How to Get Rid of a Pacifier and Other Such Stuff That Requires Consistency
By Amy Turn Sharp of doobleh-vay
1. Choose a date and plan.
Much like giving up the Parliament Lights or deciding to train for a marathon, you must mentally commit to a date on the calendar and a plan of attack. Ignore the doctor and the dentist and calculate your own time frame for operation pacifier expulsion. There are bad times to go about this like the week before a sibling arrives or in the middle of a particularly petulant stage.
2. Be strong and do not wilt against the scary world of what other people think.
If you tell your wee one that he can only have his binky/paci/booboo or diddy (that is what this British household calls em) at night then only give it to him at night. Let him scream like little frickin banshee while you hug him tightly at Target. This is the beginning of the rest of your life with consistency and children. Start strong and ignore your BFF’s sideway glances at your parenting.
3. Well…you sometimes have to ask for advice from the seasoned mamas. I go to my mama mentors often for nuggets of wisdom and beg for the many techniques might work. I was a sucker for the old bribery trick that I learned from veteran mama Rosie O’Donnell. I heard her talk about placing a shiny new Thomas the Tank engine on a shelf above the potty for her son. Thank you Roe! I had to buy a few more of those overpriced devils than I wanted to, but my kid was potty trained in a flash and is just fine.
4. Partner up on big issues. You must agree to be united as parents.
I had a good-cop/bad-cop family and it is a difficult family dynamic to end. Try and stay on the same page as our partner and refer back to your goals together. I think even for the youngest child, seeing his parents as strong and loving is a wonderful thing burned into a brain. Bite your tongue and weep behind a closed wooden door but know that setting limits and a loving sense of consistency is a good thing for all.
5. Tell the story of the Diddy Fairy and really play her up to the max!
Make her sparkle and shine and carry golden gifts and toot magical wishes. As a parent you must play the Pied Piper sometimes and the pacifier fairy works beautifully. I had sold the idea of other wee babies needing Finn’s diddy so well (along with promises of golden Thomas trains) that it really was a defining moment for us as we left the box by the dumpster that Spring morning. He squeezed my hand and informed me that he was a big boy and it was one of the first of many obstacles we would face together. And no matter what, you are stronger than you think. Just believe and breathe.
Photo by cesarastudillo
