Pacifier

Amanda - posted on 01/06/2009

I hid all of my daughters dummies except one a few months before she turned two. I cut the tip off of that one and when she asked for it I gave it to her and she said "Oh, not working mummy" and I said "Oh no, it's broken. We'd better put it in the bin. Do you want to put it in the bin?" she didn't want to, to start with and kept trying to suck it, but it obviously felt different to her and after about 5-10mins she said she wanted to put it in the bin. Later that afternoon, she asked for it and I reminded her that we put it in the bin and took her to the bin to show her and said that it was yucky and broken now. She probably asked for it for about a month after tjat and I just had to keep reminding her it was in the bin, after that month she rarely asked for it, with which I kept reminding her that it was broken and we put it in the bin. She hasn't asked for it since and the dummies I hid have all been put in the bin when she hasn't been around.

Good luck

Katie - posted on 01/06/2009

When my girls were 20 mo I explained how other little babies needed their "pookies", so we put them in an envelope and took them to the mailbox (of course I took them out before the mailman came!).  At church that Sun. I saw a baby w/ their same pookie, so I told the girls that it was so nice to give the baby theirs, because he needed it since he was so little.  They felt like big kids then!

Keri - posted on 01/05/2009

Well I started by weaning my daughter to naps only, then bed time only. It seemed to be working until one day she threw a fit when i wouldn't let her take it out the the crib with her, and she threw it at me. I made her pick it up off the floor and throw it in the garbage herself. That was the end, and she hasn't missed it since.

Melissa - posted on 01/05/2009

When my boys were babies to wean them I cut the tip off the pacifier, they just threw it them selves, it was broke lol. It worked well, good luck!

Katharine - posted on 01/05/2009

We were lucky, my in-laws took my 2 year-old for a week while my husband & I went on vacation. They went cold turkey on the binkie and pretended they didn't understand what she was talking about when she asked for it. By the time we came back she was binkie free. You must hide all binkies or throw them away...she found a thankfully unopened package in a drawer and asked for them, I explained those were for little babies not big girls (she's very into being a big girl) & I hid those away in a different place. Now not everyone has in-laws like me, but if you have an opportunity when he's in a different environment for a few days...going cold turkey may be easiest, then when he's back home you just have to continue.

Tammy - posted on 01/05/2009

A month or so before my daughter turned 2 we started 'pumping her up' about giving her paci to her baby cousin. We took every opportunity to remind her of our plan. I honestly didn't think it would work, but didn't know what else to do. On her second birthday we really made a big deal about the fact that she was a 'big girl' and that she was such a wonderful cousin to give her pacifiers to a baby who needed them. She bought it! For about 2 weeks she made comments about her paci or asked for it (more out of habit I think), but we just reminded her of how much the baby needed it and how proud we were of her. Believe it or not, bedtime wasn't even bad. I did notice that when she was frustrated, tired, or sad, it took her a month or so to figure out how to cope without her paci. At time, she got extra cranky, but we knew that she just needed some time to adjust. Good luck!

Shakel - posted on 01/05/2009

Throw them all away except for one, during the day just let them fuss it out, trust me the fussing will not last long! It may seem like it, but you will be more irriated then them because us as moms feel so sorry when we do something that we think is hurting our baby. Only use the one at night, but make it disappear by the time your baby wakes up. He will get use to not being there all the time. Hopes this help

Lori - posted on 01/05/2009

my inlaws lived out of town, when we returned home one night from a visit i told jac that we left his "mimi's" at nana's. he asked for it a few times over the next week, but then was done! we had also led up to that by not allowing him to have it except to sleep.

Mimika - posted on 01/05/2009

I have 2 daughters. With my first one was easy. Μy little daughter is now 2 1/2. Before 2 months I tried to cut her the pacifier and she got mad. She had it all the time at her mouth, night and day. She is a very nervous child and that was completely shocking for her. So I invented a story. I told her that a kitty needed pacifier and its mother didn't have enough money to take one. So we made a deal with kitty, to bring us the pacifier at night for sleep and in the morning to take the pacifier back. But I am carefull to take the pacifier before she woke up. I beleive that one night she will forget it and thats it. I think that we must not force kids to do thinks before they are ready to. They need their time for everything. And when they are ready they show us the "green light".

Gina - posted on 01/05/2009

When you figure that out let me know how to get my 4 YEAR OLD off the bottle (at night)!! It's driving me nuts. I've done everything and she STILL insists on going to bed with a bottle! Mind you she's only sipping water. I already know the effects milk or juice can have on her teeth at this point. I have tried throwing them all away but by 12 midnight with a screaming kid I have broke down so much so that I travel to the grocery store and purchase her one. I feel like such a bad Mom for allowing this to go on for so long!! : (

Linda - posted on 01/05/2009

Just take it and throw it out. Use a teddy bear or something to replace it.

Rachel - posted on 01/05/2009

my daughter was about 20 months also when we got rid of her nana. We kept telling her that the nana fairy was going to come and give them to babies that needed them. then we started poking holes in the tip of them...it lost the suction and she didn't like it. After a few days the nana fairy came and they were gone. she cryed for 10 mins. and after that we never had a problem. oh, the nana fairy left a present for being a big girl.

Amy - posted on 01/05/2009

Take it away, he wont remember after awhile. The only thing is your gonna have to invest in ear plugs for a bit. Just comfort him with something else. If all else fails ask him to donate it to a baby down the road and give him another security thing.

Sandra - posted on 01/05/2009

Sad to say,but you have maybe 2 options...go cold turkey(but be strong if you do!Once you take it away,you can't go back...mixed signals and all that...)OR,if he's pretty verbal you can have him actually throw it away himself.That way if he asks for it you can remind him he threw it out!My 5th is nearing this point and I do NOT look forward to it:)

H. Ruth - posted on 01/05/2009

We didn't have much choice with our son. He got a throat infection and with the drooling it spread to his face. However, he was also only 8 months old and didn't know he missed it. Our daughter had issues with not being able to find her suckie in bed at night and one night I was up every 2 hours giving it back to her. The next day it was gone along with the others. Again, though, she was only 10 months old.

A friend of mine just recently "helped" her son (almost 3 yrs) get rid of his by "calling" the suckie "fairy". Initially it was successful but I haven't asked how it is going a week later.

Amanda - posted on 01/05/2009

So he got mad. Well try to talk to him about why you did it.

Frances - posted on 01/05/2009

We had the hardest time too!! My son was 29 months and it eventually broke on him and he went and threw it out in the garbage and I told him I didn't have anymore. It was a bit hard in the beginning but it worked itself out. Only downfall... since that day - he hasn't napped for me anymore :(

Amanda - posted on 01/05/2009

Instead of a pacifier.Trying to replace a gift like a toy.But you have to throw the pacifier away. In see how that's work. Because I read books about it myself. Now my little don't like pacifiers.

Tressa - posted on 01/05/2009

I did the cutting the pacifier routine. I just snipped off a little bit at a time. My daughter held on to the very last bit of it for dear life, but eventually got sick of having to onto it with her two front teeth. It was an easy transition for us (and believe me, this was one child who had major co-dependent issues with that pacifier). She just didn't want it after a while.

Cassie - posted on 01/05/2009

The idea my mum gave me, which worked for my 2 kids was the dummy fairy!!! before they go to bed one night you put all the dummies out on the bench and explain that while they are sleeping the dummy fairy will come take them and give them to new little babies that need them but will leave a present for the child in the morning. Before they wake up, swap the dummies for a "big kid" present so wen they wake up its their waiting. then wen they ask for their dummy remind them of the fairy story and direct them to the toy that was left in their place.works for bottles too!!!!

Rhoda - posted on 01/05/2009

I have two suggestions: A friend of mine who's daughter is 3 and still sucking decided to go to her local hospital to the OB ward and "give" all the binkys to the new babies since they needed them. She had instructed the nurses privately to toss them in the trash when they left. They then went home and had a pacifier party- cake and balloons and a new toy for the big girl. Worked like a charm for her. I just know that some hospitals don't let anyone in unless they are family etc because of tight security...

What worked for me: my 3 yr old son and 15 month old son were attached at the lips so to speak to their binkys. One day, I just gathered them all up and threw them away and said- No more binkys in this house. Only big boys live here. It was a little bit rough the first nap and the first night, but we got through and kept using positive words with them about how big they were and some redirection. Our oldest would randomly ask for his binky for a few days after, but now they don't even miss them. It was much bigger in my head than it actually turned out to be. Good luck- and stick to it- no matter what!

Erika - posted on 01/05/2009

For my little guy, when he was 2, we got a BUNCH of helium balloons and tied some of his pacis to them, then HE let them go to float up to God to give to new babies. Make sure you have enough balloons. It took more than I thought it would, but they made it out of sight eventually. He only asked about them a few times after that and was satisfied that they were gone. Then we had a prize the next morning after he made it through the night without it.

Amy - posted on 01/05/2009

You could start cutting the tips off of them to make it so it is not the same suction he would get with out it or try having him collect them to give to "another baby" because he is a big boy or start taking them away during the day and only nap and bed allow them and the just bed and then slowly take it away after he has gone to sleep so he doesnt have it when he wakes up every child is different and those are just some suggestions good luck