Breaking the Pacifier

hi my name is S.. my son is 2.5 years old and we took the pacifier away except when he is sleeping. my girlfriend told me to pack them all up and tell them that the pacifier fairy is going to come and take them because it is time and then the fairy left her a special gift. it worked for her but i haven't tried it yet. if you get anyother responses i would love to hear them. good luck. :)

Hey L.,
My hubby and I did the same thing when our daughter turned two. We just either threw them away, or put them up somewhere in the closet where she would never be able to get to them. When she asked for it, we pretended like we didn't know what she was asking for. It was very frustrating for her, but it only took a week tops before she just got over wanting it. Although I must warn you, if you are going to go this route, make sure you take down all of the pictures in your house of her with the binky in her mouth, that gives her a way to show you what she is looking for. I would just rub her back, sing, or let her watch tv to fall asleep, until she didn't ask for it anymore. Hope this helps! Happy Mothers Day!

E. :o)

Hi! I had the same problem at the same time!! One day I took the pacifier and cut the ENTIRE nipple off...all of the rubber...so all that was left was the plastic handle and mouth guard part. Then I tucked it in her bed. That night at bed time, she found it on her own (so I couldn't be implicated!!). She was very upset but we told her that her "big" girl teeth must have bitten it off...and that meant she was too big for a pacifier. She slept with the plascic handle in her hand for several nights but eventually forgot about that too! GOOD LUCK. It was one of the saddest things we've had to do with her but well worth it! Just don't give in back once you do take it away or else you will never get rid of it!! I hope this helps!!

Hi L., I took my daughter and her bag of binky's to Toy R Us and let her pick out a new doll (or stuff aminal for a boy) to cuddle with. When we got to the register I told the girl she wanted to exchange the binky's for the doll. After a little hesitation the enchange took place and I paid for the doll on the sly. When she asked for the binky we would get the doll and remind her how she traded and she seemed to accept that. Good Luck Toni

My daughter is 21 months old and I'd like to get rid of hers also. She doesn't use it at daycare but as soon as we get in the car, she asks for her "paci" and will have it with her all evening, including at bed time. I was thinking of just letting this one get old and tear and when that happens having her throw it in the trash herself? When my older daughter was two hers broke and she threw it away and that was the end of that. Good luck!

We are in the same boat, but our daughter is a little older. She turns three in a week and we both agreed that on her birthday she would go cold turkey. She's been weaned down to only having it in the car and during sleeptime, but it's still an issue where she wants it constantly. We've been talking to her about the Pacifier Fairy and she keeps repeating that there won't be anymore "fire" as she calls it. But our concern is that we have another young baby girl (10 mos. old) that uses one. I KNOW she will just steal hers as she does anyway...Any suggestions for this scenario? HELP!

My 5 year daughter had her pacifier until she was 2 1/2. Only at night time too.

A friend of mine told me to cut the tip off the pacifier, so then the sucking action would stop working. We did that, but my daughter knew we had extras (in the cases when the pacifier is lost). Ultimately, we talked to my daughter about throwing it away and that if she could put it in the trash herself she would get a toy. Now this did not happen over night. It was a good week or so of talking and asking her is she was ready to become a big girl and get her toy. In addition, I was pregnant with our second child and I would talk to her about how big sisters don't use pacifiers.

As you already know, every child is different and you may need to try various things before something works. Personally, I think a new 2 year old is too young emotionally to give up certain bedtime habits. I never gave my second child a pacifier, so I would not have to go through the whole getting rid of it routine again and she is a thumb sucker! She is 29 months and we started talking to her about taking her thumb out of her mouth a few months ago. Now I will be asking others how to stop thumbsucking!

The best of luck to you on losing the pacifier!!

My little girl was a little over 2, we were on a camping trip and she threw it into the woods. Before she could see I picked it up and hid it, we told her we didnt know where it went, but the bears would find it someday. She never took one after that. You could ask her if shes ready to get rid of it, then make up some cute way to say good-bye, let her be a part of it and let her know what a big girl she is now that she doesn't need it anymore. Good Luck!

Hi L.! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you too! :-) Funny you should ask this now...Today has been ONE week since we got rid of my son's binky. My friend (and you know who you are if you're reading this), told me to tell a Binky Fairy Story. So I did and it worked WONDERFULLY!!! I hope it works for your daughter as well. Ok, so here goes the Binky Story...Tell your daughter that the Binky Fairy needs her binky to take to another baby that needs it and the Binky Fairy needs her help to do so. Have your daughter put her Binky in a baggy, and tie it up. You can place the baggy wherever you want up high like hanging on the backyard tree, or up on a shelf and tell her that the Binky Fairy will come and take her binky and give it to another baby that needs it. Then if you choose to do so, leave her a toy to reward her for doing such a wonderful thing for another baby! :-) Just today, my son hasn't asked for his binky. I kept having to tell him the binky story and he accepts it, but often he forgot that he gave it to the binky fairy. Now mind you...She may have difficulty sleeping for a few nights since the binky acts like a stress reducer, and for relaxation. My son is two and a half years old and he just now started to understand more of what I tell him. That probably made the 'giving up the binky' a bit easier. You might want to start this on a weekend that you and your husband don't have much to do because she may keep you up all night and you all may not get a whole lot of sleep. :-) I hope this works for you. I was so sure that my son was going to have tantrums because of him not having his binky, but he actually did very well! It's been one week now, and he's doing great without it! Good luck to you all! And have a great weekend! G.

Just throw them away - out of sight - out of mind. It will be harder on you and your husband than on your daughter.

Congratulations and Happy Mom's day!

L.

A little about me: I am a mother of a 9 yr old daughter (will be 9 on Mother's day and 6 yr old son. I have a Master's Degree in Family Resources & Human Development and am a Registered Dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition. I am also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.