We had a similar brand loyalty thing with my son—he could spot a knockoff a mile away. I get the anxiety about running out. Honestly, I leaned toward cold turkey because I worried about his teeth, but gradual worked for us too, just took patience. Have you noticed any changes in her bite or teeth since cutting back? Sometimes that’s what pushed me to stick with it, even when it was tough.
Brand loyalty is such a real thing with pacifiers—my daughter wouldn’t touch anything but the “right” one, either. I get your concern about dental changes. I actually started seeing a slight anterior open bite after a year, which made me more committed to weaning. It wasn’t dramatic, but the dentist said early intervention helps. You’re definitely not alone in worrying about the teeth; it’s a legit push to stick with it, even when everyone’s miserable for a few days.
Pacifier drama is so real. My son was obsessed with a specific brand too—like, he’d do this little inspection and if it wasn’t “his” binky, he’d just drop it on the floor and look at me like I was nuts. I started noticing his front teeth weren’t lining up quite right around 18 months, which honestly freaked me out more than I expected. The dentist called it a mild open bite, and while she said it might resolve on its own, I couldn’t help but worry.
We did the “binky fairy” thing, but honestly, it didn’t work for us. He just cried for days and kept checking under his pillow like maybe there’d be a refund policy or something. What finally worked was snipping a tiny bit off the tip every few nights—he got less satisfaction from sucking and eventually lost interest. It took about two weeks of rough nights, but his teeth started shifting back not long after.
I always wonder if there’s a perfect way to do this or if it’s just about finding what your kid will tolerate. The dental stuff is what really pushed me over the edge though... those little changes can be sneaky.
Snipping the tip was our go-to too, and honestly, I was surprised how well it worked once we got over that initial resistance. The binky fairy didn’t do much for us either—my daughter just looked heartbroken every morning. I totally get the dental anxiety; those little changes in their teeth can sneak up on you. I found taking pictures every couple months helped me see any shifts, which made me feel a bit more in control. There’s definitely no “perfect” way... just whatever gets everyone through with the least drama, I guess.
Snipping the tip brought back memories for me—my granddaughter was so attached to her pacifier, it was practically glued to her hand. We tried the binky fairy too, but she wasn’t buying it. I do think the photos are a smart idea; wish I’d thought of that back then. What really got us through was just talking about “big kid teeth” and showing her old pictures of her aunts with their funny baby grins. It took time, but eventually she just lost interest. There’s no magic fix... just a lot of patience and maybe a bit of luck.
