fall asleep with. She’s fine now and instead she pushes her owl’s tummy and it sings her 5 minutes of lullabies. It worked out way better than I ever thought! BUT…my husband was dreading it! They are such wusses! lol
Plan for the Paci Fairy, as of now, based on comments from earlier:
1. Take one paci to Build A Bear, build a… http://t.co/UonT1wqtRz
RT @babyrabies: Plan for the Paci Fairy, as of now, based on comments from earlier:
1. Take one paci to Build A Bear, build a… http://t.…
@babyrabies Cute. We did the fairy too.
This is hilarious!
@babyrabies the paci fairy needs to come here. Ruby still takes 3 to bed with her… at 3 years old. So over the hunt for them at night.
LOL at the wine fairy comment. W took the binkies away from the twins by leaving them home when we travelled to Fiji. We knew they would be so happy and tired from the vacation that they would hopefully sleep. Clover just started sucking her thumb instead and Kieran, well, he is still searching for something to replace the calming effect.
2 things- Playtex makes a paci that is hard plastic and the kids are not really able to suck on it. I switched my son over to those and shortly after it was easier to then take it away because the sucking habit was broken.
Second- Now when I was potty training him he refused to use the big potty. We needed to get rid of the little potty b/c we also had a 1 year old on the move. I tried the “fairy” idea. The “potty fairy” took the little potty to a baby who needed it and left him a toy. Well the melt down wasn’t over using the big potty it was over the fact that some “fairy” came into our house and took something of his and the idea of that was totally scary to him! So just an fyi, the “fairy” story could backfire! Good luck!
If someone ever removed all the chocolate from my house I would absolutely need some kind of fairy related story to cope – and the promise of a fairy gift, something along the lines of an iPad. Will that work for Lena?
I about died laughing reading this post and I do think the paci-fairy is a great idea. Not going to lie though, my daughter hardly ever used a paci…not because we didn’t give her one (many nights I wish she would have taken it) but because she simply wouldn’t use it. I’m glad that now we’re at the 9mo mark and she doesn’t appear to be a thumb sucker either (except now she’s teething so everything gets a good gnawing).
I just know that when we have the second child, I’ll probably have a paci fiend on my hands.
I just found the one I stashed when the fairy came for my now two year old. Washes it and gave it to the 6 month old
Your final response was amazing!
Why, exactly?
That’s what I kept asking myself every time I felt like Ella was getting too old for this and we had to take them away. I never came up with a good reason, especially after seeing an older children sucking their thumb in public.
My view: If my kid needs the comfort at night to sleep, who am I to tell her, “No, you don’t need comfort!” It wasn’t hurting her, it wasn’t hurting her teeth, and it’s better than her thumb, which I couldn’t take away.
Like other milestones, she was done with it one day, on her own. She was exactly four years and six months, so she gave it up before college. 😉 I forget at what point it went from daytime to only bedtime, but it was probably at 2 or 2 1/2.
She was the same with the crib. Stayed in it longer than typical (three, maybe?) and then one day she was done with the crib and into her big bed and that was that. She has been “self-weaning” on most things.
But good luck! May it all go smoothly for you.
How are you going to keep her from stealing Lowell’s? Or does he not use them?
Awful mom alert: When I had a major hunch I was surprise pregnant with Ollie, I just made another Greyhound. “I’ll test in the morning”