How can i break my daughter off the binki?

Question

my daughter will be 18 months old on the 14th and all of the books and Dr's say i should take her off the binki.

my son gave his up at 1 year old but i'm having a really hard time getting her to give it up.

any suggestions? any advice would be appreciated, but please dont be rude and tell me she should be off of it already (i know this and thats why i am asking advice!)

Answer 1

Well, this is not from MY experience because none of my kids would take a binki anyway.  I've had a number of friends and relatives that had to deal with this and this is what they did...

My sil quit giving my niece binkis during the day at first, but let her have them at naps and bedtime.  After a while she started pulling them out of her mouth when she was sleeping so she could fall asleep with one, but didn't have it if she woke up at night.  Evetually she tried laying her down without them and she was fine.

My friend cut the tips off of all of her sons binkis so that when he tried to suck on them, he didn't want them anymore.

My best friend got rid of all of her daughter's binkis except one and told her that she wasn't buying anymore and that was the last one-she could have it as long as she could hang on to it.  She kept track of it for about 2wks and finally lost it.  

My aunt took my cousin to buy a stuffed animal at Wacky Bear Factory (one of those places where you stuff your own animal and get it an outfit...).  He picked out the animal he wanted and had to turn in his paci to the cashier as payment.  He slept with his new teddy instead and carried it everywhere.  He was very proud that he had "bought" it with his own paci!

Answer 2

Ask her why she likes it so much. It's probably a comfort figure. Try and ask if she can use a replacement like a sippy cup. She'll use that, which isn't bad. Then as she grows older, she'll realize she can be comfortable without it. Or, she'll have to transfer to a regular cup and sadly realize... a cup isn't that satisfying. Then she'll give up on good comfort things. You can also replace the pacifier with a stuffed animal or a blanket.

Answer 3

Dont' stress over the "when you shoulds"...I recently took the binkie away but my dauther is 2.  I made a huge ordeal of it.  so it would mean something to her.  So for a week, I kept telling her.  O.k honey one more week with your binkie and then we are going to give it to a baby that needs it.  Then the next o.k honey 6 more days and so on until we got to the final day.  I had my daughter clean the binkies herself and we made a pretty little basket to put them in.  Then we drove down to the hospital.  Called L&D ahead of time to ask if it was o.k.  When we arrived the nurses made such a fuss and told my daughter what a big girl she was and how sweet of her to think of the newborn babies.  Hailey gave up her binkies very willingly and happily since she new it was going to a good cause.  Later during nap time I wrote a thank you card and put a picture of a baby in it.  She still treasures it to this day.  The reason I suggest the hospital and not a neighborhood baby or a baby you know, is that way your child won't be able to bet to go over and get the binkie back.  

Good luck

Answer 4

I have three kids and all of them have used binkis. My first son was about two years old when he didnt want it anymore. One day he said the dog took it and never asked for it again. My second was about three years old when we went on a vacation and we told her we forgot her binki at home. She was so excited that she forgot about it. My third child is over two years old (he's 28 months) and still uses a binki. The doctor and everybody else tells me he should be off of it by now but I don't really care what they say. Im sure he'll outgrow it soon.  I think you should stop making your child suffer and let her use her binki until shes ready to give it up. GOOD LUCK :)

Answer 5

all you can do is just throw it away tell her that she has to give her binkie  to new babies that need it.

Answer 6

I read a suggestion online the other day - which I haven't tried but you may want to.  It suggested creating a small hole in the end of the binki and then gradually enlarging this hole and cutting small pieces away (making sure there are no loose pieces left that she could inhale)... but doing this gradually it means that over time the binki loses it's appeal for sucking on as it is not as rewarding.  

The other idea which I have seen work successfully is to give it away to the binki fairies... buy or make a pretty little bag and hang it in a tree for the binki fairies to take away for another little girl who needs it.  The next morning when your daughter gets up she can check if it is there and maybe the binki fairies will have left a little present to say thank you.   It sounds a bit ridiculous but I have seen it work...

Answer 7

There are no hard and fast milestones that need to be implemented with children.   Biological systems don't follow a precise clock - let her have it until she's ready to give it up.    Don't be harsh, be gentle - the sucking reflex is good; it's what kept her alive for the last 18 months, so no need to agonize over letting her taper off gradually.  

(we "break" wild horses, not toddlers)

Contrary to popular myths, pacifiers do not cause crooked teeth, at least not secondary teeth.

Answer 8

My mum did it at christmas and said if you leave it under the christmas tree santa will take it and give you a toy in exchange. Worked for all 3 of us and we never wanted it again

Answer 9

slowly cut it down, very slowly.

like keep it at night, but reward her in the day for not having it.

maybe start a chart later on, of how many nights she can go without it. and for each night she gets a treat, the more nights in a row, the better the treat.

I'm not saying bribe her, but encourage her in a positive way to give it up =] and always stay nice about it, don't get annoyed or it becomes a negative experience for her.

good luck =]