Getting your toddler to give up their pacifier can be an emotional experience for everyone involved. For parents, it can be an exhausting battle of wills with a headstrong little person. And for kids, it can be traumatic — taking away their pacifier is taking away their comfort and security.
But one dad in Missouri figured out a way to make the transition away from his toddler's pacifier use into something that was anything but traumatic.
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He came up with a creative solution
Jake Bishop, a dad in St. Louis, Missouri, and his wife, Courtney, noticed that their daughter Hazel might be ready to give up her pacifier. They wanted to make the transition something that she would remember, and realized that her upcoming third birthday could be a perfect way to ease the transition.
After some research, Jake found that some parents decided to ceremoniously bury their kids' pacifiers. And an idea was born.
It was a great idea
On May 18, a day before Hazel's third birthday, Bishop decided it was the day to say goodbye to the pacifier.
"I grabbed a suit jacket, tied on a tie — haphazardly — and snagged the crocs by the door. That was it," Bishop told People exclusively. "It was a spontaneous five-minute thing, a let's-see-what-happens and have-fun-with-it moment," he continued. "But it was truly led by Hazel. We wanted to give her the chance to do this herself and take that next step, with plenty of support at home."
Bishop took the whole process seriously
The whole family gathered in their backyard while Bishop led the ceremony, delivering a eulogy and even mimicking Hazel's pacifier noises.
"Hello, everyone. We are gathered here to remember Pass 'The Pacifier' Bishop, one of the greatest pacis to have ever graced the lips of a toddler," Bishop said in his speech. "From our mouths to our hearts, paci brought a sense of peace and calm to our Hazel Jean."
After his speech, the family buried the pacifier, complete with a salute and bagpipe music. "I did this," Hazel proudly saluted.
The family celebrated Hazel getting older
When Hazel awoke the next morning, her parents led her back out to the burial site. Awaiting her was a basket of surprises, including a giant lollipop, popping candy, and glow bracelets. Hazel told People that she "got a new bike!"
"She's been doing amazingly well since then," Bishop told the outlet. "She hasn't mentioned the pacifier, hasn't had any meltdowns. She's really embraced this transition to big girlhood. It's been incredible."
'You were a good little soldier'
A few weeks after Hazel's birthday, Bishop shared the funeral video to TikTok, where it quickly went viral. There are over 6,400 comments full of people praising Bishop for the way they chose to handle the pacifier situation.
"Every time I open the app and see all the notifications, I'm still shocked," he said. "It feels really good … we're letting kids feel emotions, be themselves."
"Even tough times like this don't have to be hard," he shared. "They don't have to be painful memories. We can do them in any way we choose and let these kids lead the way."
