Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for February 20, 2015

Walk away Joan. Don’t stoop to play his little boy games. You will lose!

the only thing needed is for Andy to tell him he looks stupid with the pacifier, & Max will never get close to one ever again.

When I was little, my mom took me to the dentist and he showed me pictures of what would happen to my teeth if I kept sucking my thumb. Quit cold turkey.

Start treating him like a baby, nap time, early to bed everything his baby sister has to do. Or just have Andy tell him he looks like a baby.

That Joan again, always “reasoning” with a 3 year old. Or however old Max is. Should be at least 7 by now!

@Fairportfan2, we tried that, it backfires, they just develop a taste for Mexican.

I agree with commenters get Andy on it will break Max.

This a job for Alix. She can handle it.

I’m afraid not.

Honestly, if they leave it alone the pacifier is likely to become boring all on its own. After my youngest was born, my other daughter, aged 4 1/2, wanted a bottle a few times. We gave it to her without comment, knowing that what she really wanted was the attention the baby was getting. It didn’t take long before she decided that she preferred her milk in a cup. If it goes on for too long, that’s when you can go to insisting that people who suck on pacifiers also have to take naps or whatever.

Get him another boy the same age as a playmate. 50-50 chance that works.

Just rip the “binky” out of his mouth and never give it back. You are his PARENT and not his FRIEND.

snatch and toss

I was thinking that Max should be told that he’ll end up buck-toothed if he doesn’t stop using the pacifier.

Pacifiers and thumb sucking are NOT bad for teeth; that’s a myth.