Getting Rid of the Pacifier - Brookston, IN

my son never took a paci so this is just what I have heard other parents do. (I work at a daycare so hear a lot of things). If you still have the paci take it and her to build a bear and while stuffing it let her put it into the bear near the foot or hand where she will be able to feel it. finish the bear and make a big deal about it being her special paci pal. then when tring to sleep she can hold it and feel the paci in there and for the familys that used this just feeling it gave the comfort and worked. best of luck

Hi, I would say if she is having trouble going to sleep at night maybe skip out on the nap for a while until she gets used to things... I had a paci when I was young I called it a wow wow and I remember when mine disappeared, It is a change. But she needs to learn to comfort herself now, and you are doing all you can... just let her try to comfort herself now, and things will get better! This is all new to her even if it is just a paci... its was a big deal to her.. so just give her time. I hope this helps!

You're pretty far along in the weaning process but I thought I'd pass this along anyway. When my daughter was about 2 1/2 or so, I started planting seeds that there were other children who needed the binki's more than she did and that, if she gave them up to the binki fairy, she'd get lots of presents in return. Then one night, we walked all around the house picking up all the binki's and putting them in a cool gift back with ribbons and bows. Then before bed, we left them by the fire place. The next morning, she awoke to find the gift bag gone and lots of cool presents waiting for her! There was even a thank you note from the binki fairy telling her how wonderful she was to give up her binki's to other kids that would not have them otherwise.

She never ever missed them! It was a very fun experience and I think it worked so well because she was ready and I made her part of the process/solution. It was a pretty memorable experience. One that we definitely video taped too!

I am a mother of 3 ages 5 3 1/2 and 1. My middle child was attached to her binky too. It seems like your doing everything to try to make your child comfortable but if she can get herself to sleep at night then you shouldn't have to revolve your afternoon around her nap time. you should keep trying to put her down and as long as she stays in her room for "quiet" time she may fall asleep and if not and she still seems very tired try moving her bedtime to 1/2 hr to an hr earlier. Just whatever you do don't give her back the paci!

I had the same problem with my daughter. Just go ahead and let her have it at naptime. She will give it up when she is ready. My daughter was almost 3 and came to me and said "ninny all gone." It's just a little security and it really does not hurt anything.

S. K

What time is bedtime at night ?? What time does she get up??
Two and three hours in bed not asleep is a bit much, and she should not be kept in bed that long. My two and one half year old grand-daughter doesn't like nap time either, and I would never insist she stay in her room that long. I rock her.She goes to sleep with in 15 minutes. We wrap in a blanket and rock. Try it it works wonders and stops the power struggle.

Dear K.,
Honesty is the best policy. We have to live by our promises. Even 2 year olds have a sense of trust and she knows she didn't loose it. Giving up naps is a hard transition...a quiet time alone is a great technique. It gives everyone a break mid day. As a grown up you can model that by taking the time for yourself and read. I do love the build a bear idea.

Ok to put it really nicely. Buy her a new one. You already told her she could keep it until she lost it or it got ruined and then you threw it away. She may be young but you would be surprised at how much they understand. I have a two yr old who gave his up on his own but if I tell him we'll do something the next day or on the weekend he reminds me. All she's thinking is why did mommy say that then take it. Kind of like the ratty old blanket thing; it may have holes but you get another you can't say you can keep it then throw it out. Maybe try every other day with "if your good you can have it tomorrow" then just keep spacing it out. I will all work out in the end. Good Luck! S. - mother of 3 (& 1 one the way)

We just took our 3 yo son's paci away last Saturday night so we are on our 5th day with no paci. The first 2 nights, it took him 2-3 hours to fall asleep. Last night, it only took him a matter of seconds to fall asleep because he was just exhausted from losing so much sleep. He stopped taking naps around 28 months or so. He rarely naps.....maybe 3 times a month to catch up on sleep. He is no longer really asking for the paci. I babysit a baby who uses one so I know it's torture for him to see someone else being allowed to have one, but he can't. So maybe you're daughter is done with naps? My son normally sleeps from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am....with a nap, he stays up way later. I get my 'me time' after 7:00 pm each day. Good luck!! Hope it gets better for you.

Hi,
I would say what you are doing is fine,just persevere. It may take her a while to adjust. I know it is hard now, but it will get better! I heard Marie Osmond once tell how she got one of her kids to quit taking theirs. She would cut off little snips off the end of it over a period of time until there was practically nothing left to suck on. The child grew tired of trying to keep it in their mouth so they tossed it aside! I thought that was kind of ingenious.

This is a late response. Computer down.

I don't know so much that she isn't sleeping because of the pacifer so much as she just isn't tired enough to go to sleep. I found that laying down and being quiet was all right for an hour or two, quiet time can be very restful for a child. I had one that quit napping at 2 years old for the most part. It was very rare for him to sleep for over 20 to 30 minutes if he did sleep at all after that age. He went to bed at 8, got up by 6 and that was just his schedule.

Neither of my children used a pacifer. I didn't like them and still don't for a variety of reasons sanitation being the biggest issue, but my nieces and nephews used them. My daughter had a special blanket she used, my son had a bear, my brother had a small pillow (we laughed when he was leaving for West Point that he would have to take it with him he is 9 years younger than I am), and my grandson has puppy a stuffed dog that never came into his life until he was all ready a year old. My cousin had a lion that looked just like mine (she was 3 years younger) and I remember spending the night at my grandparents. Cathy had misplaced her lion and we couldn't find it anywhere. My grandmother put a lipstick mark on the cheek of my lion and attempted to give it to her so she would go to sleep. We ended up taking her home at 2 a.m. that night and by the way, she wouldn't sleep there either. We finally found the lion in the basement in the cabinet we used to store our paper dolls in the next day. If you didn't throw it away I suggest you give it back to her, it is a comfort item for her and the Creator knows we all need something to comfort us.

Good luck,

P. R

Well, I feel your pain. We just went through this with our 3 1/2 year old son. Same situation. You lose it and it's gone. It took 2 solid weeks of asking for it, not napping, but this last week he has seem to move on. Being she is only 2 1/2 I'm one of those that says you pick your own battles. It really is a confort to them. My sister and I even went as far as talking to the dentist and he said. It's the thumb suckers that do more damage as with a paci, these are only baby teeth and by time they get their permanate teeth all should be well. Hope this helps.

God Bless,
Kimberly

Go to www.mambaby.com. There is a wonderful story that really helped with my daughter. She also was very attached to her "binky". We told her that when her last binky got a hole in it, that was it. She took very good care of that pacifier for 6 MONTHS! But because of the story, she felt like she was doing something good for her pacifier. To help sooth her to sleep, we also put on music (soft lullabys, classical music). That also helped when it was time to go to sleep without the pacifier. She is 5 1/2 and still has to have the music on when she goes to sleep, but I figure listening to Mozart and Bach isn't such a bad thing. Good luck and just remember that this is a hard transition for her. As adults, we also don't like to give up things that we love.

Cut the nipple off of it and then give it to her. When she sees there is nothing there anymore....she wont' want it. This works!

I have a 41/2 year old with the same problem. Depending on the type of paci you use, there are no damaging effects of letting them continue the use of the paci just for sleep time. I think a lot of people may disagree with me, but I have gone through this with 2 other children, and they gave it up before they started school. If she is that attached to it, she may still need that comfort that only her paci can offer. If you feel very strongly that she has to stop, a nap time sticker chart might work with rewards for so many stickers. Good luck!!

It is obvious that your daughter is not ready to give up naps if she is grumpy the rest of the day. At 2 1/2, I would give her a new paci. My daughter loved her paci and when I asked my pediatric dentist about it, he told me that she can have it as long as it's gone by 3 1/2. It was 1 month after her third birthday that it went away and she did just fine without it. I would buy her a new one. :o)

I would be Regina's b/f that makes the terrorist remark. Of my five children only one of them so far has had a love affair with the passie. She loved it so much that when she was your daughter's age she made up songs about it and sang them throughout the house. She gave her's up at 3 1/2. If she only takes it at naptime and that is the worst thing you have to say about the day then it is a good news day, girl. Just limit it to naptime. If we take away the passie and they don't have a suitable replacement, lots of times they will go to the thumb and you can't throw that away. I promise she will not graduate highschool sucking on a passie.

My first daughter had a powerful love affair with her pacifier. Because she was born with so many birth defects I did not fight the attactment. When she was three and a half she started getting a little too picky about the shape, smoothness, and taste of her passy! I told her that she was becoming a big girl now and that is why it taste different...okay that worked all day until bedtime and then all bets were off.....so my advice is to praise her constantly for the "big girl" things she does all day.."Wow that is such a big girl thing to do. Mommy is so proud of you". If she is like most 4 year "Women" she is very much proud of being a big girl and loves praise and loves for you to talk to her like the "woman" she THINKS she is. Tell her that you love that she is a big girl now and because she is a big girl she is too big for her passy. Now be patient and it is alright to give in once in a while-after all it is just a passy. Especially if she only needs it at nap time....But each time she asks for it remind her that it is a baby thing and that she is a big girl and try to avoid giving it to her. She has to be ready to leave it all together. Pick your battles and there is nothing wrong with a little compromise. It will happen for her-just be patient

I dont know about you but nap time is a very important part of my day---want to take a bath--talk on the phone---or just me time.....to quote my dearest friend--"The terrorist will not win if she has her passy once at nap time"

I have to agree with some of the responses, she may be geting to a point of not wanting to take naps anymore or maybe will only need one a couple times a week. If you are like me and really like you nap time, I would let her have a paci only during that time. She will eventually give it up they all do. My two oldest gave it up in very different ways but they were both almost three before I finally got it away from them at bedtime and naptime (those were the only times they were alowed to have them.)

Good luck and don't stress she will be fine:)

I am a developmental therapist and work with children birth through 5 years of age. We all need things to calm us. It sounds like she's just not ready. You will find(I'm sure) differing opinions on this from friends, family and professionals. DO what's in your gut. 2 1/2 is not too old to still need oral calming.
Peace,
S.

She may be holding on to the paci because her new sibling is in the house, sometimes siblings regress when a new one comes home. Something I tried to get my son's buy in was, we decorated an envelope and sent it off to "Bellefont the binki fairy" because another new baby needed it more then him. The next morning I had a return envelope from "Bellefont" praising him, telling him how much the new little baby apprectiated the binki, and enclosed a few inexpensive items (new crayons, a small stuffed animal). We have had no problems since except when he is really overtired and asks for it. I remind him it's sent away and that does it. You may also want to try giving it to her at nap time only, for like 5 minutes to calm her or when she falls asleep sneaking in and taking it away (it usually falls out of their mouth anyway). Cold turky on a habit is tough for anyone, and toddlers have a hard time expressing frustration. I hope this helps you, and remember it takes 4 weeks to break a habit. Best of luck!