Thanks for the additional ideas, Jen! I’ve heard of families limiting the paci just to sleep times too. That’s what we did in my house and it worked pretty well. You make a great point about the cups too. So many choices now. Do you have a recommendation for which type of cup is the best option or does it just depend on the child’s preference?

Spouted sippy cups: There are now so many other options that there is no reason for a child to use a spouted cup. There are straw cups, including silicone straws that fold down into the cup and don’t drip, and ones with an edge that requires the same skills as open cup drinking…but there is a gasket to limit spills and drips.

What an interesting suggestion, Lisa! I love it that to have the paci, he had to be really committed to going to get to it! 🙂 I guess you probably had a really short string. I once worked with a family who kept the paci tied on a shoestring around the toddler’s neck – not to wean him but to make sure he didn’t drop it on the floor. That was definitely a major safety/choking hazard so we talked about other options like the little paci clips. I’m completely guilty of cutting the end of the pacifier nipple for my son. I didn’t know about the pull test and thinking back now, it makes me nervous that I did that! That’s why good info is so important!