Some bad habits are extra hard to break, and for kids under 5 that can often involve giving up one of their favorite things: the beloved pacifier. However, one mom on TikTok has come up with a creative way to lure your kiddo away from the pacifier once and for all, and she’s spreading her unique parenting hack far and wide so other parents can benefit, too.
The simple "trick" was shared by Erin Domin earlier this week
But according to Kidspot, it was actually inspired by an existing trend.
Apparently, Domin (@erindomin) was mimicking the “Dummy Fairy” hack, in which parents tell their kids that a magical fairy will come during the night and take away their pacifiers now that they’re “big kids.”
The concept is similar to the Tooth Fairy, except that instead of leaving behind money, the Dummy Fairy leaves something like a fun toy to “replace” the beloved dummies (aka pacifiers).
Instead of toys, Domin put her own special spin on things
In her now-viral clip, the mom helps her daughter bury her pacifiers in the ground outside before watering them with a house to help them grow. By the next day, she assures, the pacifiers will grow into something exciting — but her little one has to be patient while waiting to see what they become.
The clip eventually cuts to her toddler running excitedly out the back door, over to where she planted her pacis. And, to her absolute amazement, there are mini donuts and cake pops sticking out of the ground, right where her pacifiers were buried!
@erindomin Dummy fairy came today… her reaction is the sweetest ever #dummyfairy #dummyfairygift #toddlersoftiktok #mumsoftiktok #toddler #toddlergirl #motherdaughter #fyp #foryoupage #special #foryou #toddlermom ♬ original sound – Erin Domin
The whole thing is quite clever
After all, the intention is to get kids excited about what the Dummy Fairy will leave behind, which takes their focus off of what they’re giving up. In Domin’s video, her daughter runs over to the donuts and cake pops with a huge smile on her face and is clearly happy by what she finds.
“That’s so special!” the toddler says in the clip. “Thank you, Fairy!”
In just a few days, the clip already has more than 6.4 million views
The comments are pretty great, too, with many people ooo-ing and aww-ing over the toddler’s reaction.
“That excitement scream is the sweetest I’ve heard!” one TikToker wrote. “You’re an amazing mom.”
“Why am I crying?!” said another.
Others called the hack everything from “adorable” to “brilliant.”
Even the official handle for TikTok reacted, writing, “This is so magical.”
But the best reactions probably came from other parents
Not only did they thank Domin for sharing the video in the first place, but many also said they were inspired to try this out with their own kids.
“Omg I’m sooo doing this,” one mom wrote.
“Showing my 3-year-old this video RN in hope it works for us,” said another.
A few parents also shared stories of their own successes.
“We gave ours to Santa for an extra gift,” one person said.
“[With] my daughter’s bottle, I told her my pregnant friend’s baby needed them when he was born,” another mom shared. “Worked a charm!!”
