I always figured we'd keep it until F was old enough to understand something like the paci fairy, etc., but now I am wondering if we should just bite the bullet and do it now. We just came through the other end of some 18mos sleep regression stuff and are back on track. For awhile he was seriously addicted, I could never get it away from him. Now he is doing much better keeping it in his crib only. Sometimes I can even convince him to leave it there after waking, but most of the time he brings it downstairs and then I take it away after a few minutes once he's woken up and I hide it. There are still times when he will ask for it, usually during a time when he knows there is one (like if he walks by his room and remembers they are in there, he will stand at the door and ask for it). The reason I'm wondering if I should get rid of it now is, he just doesn't seem as attached to it anymore. When I went in to check on him the other night he didn't even have it while he was sleeping. Sometimes he just doesn't want it. Also, he has a persistent rash around his mouth which I'm sure is never really going away because of the paci, even though I am always washing and sterilizing them. Yesterday I bought him two new ones, they are a different kind so though he is still using them, I can tell he is unimpressed that they are not his normal kind and usually spits them out after a few minutes. I got rid of all the ones in his crib except for 2 (he had about 6 or 7 before), and he slept fine last night, though we did have one brief NWing. I wonder if it was because he couldn't find the paci as easily.
Has anyone ever successfully weaned at this age? Or is it better until he can understand more and do some sort of paci fairy thing. I'm not sure if I should just take the plunge (or if I have the courage), but it would be nice to get rid of it.