Bye, bye binky: Dad documents toddler's adorable rite of passage

Convincing a toddler to let go of a pacifier can be hard, but one dad found a way to make the sometimes painful process fun and meaningful: balloons.

Scott Burnett is a dad in Corona, Calif., who strongly believes that children should be weaned of their pacifiers at age 2. When his son, Blake, reached the magic age, Burnett was careful to make sure Blake understood what would happen. They talked about how, since he was becoming a big boy, his beloved binky would go to the sky on his second birthday.

Ahead of the special day, Dad bought balloons and made sure Blake knew what they were for. The toddler took one more binky-laden nap before the family went outside for the goodbye ritual. When he was told it was time to let go, Blake put the binky in his mouth one last time, even pausing to examine the pacifier as if he was reconsidering. He did finally let go, though, and the family cheered as the balloons flew away.