Is it ok for my son to still be using a pacifier?

Question

he is 13 months old. he used to use it all the time. once he turned a year old, we stopped giving it to him all the time. he only uses it at nap/bed times, and once in a while if he is being very cranky. is it okay for him to still be using it at this stage? the doctor said we can let him have it as long as he wants it, but we dont want him to become too attached. when did you stop giving it to your children?

Answer 1

Yes, I would say that at 13 months its still fine. My daughter loved her pacifier and i was worried she was going to be that three yo with one still, but she just dropped it when she turned 18 months, she chewed threw them and put them in the trash on her own. I was constantly getting comments from everyone telling me that she needed to give it up and I just said she will when she is ready, and sure enough she did. and i am glad that I did not force the issue because I might have made it worse if I did. I think that he is doing good if he is only using it when he is sleeping and cranky, it means that he is getting closer to give it up. Don't force it and listen to the doctor cause there is some truth behind it. But now if you child is older than two and wont give it up then I would start talking about getting rid of it, but he is still young enough. Good Job and Good Luck!

Answer 2

What I've read is that after a year, pacifiers and bottles can increase a child's risk of having bad teeth if they continue use of it.  Also, after they have teeth it can cause problems.  The suggestions I've been given is to limit the use of it to ONLY during sleeping times, to make sure they're orthodontic brands so it doesn't hurt their teeth.  The cut off limit we've set is 2 years, though we'll probably really start taking them away the most when she is a year old, so yeah.  

I've seen 5 year olds running around with them, which is ridiculous.

Edit:  Here's what I'm talking about since I got a thumbsdown.  Basically in a study of 3-5 year olds, studying who had used a pacifier and who hadn't, they found more cases of misaligned teeth when the child used a pacifier past 1 year old.  They recommend to stop all pacifier use by 2 years old.

Answer 3

It really depends on the child. My sister in law still gives it to her daughter at 3 years old. That's a little excessive. And there's a girl I live by that's about 7 or 8 still using sippies. Wow.

Try giving him something to replace the pacifier. Maybe teething rings, or a blanket or toy. Luckily my son never took the pacifier, instead he has to have his blanket to chew on at night.

Answer 4

I think it is perfectly normal, I think you should take it away by the age of 2 1/2 or even 2.

what my mom did with my now 5 year old sister  is that after she turned 2 after the last pacifier was gone(cause she lost them all the time, like i think a lot of little kids do) she wasn't going to bye anymore. It seemed to work. we let her know that when they were gone they were gone

I think you should wait until he is at least 2,

Oh and this is the time when they are teething and they need it the most.

Answer 5

I was watching one of those many Nanny shows, and there was one episode where the little boy still used his pacifier at the age of 4. What the Nanny did was take an envelope and wrote Priscilla the Paci-Fairy, and on the inside she put a little note that said "...because you are getting to be a big boy now, you don't need your pacifiers anymore. Will you please put all of your pacifiers in a baggie and send them to me, this way I can give them to the babies that need them." (Knowing that she wasn't going to really give them to any other baby, hey, it's the thought that counts!) The little boy was SO excited to read the letter, and put the pacifiers in a baggie!! Soo.. They shipped them off to Priscilla the Paci-Fairy, and that night, he didn't ask for one AT ALL. The next day they put a Thank-You letter in their mailbox for the little boy to grab out and read. They also put feathers and confetti and everything all over the outside porch, and in the mailbox..

That is the cutest way I've ever heard of getting rid of those "suckers" LOL

Another way is to have your son help you cut up his pacifiers, and tell him, that once they are gone, they're gone. Having him help you will help him understand that he is a big boy, and doesn't need them anymore!!

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

Have a bye bye binky ceremony let him participate and make a big deal about him being a big boy. It can cause problems if you let him keep it. Good luck!

Answer 7

I think it's okay because he is using it some of the time and not ALL the time. He's 13 months and a lot of changes happen at 13 months so it's okay if he has it. It's a comforting thing. Some people will disagree but I think it's ok for now. Now if he was 3 years old, that's a whole other story.

btw, congrats on your lil one!