How to break my 23 month old of her nuk?

Question

We started taking her nuk away in April and than both mom and dad went to work and she started going to daycare so we gave it back. now I work at the same daycare and when I get home the last thing I want to hear is her screaming for her nuk so she still has it so I'm looking for tecniques for both her and me patience for me and soothing for her.

Answer 1

I told my son that Elmo's mommy was having a baby and they needed a special tito for the new baby.  Tito is what we called his nuk why I don't know he named it.  So we got a box put the Tito in it and we put a picture of my son in it and then we wrapped it and we took it to the post office and put it in the mail box.  He was so proud he was able to give something to elmo's brother.  and that was it

Answer 2

Take a clean nail clipper and on every monday clip the slightest bit off each one until there isn't anything left to clip. She will give it up and realize she doesn't need it. Also try to replace it with a special teddy you have her sleep with/comfort with.

Good luck.

Answer 3

take it away now!!!! It creeps me out and makes me think that the parents are lazy when i see kids over 9 months with them. Deal with the crying. take her Bink away!!!! take her to a toy store let her pick a toy out, but only let her have it if she agrees to give the Bink up... Have fun with braces later in life.

Answer 4

I swore up and down I would never have a binky baby but it happened.    My 2nd child was a binky baby.  She did not give it up until 3 1/2. Unless you are willing to go cold turkey and tough it out for a week or so, then don't bother.  I tried when she was 2 1/2 and but I caved in ( I was pregnant w/ #3).    The thing that got her was that at 3 1/2, I was better able to make a deal and she wanted to start chewing gum.  We made a deal that she had to give up the binky.  Worked from day 1.

So my suggestion is to drop it for awhile and worry about it later.  It really won't hurt her.  BUT if you truly want to have her give it up, then start by first restricting it to certain times.  Don't  let her have it all day.  Start slowly and work her off it until she only has it while in bed.   Then you can back off it for awhile if you want or start restricting it to just bedtime and not for naps.  Then you can work it from there.

Answer 5

My pediatrician suggested to "lose" all but one, and then find a time that she is not looking to clip off the nipple, entirely.  You don't want to leave anything she might pull off and choke on. Then she finds it and it is broken.  You can be very sympathetic, but there is no real reason for her to cry, though she probably will a little.  

When I did this with my daughter at about 15 months, I had clipped it and left it under her crib, where they usually fell, since she was only allowed to use it at bedtime.  She came, and we found it, and she tried to put it in her mouth.  I let her try a couple of times before I asked her what was wrong.  She brought it to me and I said, "Oh, no, it's broken."  She knew what broken meant, and she was very sad.  We "talked" about it for a good twenty minutes before I suggested that we put it in the trash, which she readily did.  There was another 30 minutes after that where she would ask for it and I'd just say, in a very sympathetic voice, that it was broken, and she accepted it with very little fuss, only crying right before she fell asleep.  The next day she asked for it a few times, but I just reminded her, and that was the last of it.

Since your daughter is still using it during the day, it may be easier to "forget" it a few mornings.  My 23 month old understands when I say we left something at home.  She will have lots of distractions at the daycare that will hopefully keep her from missing it too much.  When that seems ironed out, then you may try the broken approach.

Answer 6

I had to take mine away from a 2 1/2 year old and 1 1/2 year old at the same time. There is no easy way. It IS aggravating to listen to them whine or cry, but, we just kept telling them they didn't need it anymore and we lost it. They seemed to accept that it was lost easier. Sure, it's hard, but it's something that has to be done. I have no easy answer for you except cold turkey on that nuk.

Answer 7

As someone else mentioned- cold turkey is the best way to go. With both my girls wer weaned them down at about a year to only getting it at bedtime and naptime. When they turned three (I know, I know...) we had a party to say goodbye to their pacis...I made a cake and they got 'one last sweet suck' where the paci was dipped in frosting.

That night the paci went outside their door for the Pootie Fairy (we call our pacis Pooties) to bring the paci to new babies and in exchange a gift was left for my daughters. In both their cases they wanted a Pack N Play for their dolls to sleep close to them (kind of goes along with the no more paic for sleeping so now their 'friends' can sleep near them). And yes, if does SUCK for awhile they are missing the paci and crying for it. I found with one of my daughters teaching her to hug a bear/blanket kept her hands busy and assisted her in falling asleep.

As for the listening to her scream for it- try to redirect her...play a game, do Play-Doh, do something fun and slightly out of the ordinary to shift gears with her.

Best of luck- it does get better but again, consistency is the key. If you take it away and give it back a week later it can all be very confusing for a kid of that age.

Answer 8

She's nearly two and still has a pacifier?You messed up when you took it away and caved in to give it back. It's going to be harder to take now.

There are several things you can try:

1. Cut the ends of them so they are unable to be sucked on. They will lose their appeal.

2. take them away and throw them away so they are no longer around.  let her help and then reward her with a big girl toy when she does.

3. sometimes a white lie is justified. this is one of those times. throw them all out when she goes to bed and just tell her "sorry, we've lost them all and the store doesn't sell them anymore".  

She's going to scream and throw a tantrum regardless, but you need to let her. You can't give in again and you can't let it continue for the sake of her teeth.  I'm surprised your doctor hasn't said something about it this far down the line. Most pediatricians I know like kids off the pacifier and bottle by a year old.

Good luck.  Do this over a weekend when you're home and don't have to be up early in the morning. Friday would be a good time so she can have a few days to adjust before returning to daycare.  I'd tell the center that no matter what she is NOT to be given a pacifier so they don't pull one out and give in to her.