Need Advice on Pacifier for 2 1/2 Year Old

I haven't tried this myself, but the subject of weaning kids from pacifiers came up in conversation last night w/ a girlfriend. She mentioned her coworker poked a hole in her son's pacifiers and that broke the suction and the habit. Might try do this to just one pacifier and saying it's broken or they no longer work when he becomes a certain age? Best of luck!

When my daughter was 18 months old (which I thought was too old) we simply threw them away and she cried for them awhile at night for 2-3 days and then it was over. He is old enough to understand now, so just tell him that this is how it is going to be. You are the parent and know what is best for him.

We too were down to the only using the bink at night. My daughter was about the same age as your son. I had taken her to the dentist and they suggested that I might want to think about weaning her. I had just brought our son home from the hospital so I waited a few months. Then started talking to her about how the binky fairy was coming soon. This was because binkies are for babies (like her baby brother) and she was a big girl now. Finally after a month, we had her help us gather up all the binkies in the house and put them in a manilla envelope. We addressed it to the binky fairy and told her that she was doing a good thing, sending all her binkies to the babies that need them. Also told her the binky fairy would be giving her a gift... worked like a charm! The next morning, got her out of bed and we all went outside to the mailbox. There was her gift from the fairy. She was so excited! That night she asked for her binky but we reminded her that she had mailed them to babies...she remembered and has never asked for them again...as far as the regression! I can relate! So frustrating but we are in the midst of potty training too..now shes not telling us either. Sigh.

Cut the tips of the pacifers. He well get mad at them because they wellnot work the sme way. Hopefully he well just put them down by himself. The regression is probably because he is stressed out about lossing the pacifer. You can back off of it for a while and see if it gets better.

Um, I don't have any suggestions, but I am curious - is the doctor or dentist recommending getting rid of them or is it that you have decided it is time?

If he is just using it at night, and it is comforting, what is the urgency get rid of them?

No judgement, just genuine curiousity.

You've gotten a lot of good ideas here. I just have one tidbit to add: set a date that the binky is gone. I did this when our older son (total 'giggy'addict!) was 2.5. We told him that when he turned 3 in 6 months, that it was time to give up the 'giggies' (as he called them) to the new babies who needed them. We did the same as you & limited them to nap & bed times only. After he woke up, I took all of them & out them outa reach. For the next 6 months we talked a lot about the upcomng event. When he had his 3 yr check-up, we put all the giggies in a plastic baggy & took them out on his own & gave them to his ped. at the check-up. She knew exactly what we were doing w/o me telling her & congratulated him on being such a big boy. One other tidbit, for our son, this meant his daily 2-3 hr nap was over as he couldn't fall asleep at daytime naps w/o them. I was not expecting this to happen (!) but realized 3 was a pretty common age for naps to stop. He just went to bed about 2 hrs earlier every night w/o any problems. So, set the date & mark it on the calender, keep talking about the event w/great excitement & maybe try to replace it w/anoher special lovey that he picks out himself. The key here, be consistent & stay strong! No giving in! Best of luck!

My advice on getting rid of the pacifier is doing it cold turkey. Our son did exactly as yours, only using it at nap/bed time, but around 2 1/2 it was time to get rid of it. The whole fairy thing didnt work us, nor did cutting the tips off the pacifiers. We just hid them one day, told him he was a big boy and he didnt need them anymore. The 1st 2 days were the hardest....with the constant asking for them. After the first week was over, he didnt ask for them at all. It was worth it to go through a couple days of constant whining to having no binkies in the house. Good luck!

My oldest son gave up his binky on his own by about 2 1/2. my daughter I didn't even CONSIDER taking her binky away till well past 3 ... she was much more attached to it than my oldest had been add to that the fact we were moving AND having another baby, when she was turning 3 ... forget it. My youngest son never got attached to a binky but was a bottle baby for way longer than the other two.

What we did with the binky was when she was about 3 1/2 we "lost" the binky. When it was time for bed one night I couldn't "find" the binky. Of course I actually knew EXACTLY where it was. So I told her to climb in bed and lay down and I'd go look for it. She called me maybe 3 or 4 times (maybe a little more) and I'd go into her room and tell her I was still looking for it, the first night. And she eventually fell asleep without it. We went through the same process the next night ... with her asking for it less often and she fell asleep sooner. If I remember right she only asked for it for one more night (maybe two max) and that was the end of that ... no more binky.

Something like that might work for you with him. You might also consider waiting a little longer and not making too big a deal out of getting rid of the binky.

Hope this has helped.

My daughter was 2 1/2 when we got rid of hers. Trust me it was two nights of just crying, but we told her that once she went the entire night without crying that she could go to the store and pick out one toy. Two nights was all it took. We too only allowed it in the bed with her. Good luck. It was tough, but we made it through it. She even had a new sister six months later and still never wanted the pacifier.

Hi, I don't think I have one picture of my daughter when she was little without a binky! When it was time, I did the night time thing like you're doing, and then when it was time I cut the littlest tip off all the binkies. It stops them getting true suction. Every week or two I would cut another 1/8 inch off the tip. After a while she just lost interest. It was a miracle. I hope it works for you.
The potty training thing is happening at my house too. She's 3 years and 3 months. She was doing great and now only poops in the potty, she pee's almost exclusively in her pull-up. I figure when she's ready.......
Good Luck, H.

Diana, I'm going to be very frank with you, stop allowing your son to run the show!! The NEED for a pacifier ends at 6 months of age. At 2 1/2 it's a habit and a bad one at that. That being said the Binky Fairy needs to come immediately, leaving in the 2 pacifiers place a kind note of gratitude and a special toy, maybe even a cuddly new stuffed friend. He may be quite upset at first, but will move on possibly quicker than yourself. As far a regressing with his potty training, for a child, especially a boy who started at such an early age, stop worrying. How normal. If I were you I would treat him like a child who is beginning his potty training adventure. Not only asking him frequently if he needs to go but actually having him take hourly potty breaks. Possibly even a sticker chart with rewards after so many successful times on the potty. Busy 4 year old boys and girls often have accidents due to their busy lives and not wanting to take the time to sit on the potty. Being trained so early this could also be what's going on with him. Good luck and best wishes.

Oh my word, my son is turning 3 son and has 2 pacifiers also that he has at naptime and bedtime. He never attached to a blanket, stuffed animal etc, so his pacifier's are his comfort. After he turns 3 we are going to only give it to him at bedtime and after a while move to 1 pacifier and then eventually none. I'm in no hurry, and I don't care what other people think. His dentist is fine with it and he will be rid of it soon, but at a slower pace. From one mom to another with a son with 2 pacifier's, take it slow. Move to one and then eventually none. Lots of kids still have them, you just don't see it. My son is doing fine potty training, won't tell us either but we put him on the potty a lot. He is telling us after which is progress. He is in pull-ups and is good about going when we remind him. Regression is normal. Good luck

My daughter was also very attached to her binkys. She was only getting them at sleeping times and when she turned two we started talking to her about not using them anymore...tried the toy/fairy ideas...everything. So we went the cutting route. She only had two left because all the others had been 'lost'. First we snipped a very small hole in one. It kind of confused her but she kept it for a night. The next night I cut a small portion of the tip off. She handed it back to me and told me it was broken, she wanted her other one. I told her since it was broken we had to throw it away. We let her have the last one for a couple nights then snipped a small hole. Every couple of nights to a week I would cut a sliver of the tip off. She would tell me it was broken and when I told her to throw it away she would put it back in her mouth. It got so small that she couldn't hardly hold it in her mouth anymore so she just wanted to hold it in her hand when she went to sleep. That lasted for a month, maybe two. Then one night she didn't ask for it and I hid it (I was afraid to get rid of it!). She asked for it a time or two after that and I told her I didn't know where it was that we could look for it tomorrow. That was it. It was a bit of a long process...few months probably...but we never had a hard separation. She never cried for it...it was a slow weaning and it worked for her. She is 3 now and will tell me that binky's are for babies!

I found that by snipping a tiny bit off the pacifier each day it will get smaller and smaller until he doesn't want it!!!!!

My friends daughter was hooked on the paci too. She really wanted a toddler bed so they took her to pick out the special bed and once the crib went the paci's went with it. She said the first few nights were really hard and sad, but she got over it.
I also read where someone brought them (boxed up and ready for shipping) to the UPS store and handed to the person behind the counter with a note that said, "throw this away when we leave" and they told their child that they were sending them to Sesame Street, or to needy kids.
Hope one helps =O)

We cut the tip of the pacifier also. It worked like a charm for us.