Breaking the pacifier – how long does it last?

Question

I know it varies child to child but I wanted to ask and find a rough idea. My son is 21 months old and still uses his pacifier. At his daycare they don’t allow them, so it was a great chance for us to break it and we did a very good job at this. However, my husband is the guilty one who caves and gives in when the crying gets to be too much for him. He says he hates seeing his little man upset. I do also, but I also hate it when I can’t understand his talking because he has that d**n thing in his mouth.

So now that the doctor has spoken up to my husband, he seems to think he’s ready to break this habit.

It’s day 2 and my son had a meltdown last night until he passed out 2 seconds later. And this morning, I wouldn’t let him have it and again, he fell asleep just fine. He falls asleep fine at daycare and doesn’t fuss all day for it. No other children are allowed to have it either.

For my husband’s sake, I’d like to throw them ALL away. But I can assure you if he has a moment he’ll just go buy another.

But back to main question: How long did your toddlers pacifier fit last? A few days? A week? Longer?

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

My 23 month old daughter has been off her passy for a week and a half now. She is doing ok. I cut the tip off it and put it where I knew she would find it. When she found it she was heart broken. She said bobo broken. I was heart broken with her. She took it to everyone and showed them her broken bobo. And never looked back. She may ask for it and I have to remind her its broken once in a while but over all its gone. I will tell you this you took his soother and it has to be replaced. I have her a soft teddy.

Answer 2

Good for you for electing to go "cold turkey!"  Too bad that your husband is such a woos.  Throw out all of the pacifiers now.  If your husband tries to give another pacifier, throw it out and smack him in the head.  Tell him to stop being such a douchebag.  

The "fits" will probably end soon.  It sounds like your kid's fits end after two seconds, so you have nothing to complain about (except for your weak husband).

Answer 3

i had it till i was 3 and then my parents

had funeral for my pacifiers  

Answer 4

I've gone through two pacifier removals and like you said, it totally varies kid to kid. My oldest daughter was cured quickly (less than two weeks) and could resume to normal napping when I taught her to hug her bear/blanket. My youngest daughter on the other hand...we took hers in April and she STILL wants it back (that's four months later if you're counting)!!!

I have to say that cold turkey is the way to go. If you take it for awhile and then give it back a few days later it confuses the child as to the permanence of the situation.

We had Pootie Fairy parties where the kids saw on the calendar that the date was coming (my girls were older, 3 years old, when we took them away but you are smart to do it at 21 months...really!!!!!) so we counted down for a month. With a younger kiddo I would only give a week or twos notice on a calendar (my girls like to see things that are coming up...trips, etc., etc.). Anyway, I make a cake and we have a going away party for Pootie (that's what we call pacis here in my house). The girls get to dip the paci into the frosting for one last sweet suck. That night they leave the pacis outside their bedroom door so that the Pootie Fairy can deliver them to new babies in hospitals. In return they get a gift from the Pootie Fairy (both my girls indicated that they wanted a pack n' play for their dolls...so it was a nice $20 gift...we make it a BIG deal) that's there when they wake up the next morning.

There's no easy way to do it but the way that will cause the least amount of whining and conufsion for your son will be cold turkey when you are ready to do away with it all together. We were down to using it for just naps and night time when we went cold turkey. And yes, it sucks, it will test your patience and you WILL want to give it back. Hang in there...it will be worth it.

Best of luck to you all!

Answer 5

Just dont give it to him anymore! when i was a baby my father cut the nipple of and i just didnt want it anymore!

Answer 6

My son is 21 months also. We took his binky away during the day and only allow him to have it at nap time and bedtime.  For the first week I had to hide it and he did have melt downs for about 2-3 days. Then it just seemed to wear off. That was about 2 weeks ago. Now he knows that he can't have it until bed time. When he gets up in the morning he puts it on his pillow and tells it bye bye. He won't even touch it until its time to go to sleep....You may find this helpful.....when I first took it away, I told him you are a big boy and you don't get a binky until bedtime. Instead I gave him this really cool water bottle. Every time he asked for his "B". I would say " you don't get your binky but you can have your big boy water bottle" it seemed to help. You don't have to use a water bottle but I chose it because it seemed to help with the oral fixation.

Answer 7

At 11 months my son shoved it away one day and didn't want it anymore. I think that if you give him one week at the most without it, he'll forget about it.  

Answer 8

I've heard the huge meltdowns last for about 3 days, after that they get whiny about it for several days to several weeks later.

Is there any way you can treat the pacifier to a 'when you're sleeping only' rule?

Answer 9

with mine it was once we threw them away and they didnt see them anymore..

Answer 10

Do you know, I've allways said that parents have a harder time weaning off the dummies than the children.  Soor I mean pacifier, we call them dummies in england.

My boy gave his up when he was 6 months and I didn't know what to do!  I couldn't just put it in his mouth any more if he cried, but I had to think about alternative ways to sooth him.  He was fine, I was me that had a problem with it!

I think you have the right aproach.  If your other half doesn't interfere it should only last days.  But he will proilong it and make him upset for longer if he persisits in giving him one.

I would keep throwing them away if you can do that without arguments.  Make it harder for him to give him a dummy.  If he has to go to the shop everytime your sons pleads get too much, he will get bored of that sooner, or he may fall asleep while he's out getting one.