Bye, Bye Pacifier!
We've talked a little in the past about how to get your kid to give up their pacifier. Dr. Linda Mintle gave her advice on how to help a pacifier junkie, and in September the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry chimed in.
But now we have a new suggestion: let Elmo help.
Elmo? Really? Well, if you toddler is anything like mine, he or she probably LOVES Elmo. (Libbie is growing out of it a little bit at just 3, but a year ago I think Elmo could have convinced her of anything.)
Tomorrow, November 4th, is Sesame Street's official "Put Down the Pacifier Day." On their Web site, there is a plethora of tips and videos from Elmo. You may not be ready to force your child to quit the paci cold turkey tomorrow, but Elmo's ideas and tricks might help the process along.
In conjunction with the celebration, they've also released Bye-Bye, Pacifier: Big Kid Stories with Elmo on DVD. The DVD includes three short stories about growing-up topics: giving up the pacifier, riding a tricycle, and getting a haircut. Elmo deemphasizes fear and helps kids realize that being a big kid is not so bad. I especially liked the song about how Elmo gave up the paci so people could understand his words!
So, what do you think? Could Elmo help get that paci out of your little one's mouth?
