Getting rid of pacifier?

Question

My daughter is 18 months old and only uses her pacifier at naps and bedtime. Does anyone have any great ideas to help her stop using it? Thanks :)

Answer 1

Well at my house, I have 4 kids, the"Pacifier Fairy" came and took it to a new baby that really needed it.  Work 4 times!

Answer 2

Don't force the issue. She will give it up in her own time.

Answer 3

i just took my sons away. he got over it in a day or two. same with the bottle. it sounds mean, but ya have to do it. good luck

Answer 4

What's so wrong with an 18mo using pacifiers for naps and bedtimes?

I grew up with a sister that sucked her thumb until she started grade school.  Since you can't take fingers away from a child (at least not legally), and I've seen so many children walking around with thumbs or even multiple fingers (or their shirt even) in their mouths, we've made the decision to just allow our children to continue using pacifiers AT BED TIMES ONLY for extended times.  It seems to work in that we don't have a huge problem with them sticking things in their mouths at other times.  We occasionally have to tell them to take something (toy, hands, etc) of of their mouth, but it's never become a big issue.

When our oldest got around 4yo (sort of the earliest you can start to 'reason' with them) we basically bribed him into giving up pacifiers.  At the time, he became enamored with glow sticks.  We offered to by him a whole box of glow sticks (cheap ones you get at WalMart, so it only cost about $30 to get a set of 36, 6 of each color offered) if he would ditch the pacifiers.  He accepted, and we had a pacifier cutting ceremony that evening where DS took scissors him self to cut the pacifiers and toss them in the trash forever.

Answer 5

My daughter fell got a fat lip when she was 2 & did not want it for about a week while it healed, so I packed them away never to be seen again and she has never said anything. Good luck I hope it is that easy for you!

Answer 6

I've heard of people doing what zulu suggested and for them it worked wonderfully.  If you know someone with a new baby to "give" it to and let her give it to the new baby she'll feel like she's doing something important and maybe not ever want it again.

Other suggestions I have heard are to leave it for the Easter Bunny so he'll leave you candy, or Santa so he'll leave presents.  Since neither holiday is close (or if you celebrate either) a variation may work.  

If you are in a small town (it works better if you know someone) you could have your daughter give it to the Pacifier police (a real police officer) but you may want to talk to the officer first and explain what's going on.  Some of them will help, some won't.  

My next suggestion will probably get thumbs down....but "oops" drop it out the window when you are in the car going somewhere.

Answer 7

Unfortunately since you've let her have it for so long, it's going to be an extremely difficult process.  Typically, it's best to get rid of the pacifier at a much much younger age.  However, she's been allowed to have it for this long, so I'm assuming there's a great attachment to it.

You're going to have to cold turkey it.  Just send her to nap without it.  When she screams and cries, just explain to her (even though she may not be able to respond herself) that the pacifier had to go bye-byes, and that it's time to go to sleep.  Hand her an alternative, like a sippy cup filled with water.  Do not use juice or milk because both have sugars in them which would not be good to sit on her teeth all night!  Tell her that she can have her special cup now at bedtime, because that's what big girls do!

You're probably in for a rough couple of nights.  I would expect to be woken up by her crying at least a couple of times a night for the first few nights.  This will all be very new and scary to her.  You just need to not cave in.  If you even cave in ONCE and give it to her to ease her fears/crying, then she's going to know that she can have a fit or cry and get what she wants, therefore making it even more difficult when you have to take it away next time.

Good luck!

Answer 8

cut the tip off and leave it on the floor. she'll find it and try to use it only to realize its broken....

she might complain, but say it cant be fixed. she might want to carry it around and hold it while he sleeps, but after a few nights she should be ok and then u can just throw it out.

if she is the type to wake up and cry if it falls out and calms down when he finds it, just let him cry it out.

the first time or two go in and rub her back for a minute.

start giving her a (new) stuffed animal that u only give to her for sleep so that can be his new comfort item so when he wakes up give her that instead.

good luck!!!

Answer 9

I took it away from my son at that age but my lovely husband gave it back to him ONCE and he’s hooked yet again. He’s now 20 months and he also is only allowed to have it during bedtime and naptime. But he does well and falls asleep pretty well if he doesn’t have it during naptime. Bedtime, not so much! His daycare doesn’t allow them, so that has helped us a GREAT deal because he doesn’t see other kids using them and he doesn’t see it, so he doesn’t need it.

Lately he’s been “asking” for it. And in my opinion, if a child can ask for it, they’re too old for it. So at first I cut off the tip and yes, some people say this is a choking hazard. But if you pay attention to your child I don’t really agree with that. I cut the tip, threw it away, and gave him the boring binky. He sucked it once, looked at me, threw it on the floor. He kept staring at it and then me like “hello? This is broken”. That one didn’t work at all, he was pissed at me.

Now since he can talk a bit more, I tell him when he tries talking with it, that it’s just really hard for Mommy to understand what he’s saying. That it’s so much nicer when he gives me that binky. And he does….lately he’s been handing it to me. I won’t give him milk or food until he gives me his binky. My biggest pet peeve is eating or drinking while he has it. So this has slowly gotten him off of it and he’s doing great…..

I’m also down to ONE binky. I’ve slowly gotten rid of them one by one. And we’re down to the last of them…..

It also helps if you are ALL on the same page. Parents, grandparents, daycares, aunts and uncles, anyone who watches him. Definitely keep on the same page. It helps the transition a bit faster. I always remind my son that big boys don’t use binky’s. And just remember this won’t happen easily overnight. But it CAN happen….

GOOD LUCK!  (Sounds like this will be fun for you. LOL)

Answer 10

No problem! Throw it away, tell her it was yucky from being used so much...so we're gonna sleep without it.  She will fuss a bit for a few days, but otherwise it will be fine!

Answer 11

My daughter is 16 months and she gets hers at nap and bedtime as well.  Honestly most kids will give it up themselves, but the age range varies for this to happen.  Some dr's say its okay to keep it until 2 years max, others say no longer than 4 years.  Dr's change their minds every day as to what's okay and what's not.  Really it's personal preference.  If you don't have an issue with it, try letting her wean herself.