How do I brake my 23 month old from a Paci?

Holly - posted on 07/04/2011

Ella Claire (22 months), who has been addicted to her sassy (pacifier) enjoyed seeing the Sassy Fairy and her friends make "boom boom sparkles" in the sky Saturday when some other children gave their sassies away to all the babies who need them. When the Fairy Fireworks went off she said she needed sunglasses :-) The Sassy Fairy is also like a leprechaun and loves to play tricks and has been hiding all the sassies this week. It was a little rough at first, but now when Ella asks "sassy seez" (Sassy, please) and I tell her that I know she misses it, most of the time she just asks me "Babies?" and I reassure her that the babies are going to be so happy. She's had a few melt-downs but they've been short-lived and ever since the fireworks on Saturday, she laughs about the Sassy Fairy hiding them and says "Feh-ies, Boom boom! Sharkles" and uses her hands to show the sparkles. Yesterday, the Sassy Fairy hid her sassies all day and we only found one at naptime. She laughed so hard telling her grandparents about the "boom boom" fairies at dinner. It was adorable! Also, we've been talking about what she wants from the Sassy Fairy and she wants "ship-shops" (flip flops) but I've also asked the Sassy Fairy to bring a babydoll w/stroller and a baby doll sassy (since she's a big girla nd only babies have sassies. Her grandpa has also asked the Sassy Fairy to bring a Radio Flyer Tricycle for big girls :-) I think she'll be really surprised at all the wonderful things big girls get from helping the Sassy Fairy give sassies to the babies. Last night at bedtime, Ella asked for "Elbis" (Elvis music) so we danced to Elvis songs and she sang "halleluia halleluia" and remembered the Elvis song (American Trilogy) from the Fairy Fireworks show on Saturday. After dancing, we went to bed without even looking for the sassy. I kept telling her all evening (without mentioning the sassy) that I was so proud of my big girl! She smacked her lips a few times in bed, but she didn't ask for it at all! i think she was really working on being brave and was happy that Mommy was so proud. She slept all night without it, only waking once but never asking for it. I just said "Mommy's here, darling. You're doing great!" and she fell back asleep. I have to admit, there's one little part of me that's sad to see it go, just because it truly is a right of passage:My baby girl is really becoming such a big girl! :'-) So proud of my sweet Ella Claire and looking forward to some wonderful Fairy Fireworks and lots of "Boom Boom Sharkles" with my girl tonight!!!!!!!!! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! ... just realized as I wrote that how apropos today is for Ella to make this change - my independent girl will be no longer dependent upon her sassy :-)

Lori - posted on 01/21/2010

My son Cade,loved his binky so much that he had a special name for it, gaga! By twenty months I knew it was time to intervene. Though it was cute at the time, I knew it would not be cute to have a two year old walking around with a binky in his mouth. My method: I cut the tip of the binky a little shorter everyday for about a week. I still let him keep it, until about day nine, he lost interest because he couldn't get a latch on it anymore.and then I threw them away. I let him have it a night, and nap times through the whole week. This was painless for both of us, and really worked.

Jennifer - posted on 01/21/2010

I know this may sound mean.....BUT your best bet I think is to just make it "lost" and just throw it out. My daughter, who is now 10, never took a paci but did have a bottle. And on her 1st birthday ALL her bottles went into the trash!! The younger they are the easier it is to break bad habits. The longer they have it the harder it is to break it. She did not even cry for the bottle. They never cry for very long, the longest you may have to deal with crying is about a week. But after that week it will be gone forever. Good luck!!!

Lorri - posted on 01/21/2010

My daughter could not live without her paci either. When she was about 2 years I just through them away. I told her they were gone because she was a big girl. It was very hard the first couple of days but after that it was never spoken of again. Good luck!

Becky - posted on 01/20/2010

I tell you what I did to my son, I painted it black and he thought it was dirty, so everytime he would ask for it, I would get it out and it would be black and he would say "Shoo, dirty" and he wouldn't take it. Might just work!? =)

Gladys - posted on 01/20/2010

you can start trying to take it away from her after she is sleeping. Don't let her have it the whole night. My son had his until he was around 2 and he stopped using it on his own because we kept telling him that was for babies so we started showing him kids that didn't have them on or say quietly how ugly a big kid looked with one on. Not something nice to say but he stopped using it on his own so it worked for me.

Jennifer - posted on 01/18/2010

My oldest daughter was extremely attached to her pacifier...had it until she was almost 4! I tried everything, but what finally worked was this: I sewed a little two-sided blankie, and before I finished stitching it up I had her help me put all her pacifiers inside the blankie, and then finished stitching it up. This way, she still had her pacifiers, she just couldn't suck on them. She was a little upset still for about the first 3 nights. After that she was fine. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 01/18/2010

I just took my daughter's paci away from her and after 3 days, she didn't ask for it anymore. The third day was the worst though because she kept looking in my purse for it. She wouldn't take a nap that day, but after that, she never asked for it again.

Jenny - posted on 01/18/2010

Your going to have to throw them away when you trade her the gift for the paci. The hardest part is not giving them back to her. But i promise you it can be done, your just going to have to be strong and not give in.

Ellie - posted on 01/18/2010

My easiest child to parent who is now 13 was allowed to keep his paci until he was four and so was my four year old. They both just gave them up voluntarily and have always been more laid back and secure than my kids who wouldn't take a pacifier. Why exactly do you feel the need to take away the paci now?

Jenny - posted on 01/18/2010

I got rid of my daughters by telling her that the paci lady came and gave it to a new baby that needed one, but she left her a gift. I had wrapped a small present for her, and it worked, no problems.

Shanon - posted on 01/18/2010

I work with 18 to 24 month olds and alot of our parents are breaking their kids of pacies what i tell the kids is that the paci went up to the sky it seems to work on most even some of the parents tied the pacis to balloons and let their kids let them go so everytime they ask for it we tell the it went up in the sky hope this helps

Celest - posted on 01/18/2010

My kids never developed an attachment to paci's, but a girlfriend of mine had 2 kids with pretty bad attachments. She cut the tips off the ends of all of them. The kids didn't want to suck on them anymore & threw them away on their own

Courtney - posted on 01/17/2010

We used the "paci fairy" method and it worked well. We told our daughter Karson that if she put them under her pillow in the morning the fairy would come and get them and she would have gifts for giving them to new babies. She did ask for them back a few times but we just reminded her she let the fairy take them and that was that. Give it a try! Best of luck I know how hard the binky is to kick! ;)

Katrina - posted on 01/17/2010

I worked in a daycare and one of the mothers cut the very end of the nipple of then gave it to the child the child put it down on its on do that to each one the child has and he/she will stop on their own.

Tracy - posted on 01/17/2010

I would suggest just taking it...it will be a long few days but it will get easier. My youngest son had a very hard time and I tried everything. Finally I just took it. It was a pain for a few days but I did not give in and that was it. Good luck.

Amanda - posted on 01/17/2010

My daughter was the same way....cut the top of the paci off. When you're daughter wants it she'll notice it is different and will not want it. I tried that with my daughter and she put the paci in her mouth once never asked for it again.

Jodeen - posted on 01/17/2010

My son had one. At 12mths old i cut it up, and threw it out. told him that it was gone. had about two days of crying for it, then he forgot it ever existed.

Stephanie - posted on 01/17/2010

Talk to her about how big she is getting, and that you're proud of her. Then make a ceremony with her throwing it away on her own. 1st couple days will be rough, but it worked for us!

Lisa - posted on 01/17/2010

When my daughter was 2, we decided to get rid of it as well. It worked out that she was 27 months on Christmas so we waited since nothing else worked. We gathered all the "Pali's" around the house and left them on the plate with cookies & milk for Santa Clause to take and give to all the baby reindeer who were home training to become Santa's official reindeer. Santa left a thank you note for the milk and Rudolph even left a separate note to thank her for the pali's. Worked like a charm and she never cried a tear or asked for her pali again. In reading the past posts, I think the 'Supernanny' idea of the Paci Fairy would be just as successful. Good luck!

Keri - posted on 01/17/2010

We cut a little hole in the tip of the pacifier and it won't suck anymore. My daughter tried it and we told her it was broken. She threw it in the trash and then we never heard anything else about it.

Christy - posted on 01/17/2010

My husband came up with a wondeful plan! Cut just the tip off of the paci. It doesn't feel the same and they won't like it anymore. It worked amazingly for both of my boys and no fuss or tears either! They put it in their mouth, took it back out and looked at it then dropped it on the floor and walked away never asking for another one. LOL!

Jenn - posted on 01/17/2010

With my 1st who is now 10 I was told by a friend to cut the tip off it changes it. My daughter just kept spitting it out it was hard for 2 nights but worked. Cut all of them so there is no option in the middle of the night. Make sure it is done on days when you could take a nap you may need it.

Janice - posted on 01/17/2010

tell her time to throw away the paci for other babies who need them have her throw them away it will take a few days fussing etc just remind her she gave them to a new baby because she is a BIG GIRL

Anna - posted on 01/16/2010

I went through the same thing w my son..it was hard but only took bout 2 to 3 nights,,,when she falls asleep remove it from her mouth n if she wakes through the nite just comfort her..don't i repeat do not give in you'll be tired but it's soooo worth it!!!

Lyndall - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter had the same problem. I found the easiest thing was to get the rubber cherry shaped ones and when they wore out and flattened, not replace them. When it was totally yucky we told her it was and she should put it in the bin. She did and never asked for one again. She is 8 now and I haven't had to invest in any therapy for issues relating to dummy separation! lol. Hope this helps and good luck.

Amanda - posted on 01/16/2010

I heard this somewhere... and my friend used it and it worked well enough... Give them to the PaciFairy... put them in a container and decorate it and put it outside. Then the next day go and check and see what the PaciFairy has left for them to find.

Esther - posted on 01/16/2010

I never did anything to try to break my boy from a paci...he just decided he didn't want it anymore! They will get around other kids who go to sleep without one and realize they are growing up.

Faith - posted on 01/16/2010

i put some dirt on it and told her it was poopie and she said yucky. she tunred her nose up at it and i told her to put it in the trash .She walked over to the trash can and threw it away. You have to make sure she does it. Make it sound really, really gross.

Lindy - posted on 01/16/2010

We have fall babies, so we waited until the Christmas after they were 3 and left the Paci for Santa. We told both of our kids that they were big now and they needed to trade their Paci for presents. Santa needed the Paci for other babies. They both asked at bedtime for about a week, but they didn't want to give their presents back to Santa, so not a lot of fussing. Good luck!

Miranda - posted on 01/16/2010

Both of my boys loved there papi there 8 and 6 now but my dr said t snip the tip of the papi a little each they both put in down in less than a week hope this helps.

Amber - posted on 01/15/2010

With my daughter we had to throw them out completely, the first day was rough she cried and was mad about it but after that it was literally like they never existed! We told her we had to send them to other babies who's mommies couldn't afford pacis for their babies and that since she was now a big girl she didn't need them, she would tell everyone that she was a big girl and gave her pacis to babies who needed them it was sooo cute :)

Danielle - posted on 01/15/2010

Make it a fun activity for HER to throw away ALL her pacis. Explain she is a big girl now and you are proud of her not using them anymore. She may cry for a few nights, but be strong. You will get through it and it will stop. If you give in, it will start all over!

Mandy - posted on 01/15/2010

My son wasn't on a paci, but i had a hard time breaking him from the sippy cup. One day we were at the river, we live in Tennessee, and I told him we were gonna have to throw his cup in the river so the catfish would have something to drink the water out of. (I of course didn't throw it in there) but he thought I did and he never wanted it again. He was happy to help the fish out. :)

Christine - posted on 01/15/2010

My son had his until he was 2 1/2. We tried EVERYTHING! We finally decided to dip the nipple in things that didn't taste good (grapefruit juice, powdered allum spice, very small drop of tabasco, etc.) He would put it in his mouth, then pull it back out immediately and say "Yuck!". We told him that if it tasted yucky, he should throw it in the trash. We also told him that when baby's got to be big boys, the paci's didn't taste good anymore. Within 2 days, all of his paci's were in the trash and he never asked for them again.

Ginger - posted on 01/15/2010

My daughter was 2 yrs when we decided to take her Paci away from her. She did the same as yours where she only needed it for nap times and bed. So one night we were in the kitchen at the sink when i put some vinegar on the Paci and gave it to her. She didn't like the way it tasted and i told her that her Paci went bad. I then washed it in front of her, and hidden in the sink was the bottle of vinegar, put some more on and gave it to her again. Again the same thing. I did this about 4 or 5 times each time telling her that sometimes Paci's go bad and that it's time to get rid of it. We both agreed that it was no good and i let her be the one to throw it away, as a way to say goodbye. For the first 3 nights after that when she asked for it i would ask her what happened to it... she would make a face again remembering the ulghy taste and she would tell me it went bad. I didn't have any problems after that, even at the sitters where the Paci was passed around from her and her friend.

Paula - posted on 01/15/2010

My daughter never took one but my twin boys did and I just took them with the bottle when they turned a year old..they asked about it for a couple of days but then they knew it wasn't coming back and they were fine with it :)

Ginger - posted on 01/15/2010

I agree with cold turkey. Accidentally "lose it" one day. If it's not there, having it is not an option. As the others said, brace yourself for a day or 2 of an unhappy little girl. But it will pass before you know it, hang in there. It's better she learn these coping skills sooner than later. Good luck!

Laura - posted on 01/15/2010

That one's kind of hard for me to answer, because both of my kids never did like the pacifiers. The best advice I could give is just gather them all up and tell her there is no more. Try and come up with something that will take her mind off of the pacifier at nap time. Best of luck to you!

Linda - posted on 01/15/2010

I read this idea in a magazine and it worked like a charm for my twins. I explained to them that around age 2 [actually I think they were age 3], the "big" kids pass along their paci's to the babies...when they are ready, they put their Paci's on the windowsill for the 'Paci Fairy' to come get them and she'll leave gift(s) in place as a Thank You for giving them to the younger kids. THAT NIGHT they decided they were ready!!!! I was very worried, because they could NEVER sleep without them...low and behold, not a single tear -- it was their choice...and the next morning they were happy with their little gifts (which I had to go get at 9:30 at night at Target because I wasn't prepared!!).

Let us know if you try this and how it works!

Sharon - posted on 01/15/2010

I told my daughter we need to gather them together and throw them in the trash and when the men come and empty our trashcan they will pass them along to other babies who really need them. From then on she would tell everyone thats where all her binkys went...good luck

Catherine - posted on 01/15/2010

I came up with an idea last year - it is cold turkey but the way we did it was fun and seemed to work for our child (he was 20 months at the time)
I tied blue and green helium balloons to the pacifier (he called his a "yie") and then we let them go up in the air - it was "yie in the sky" day. He never looked back b/c he knew they were gone. Just an idea~ Good luck!

Lori - posted on 01/15/2010

We told our son that the paci fairy was going to make a visit. She was going to take all his pacifiers and leave him a special toy. So we gathered up all the pacifiers one night and left them for the paci fairy. She took them away, and left him a car set. I might add, though, that was the pacifier was gone, he never took another nap again. Uugh.

Lori Radun
Momnificent!
www.momnificent.com

Kristina - posted on 01/14/2010

I have the same problem exactly exept for my daughter is 3! She goes all day at daycare without it but the minute she gets home she has to have it. Even before bedtime. I came into this conversation later. Any good ideas on how to break her of it?

Mary - posted on 01/14/2010

You won't like my reply, but I heard this over and over and finally did follow through with this advice. My 1st child was 14 months old and still taking a paci. She wanted it at night and I was afraid of her teeth becoming protruded. I was told to let her cry and walk back into her crib,pat her on the back every 15 mins. and tell her she can sleep with out the paci. I would then go next door to the other room and cry as she cried. I did let the time go to almost 30 mins. after 2 times at going in at 15 min. intervals. She did cry herself to sleep and we did this routine on off for 1 week or less and then she went down without the paci. She had her first sleep she had since she was born. When the paci comes out at night I would have to go in and put it in her mouth. I also got sleep too. It was good for both of us.

Ann Marie - posted on 01/14/2010

When my now 6 year old was attached to his paci, we through him a "Big Boy" party. We invited all the kids in the neighborhood. I made him brownies (which are his favorite). We also bought a huge bunch of balloons and tied his paci on the bottom of them. It was his job to let the balloons go outside on the deck so that the paci could float to heaven where all the new babies lived. My son thought it was a great idea and didn't have any problems giving up the paci. He still talks about his "Big Boy" party. It was a very positive experience plus it helped me to finalize the addiction to the paci too. I used the paci a lot to keep him quiet. He is my last of 3 kids and he is only 1 year younger then his sister. I hope this helps. It was wonderful to us.

Lorrese - posted on 01/14/2010

the best thing to do is take it and throw it away because as log as you have it in the house she will have access to it and that is something that you don't want.find other way to put her to sleep. like reading her a book or telling her a story. something that will calm her besides the paci.

Stacy - posted on 01/14/2010

We cut the tip of my daughter's Paci off when she wasn't looking. I know they say that once it is damaged you should through it in the trash, but I just made sure to keep it clean. Once the tip was gone it was not fulfilling to her anymore. Instead of being the bad guy who took it away, I could comfort her and tell her how sorry I was that it got broken.

Elaina - posted on 01/14/2010

It takes three days or nights really. You get rid of them all and put them to bed without it doing everything else you normally do in your routine. She will cry and it will be tough but by the third day she will begin a new habit of pacifying herself without the "paci". Good luck and be strong. You can do it.

Emily - posted on 01/14/2010

Cut a X slit in the paci! She will not want to suck it anymore!