Keep it clean

We try to focus on activities more than products, but this product seems like such a good idea, it could help you avoid a daily activity: cleaning pacifiers. (That is, if your kid is a bink-aholic like mine was.) Check out this pacifier that stays closed when not in the mouth. As soon as it hits the ground, the shield closes around the nipple. Anyone have experience with it? More details>

Some advice from the trenches: as soon as Julian was able to put the pacifier in his mouth himself, we began placing a minefield of pacifiers in the crib with him. If he awoke in the middle of the night (IF!?) we were increasing his odds of finding one and taking care of his own pacification needs. Credit for this tip goes to the book Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads.

Some people, I’ve learned, refer to pacifiers as “nuks” (a popular brand of paci that we’ve never used). My nephews walked in to greet Julian after a nap recently and he was sitting up in his crib with a pacifier in his mouth and two laying next to him. “You’re a nuk-man,” said the eight-year old. “It looks like Julian’s having a nuk party!”

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.