Pacifier help...getting my 2 1/2 year old off of it!

Jenifer - posted on 01/04/2009

Well these are all great ideas....My son is just over 4 and we took his binkies all at once about 4 months ago at that point he just had them at nap and bed time however I don't think he was ready. He really did not make such a fuss about it but he has started sucking his fingers and thumb and that is alot harder to take away. If your child is only 2 1/2 don't rush it they are only little once just make him leave them at home for nap and bed time.

Kimberly - posted on 01/02/2009

Neither of my kids used pacifiers but i have an option for you. A friend told her daughter that big girls don't suck on pacis but they keep them in special places. So they went to build a bear and built a teddy bear and put the paci inside. She sleeps with it every night and it is her little secret.

Kathleen - posted on 01/02/2009

Gotta give a high five to SuperNanny and the Paci fairie!!! We did that too. JD was just over 3 and only using them at bed. (security!!) We made a fun little box in an arts and crafts project so he got the idea of it. We put all the pacies in the box and while we were gone from the house Daddy opened JD's bedroom window to make it look like she came in that way, emptied the box in the garbage, and left a toy on the bed. (The V-smile video game Jd soooo desparately wanted!!) Worked like a charm!! He cried a little that first night but I sat with him for a little bit and that was that!!



Good luck!!

Lee - posted on 01/02/2009

I hope all is going well for you and your little treasure. My friend tried the Fairy spiel, a few months ago and it worked a treat.

Tracey - posted on 01/02/2009

don't worry too much about it....my daughter had one till she was over 3...till she bit it so bad it broke....i explained it to her and got her to throw it in the garbage.....she still wanted it but just reminded her she threw it away...she was good after a week...

Lori - posted on 01/01/2009

Ok. I have read alot of different advise but Friday night we are trying the fairy bag. Love that one. We have gifts up in our closet his b-day is in March so I'll just use one of those to give him.

We have tried to cut it he liked it but started chewing pieces off, gave in gave him another one. My Bad, I know. He's having a second set of tubes and tonsils out in Jan so I feel guilty. He has had 2 eye surgery's (tear ducts clogged) tubes once already,so I'm not wanting to take it until after this 4th surgery. Then again if i dont do it now I'll find another excuse next time. So tomorrow night is the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laurie - posted on 01/01/2009

Whenever they got broken or damaged I would encourage my son to throw it away himself. Soon, they were all gone! He asked occasionally about them but we reminded him that HE threw them away! Good luck.

Nicole - posted on 01/01/2009

My daughter went through the same thing, and we had a friend who had a newborn, and we made a big deal about giving the paci to the new baby that needed it. She was so excited to give it to her, and it was literally only three days that she asked for it before bed. We also let her pick out a new stuffed animal and a "silky" blanket that she takes to bed now. Now whenever she sees an older kid with a paci she will say "I'm a big girl, I don't need a binky." Makes me so proud!

Courtni - posted on 01/01/2009

My son used a binky from the day he was born! A couple of months back, the Dr. told me that it could really effect the shape of his teeth, so I right away wanted to get rid of it!!! We started on a friday night, because I knew it would be very long nights and I needed my husbands help:), and we just didn't let him have it! He was up a lot in the middle of the night, but by Sunday he was perfectly fine. We have showed him binky's lately and he throws them:) Maybe just try that:)

Lisa - posted on 01/01/2009

Hi, my son had his to 2 1/2 years and I am not talking one he had about 3! My daughter the same. I went cold turkey on them both. I know that sounds harsh but it worked. We just told them both they were big kidies now and didn't need them. Within a few days all good for both of them. I personally think they are great things but there is definitely a time for them to go! Good luck.

Rachel - posted on 01/01/2009

Oh man, we took my son's away when he started sleeping through the night, at 6 weeks. I would say, substitute it with a blankie or a sippy cup.

Lori - posted on 01/01/2009

I'm in the same boat my son will be 3 in March. Nothing has worked. Any suggestions?

Diane - posted on 01/01/2009

My family doctor had us trim the nipple down a little each day and she didn't want it when it felt different. A friend of ours attached her daughter's to a bunch of balloons and sent it up in the air. Her daughter thought it was great and hasn't cared about it since.

Tricia - posted on 01/01/2009

Kids are smart, and very adaptable, either do something to help them get rid of it, or just get rid of it. You'll deal with some crying, but after a day or two they'll forget about it, especially at that age.



Personally I started by taking it away during the day and only letting her have it in the crib for naps & nighttime. I would make her take it out when she was done sleeping and leave it in the crib. After about a month of that, then I started not giving it to her for naps, and eventually just took them away completely. We had a couple of nights of a little crying, but she quickly recovered and went to sleep peacefully. My sister cut the nipples on her son's paci's, a little at a time until eventually the whole nipple was gone and he started refusing them. When there's less to suck, they learn to soothe themselves without it.

Kandra - posted on 01/01/2009

i just took my 2 year old off of it and the hardest days were the first 3 days just cut the nipple of and give it to her or you can throw it in the trash...and just let her cry the hardest part is putting them to bed...good luck

Angel - posted on 01/01/2009

on supernanny they let the child send it off to the paci fairy so it can help other children and then you take the paci that night and replace it with confetti, glitter and fun maybe something special to replace it.

Kristine - posted on 01/01/2009

You could cut the nipple off and tell her it's broken. I tried everything with both my kids. Dish soap on the nipple worked with one but the second was a little to clever and told me to wash it off. So we just threw it away, said it was lost and eventually he just forgot about it!

Anna - posted on 01/01/2009

I was really fortunate that my daughter never really had any problems giving up things (the bottle, or nunee), but one of my friends has twins and she was telling me about how her daughter (theyre fraternal, one girl, one boy) had a hard time giving it up, and she happened to have a friend that had recently had a baby, so she told her daughter that the new baby needed her nunees and since she was a big girl now, that they should give them to the new baby since the baby needed it and chloe didnt anymore since she was a big girl...two birds in one stone..no more nunees, AND teaches them to be generous/share with others.. hope this helps.. :)

Amy - posted on 01/01/2009

I hope this will help you. My oldest daughter was 2 1/2 and that thing was everything to her. I took her to the store and told her she could have any doll that she wanted all she had to do was give the clerk at the register her paci. She picked her new doll and she did it. It was wonderful and soo sweet. Just have the clerk throw it away. Kaitlyn did it no problem!!! Good luck

Deb - posted on 01/01/2009

My son really had a hard time giving up his binky. One weekend my husband told him it was broke and could not use it anymore. He agreed and he gave it. I was amazed because he usually gives us a hard time when we are trying to get him off things that he no longer needs/

Laurie - posted on 01/01/2009

When my son and daughter were 2 and 3 we explained to them that babies used paci's and they were big kids. We collected all their paci's and put them in a gift bag. (Make sure to get all of them!!). We hung the bag outside for the paci fairy to come get them and bring them to new babies who needed paci's. Both of them got a gift in their gift bag the next morning but no more paci's. It was hard for the first couple of days but they got through it.

Hope this helps. Good luck