Advice on How to Get a 2Yr Old to Give up the "Binky"

I cut the tips off of all my son's binky's. Not the tip completely, but just a nice lil chunk off the tip. When he went to grab a binky, he saw it was broke, put it down, picked up another, broke too, & so on & so forth. We actually had them all in a large cup & he went thru them all, practically looked at one broken & tossed it over his shoulder just to pick up the next one & do the same. We got down to the bottom of the pile & none of them "worked" ... & he pretty much didn't care.
I just told him he sucked too hard! ha ha.
Good luck!

Please do not cut off the tip of the pacifier. It then becomes a choking hazard. I am with the other moms who suggest the "binky fairy".

My 2 and 3 year old daughters were ADDICTED to their binkies, and last month I took them for a dentist visit and had the dentist tell them that the binkies were bad for their teeth....they came home and threw away all of their binkies and have not asked for one since!

Our son was IN LOVE with his! First of all, we began to limit it to nap/bedtime. Then, when he was about 2 1/2 and was asking for a skateboard (for whatever reason :)) I told him that we could take his "bobos" to Target and trade them in for a skateboard, if he wanted to. I didn't do it immediately, because I wanted him to realize what he doing. A couple days later, we "traded" them for a skateboard. He cried/complained a few times, but I reminded him that we gave them to the man for the skateboard. A couple days later, he was great! And he LOVES his skateboard! Good luck to your friend!

We sent ours to the pacifier fairy...the pacifier fairy collects pacifiers from big kids that don't need them anymore and brings them to new babies that really need them...we put ours on the window sill as we went to bed and they were gone in the morning. Just make sure if this route is taken that ALL pacifiers are gone in the house and one won't be discovered a week later underneath something.

I think 2 is still pretty young to 'force' him to give up the binky full time. I didn't even try with my son and he just started tossing it out on his own when he was around 2 1/2 years old and never cried about it or made any fuss. I think if your co-worker tries to force it, she is only setting it up to be a bigger deal than it needs to be. Is there some specific REASON this kid can't have a binky, or is a MIL or someone just making her feel embarrassed about it? No one goes to kindergarten with a binky- its too early to worry about it!!

When my son was 2, he was hooked on his binky as well. We thought if we limited binky use to naps/bed time, he would eventually give it up. Not the case. It got to where he couldn't sleep without one and we were constantly searching for one.

Finally we took the advice in What to Expect: The Toddler Years and poked tiny holes in the ends of the pacifier letting all the air out. My son was unhappy with them at first and tried every one he owned to find one that gave him that "satisfaction." All of them had holes and while he stubbornly sucked on the poked-binkys for about a day or so, he gave up when he realized they just weren't "the same" anymore. He even thought it was "his idea" to stop using them so it worked like a charm!

WAIT until Christmas! Both my kids gave their Binky "ies" to Santa.

My daughter put ALL of them on a plate by the cookies and went to bed without it. Christmas morning they were gone and Santa left a note telling her ALL about the little babies that needed them.

My son had all of his in a ziplock baggie and gave his to Santa when he came to his daycare for a visit. I have pictures of the bag of binkies being placed into Santa's sack.

They both asked for them a few times randomly afterward but we just reminded them about the new babies that needed them. The requests were short lived and all was well.

I now have a 6-month old who LOVES his binky. When he is 2 I hope to be able to do the same thing!

Good Luck to your co-worker!

I was having major problems with my son's binky use; well actually it was more along the lines of a binky addiction!! My friend absolutely raved about the cut method, and all of the psychology behind it. She found it on www.bye-bye-binky.com , which is great that it was also free. We went with it and OMGosh... worked so beautifully for my son with NO tantrums, not even one! Thank you God. Five days later he did not want anything to do with his binky. What a relief it was to all of us to finally be done with those darn binkies. Highly recommended! I am also interested in others experiences.... B.

The Super Nanny has a good idea for this, she says to collect all the "binkys" up and put them in a bag for the "Binky Fairy" to come by and collect for other little ones who don't have a binky that need one. Then the next morning the "Binky Fairy" leaves a gift of "thanks" for giving up your binkys. I've seen her do it on the show and seems to work?? I would give it a try.

I take back my earlier statement, I was thinking Binky was blanket... if it's a pacifier, it is something that needs to be dealt with... my mistake.

N.,

I've had to do this two times. Instead of 'taking it away', let the baby 'give it up'. Do this by cutting the tip of the binky off and then give it to the baby. When the baby realizes something is wrong, then just say 'oh no, it's broken and that's all we have left.' This way, it's the baby's choice to not use it any more and the parent isn't the bad one for taking it away. The first couple of days are slightly rough but everything for me was fine by day 3. This work for both of my boys and has worked for many that I've suggested this to.

Good luck,
C.

We took our child to Build A Bear. We made a big deal of how she could carry around the paci ALLL the time and that the bear (in her case, bunny) would keep it safe all the time. We had limited the paci to night time/nap time use only, so when it was day time, we would say, do you want to bring your bunny? Then you're bringing your paci too.

We also made sure it was her choice and that she was part of the process. She chose to go to build a bear, she chose her bunny and she put the paci in the bunny.

Depending on the nature of the addiction though, you may need a substitute. My daughter really is a bit orally fixated so started putting other things in her mouth. Then she started teething, so we bought her several teething rings. If it's comfort, the bear will be good. Especially if she picks out the bear. I had my daughter "comfort" test ALLLL the bears for the coziest one.

I agree with all of the "pacifier fairy" moms. We told our daughter that the fairy flew the pacis to the Phillipines for the needy children, and it did the trick. Our friend who went "cold turkey" later told me that she regretted not having a good story.

Do it cold turkey. Gather them up and throw them away. There will be a few very rough days, but the transition will be quicker than if your co-worker tries to 'wean'. With 'weaning' they're still in the house and the temptation to give in and use them exists.

If she feels like she needs a gentler approach, have her package the pacifiers up for the 'pacifier fairy' to come and pick up to deliver to babies in need. Put them in a bag outside one evening and then the next morning the child should find a 'thank you' gift from the pacifier fairy in return for giving them up. When the kid crabs that she wants to pacifier after she's given them up, remind the kid that she donated them to the pacifier fairy.

We really pushed the "big girl" angle. You do just have to accept that there may be some tears, but for us, she cried for about five minutes the first two nights, and then she was fine. We do still let her have it to sleep (one step at a time!), but she will find it now and show it to us and inform us that she's a big girl and only needs it at night-night. Pride is a powerful motivator.

Like some one else said, letting her think that it's her idea can make a big difference (works with husbands too, LOL). My daughter was very attached to her binky and couldn't sleep with out it (we limited it to nap/bedtime). Her 3rd birthday came & went and I was beginning to despair of her ever giving it up. We started talking about her being a big girl and not a baby and how big girls don't use them, etc. She would say things like, "When I'm bigger and don't use my binky anymore . . ." but it was always in the future for her. We don't do Santa so I couldn't use that, but when she didn't get one of the things she really wanted for Christmas that year, I told her that if she slept all night without her binky she could have that toy. There were several more weeks of talking about it. She didn't whine or demand, she would just comment, "when I don't use my binky anymore, I can have my car, right?" I always assured her that yes, that was true. Finally one day in February she announced that she was ready to sleep without her binky. She went to bed very excited. It took her longer than normal to fall asleep, but she did, and the next day I took her to Toys'r'Us and picked up her toy. She never asked for the binky again!

Now I don't know if a 2 year old can think abstractly enough for this approach to work, but it sure did for us.

I am guessing you mean pacifier not blanket. If it is pacifier I would try the "binky fairy" who gives the "binky" to babies that need them. My son collected his "pacies" and put them in a bag. That night the fairy came and left him a toy on his bed (because he was down to only using it at nap/night.) I would say starting with working down to nap and night and keeping it in the bed is first step. Then we also had a baby in mind that needed the "binky". My son still remembers the that baby Mia got his pacies form the pacie fairy and is very proud that he could help that baby and the fairy. (It was NOT easy for me. My husband held him while he cried that the fairy could talk back all his toys for one pacie...but it only lasted two nights and that was it.) You have to be strong and remove them all from the house so you are not tempted to give in...Good Luck to your friend!

We slowly took it away from my 2 year old grandaughter. First when we went somewhere like grocery store binky had to stay in car. Then daughter only let her have it at bedtime and nap time then all of a sudden she didnt want it anymore then at my house only time she got it was naptime and when she asked for it shed have to lay down so alot she didnt want it cause she didnt want a nap. then on day at my house she was getting tired grandpa layed her down went got her binky she said no dont want and thats been 4 months ago and she hasnt asked for it. Id gradualy take it away limit to certain times.

We take ours to the dentist and trade it in for a gift that I have dropped off earlier. I blame the dentist..Dentist said you can't have this anymore it is ruining you teeth.

We took our daughter on a weekender up to Grandmas lake house. Mommy "forgot" the binkies so she had to do without. It was a long weekend, however she knew there were just none to be had so there was nothing she could do about it.

When she got home, she asked Daddy for one of her binkies and searched the house.

There was a note from the binky fairy that she had gathered up all the binkies and given them to the new babies that needed them since we had a "big girl" in our house now.

No matter what - any transition stinks - but going cold turkey worked for us.

We went cold turkey with our twins, but they were limited to sleep times only and we didn't have any trouble at all.

Our son was a little more "hooked," We told him that Santa did a special Pacifier run a few days before Christmas. We left all the pacifiers on the cookie plate for Santa and in the morning there was a present in his stocking. It was a little rough for a few days, but we made it.

My sister in law had a pacifer party. They had my neice gather all the pacifers herself and throw them away. Then they had a party to celebrate her new big girl status.

My good friends had a balloon lauch. They tied the pacifier to a helium filled balloon and told her that the balloon would bring the pacifer to a baby who needed it. Then they release the balloon.

With my oldest daughter, we had limited them to nap and bedtime only. At Thanksgiving time, when the buzz of Santa was in the air, Santa wrote my daughter a letter. The note basically asked her if she needed big girl or more baby toys for Christmas that year. The note went on to say, that Santa hoped she would stop using her pacifier so she could get some big girl toys. Each night before bed, we would just remind her that Santa wanted her to be a big girl and that mommy and daddy would be really proud of her too! It worked like a charm!

Now, on the other hand, I'm also a daycare provider, so I've seen many parents struggle through this. Usually, the best way to do it is cold turkey. Start on a weekend, where the parents have enough time to devote to the drama that is sure to unfold. Give the child something else that is special or that should be able to comfort them.

My 2 year old son gave up his paci this summer to the "pacifer fairy". We shared a story that the pacifier fairy picks up pacifiers from big boys and girls and brings them to new little babies. My friend recently had a new baby, so my little boy had an idea of what a new baby was. I had him gather all of them into a ziplock and we found a special place to leave them. He went to sleep and when he woke up, the p's were gone and there was a new book and special animal to snuggle with in their place. Things went relatively smoothly. He cried for them that night and the next day/evening but then he was fine. It was really a lot easier than I had anticipated.

Our daughter was extremely attached to her pacifier. Around her 3rd birthday we finally decided to get rid of it. We hyped up the Pacifier Fairy for weeks. When it finally came time we had her put her pacifiers in a special box and the Pacfier Fairy left her a special present. Unfortunatly that did not 100% work so after a night of crying we let her pick out a new stuffed animal and that became her new security item. She only needed it for a week though. Tell your friends Good Luck!

Hi N.,

Been there! With my daughter many years ago, when she was just about two in fact, we had a "lolly" party. I don't remember if we built up this party ahead of time or just made an announcement at dinner. After dinner we placed the trash can in the middle of the kitchen floor. Her dad, her older brother, she, and I each had a lolly and we paraded around the house marching and singing (don't remember what) and after a couple rounds we each passed the trash and dropped in our lolly. At that point she had already known that when anything went into the trash, we did not get it back out because it was too dirty to wash. This worked like a charm for us as she never, not once, asked for a lolly after that. If memory serves correctly, I think she found a lolly or two after the party and threw them out all on her own.

Luck to your friend,

J.