Oh man, the binky fairy has nothing on a determined toddler. Mine was like a little binky detective—she found two under the couch a week after we did the whole “goodbye pacifier” ceremony. I swear, she acted like she’d discovered buried treasure. We had to do a second round of “the fairy took them all, really!” and it was... not my finest parenting moment.
Honestly, I was more worried about her teeth than her sleep (I know, classic me), but the dentist kept saying it’s fine as long as you ditch it before preschool. Did you try cutting the tips off? Some folks say it makes the pacifier less satisfying so kids just lose interest. I never had the guts to try that, but I’ve heard mixed results.
Curious—do you think your little guy is more attached for comfort or just out of habit? It’s wild how some kids just drop it and others cling on for dear life.
Cutting the tips off always sounded a little harsh to me, but I’ve heard some dentists actually recommend it for stubborn cases. My kid was super attached for comfort, especially at bedtime, so we had to be really consistent about not giving in. I was the same as you—way more anxious about her bite than her sleep, and our dentist echoed what yours said: as long as it’s gone by preschool, most of the dental issues sort themselves out. Still, it’s wild how determined they get... I found a “lost” one in a winter coat pocket months later.
Still, it’s wild how determined they get... I found a “lost” one in a winter coat pocket months later.
That made me laugh—my son stashed his in the couch cushions and acted like he had no idea where it went. Kids are little masterminds when it comes to their comfort items.
I totally get being more anxious about bite than sleep. We had a similar conversation with our dentist, who said as long as pacifiers are gone by age three or four, most bite issues tend to resolve naturally. I was skeptical at first, but after seeing my niece’s teeth bounce back after she gave hers up, I relaxed a bit.
As for cutting the tips off, I agree it sounds a bit harsh in theory, but our dentist mentioned it’s actually less traumatic for some kids than going cold turkey. My son just thought his was “broken” and lost interest pretty quickly. Not saying it works for everyone, but it was surprisingly drama-free for us.
Funny how you think you’ve collected them all and then find one months later... It’s almost like they multiply when you’re not looking.
Cutting the tip off is such a wild idea to me, but it sounds like it actually works for some kids. I keep picturing my daughter finding a “broken” binky and just losing her mind, though... She’s got a sixth sense for hidden pacifiers, too—I swear she could sniff one out from another room. Did anyone’s kid just give theirs up on their own? Or is it always some kind of covert operation?
She’s got a sixth sense for hidden pacifiers, too—I swear she could sniff one out from another room.
That’s hilarious, and honestly, I relate. My son was the same—a total “binky detective.” We tried just letting him decide when he was done, but nope...it ended up being a whole sneaky mission. You’re not alone in feeling weird about the “broken” binky trick, though. It feels a little sneaky, but sometimes desperate times...you know?
