Moms, I need help-getting rid of pacifier!

[tink1969]

What I did to the pacifier to get my DD to stop using it was to cut half of the nipple part off when she wasn't looking. Then, when she went to get it, she would look at it and show me. I would say "oh oh!, it's broken! I guess you will have to throw it out!"
My DD would throw them in the garbage all her own.
Since she had about 5 pacifiers. It took about two to three weeks to gradually do it. But she threw them in the garbage herself and once the last one was gone, she didn't ask for anymore!

 

[ols386]

We had to go cold turkey for my son to give up his pacifier when he was around 2. He didn't like it one little bit, and he cried and threw a fit for a few days, but he adjusted more quickly than what I thought he would. Those few days weren't any fun, but that's what we had to do.

 

[momof1princess]

as a PP posted, trade the paci with santa. tell your DD that santa will bring her an extra special gift if she leaves all of her pacis under the tree, and santa will take them to a baby who doesn't have a paci. this is what we did with DD (now 13) and she was REALLY jazzed about it. funny story, though: about 5-6 weeks before Christmas, DD lost her paci. i turned the house upside down, couldn't find it anywhere. she went to bed without it that night a little whiny, but she did okay. after she went to bed, i found it in her doll stroller, underneath her favorite stuffed animal. i never told her i found it, she did great from then on, and santa still brought her the special toy-a play kitchen.

 

[hambirg]

My son loved his binky. This was a loooong time ago, he's now 22, but it worked like a charm. We waited until we went on vacation. No, not WDW, it was a car trip to the mountains of beautiful NH, about 3 hours away. Before we left I collected all his binkys and hid them. As we were putting him in his car seat he asked for his binky. I told him I would go back inside to look for it, but obviously didn't. My husband was talking about how we had to get on the road, long ride, wanted to stop for lunch, yada, yada, so I just told my son that we couldn't find it and one was probably packed in the suitcase. We were shocked at how calm he was. Never asked for it again. I had brought one with me, just in case, but never gave it to him. That was that. As another poster said, I knew someone who used the "give it to Santa" and it worked too. Good luck!!

That is soooo funny, because that's what my parents did to me. We went on vacation and they conveniently "forgot" my beloved suckafire. I think it works because they don't see it as a power struggle. . .nobody is withholding it. . .we just forgot it.

I hope the Santa thing works for you, OP. None of my kids became attached to theirs. But my oldest self weened at about 6 months and so I gave her a bottle after that. She became attached to her bobba. We were sightseeing in San Francisco, waiting for a bus. As the bus pulled up, she dropped it and it rolled into the street and the bus ran over it! She looked horrified, cried for about 5 minutes and then that was it. When she asked for it later, we would just tell her. . . it's all gone. . . the bus ran over it, remember?

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We also did the trade with Santa for my older DD and Easter Bunny with the younger one. By that time they used for mainly naps. It worked out well and took them a few days before they stopped asking for it.

 

[DisneyDreamer8]

My son never liked them. I TRIED to get him to take one so he would sleep but no dice.

Now when my sister was little she could not be without her binkie. So one day while we were out hunting my grandma took my sister's binkie out of her mouth and threw it out the window. When my sister asked why my grandma told her that Bambi was crying and needed it more then she did. My sister never asked for a binkie again.

I would just explain to her that she is a big girl and doesn't need it anymore. Then DON'T give in. It will be tough on you and everyone else in the house for a few days but it must be done.

 

[momof1princess]

That is soooo funny, because that's what my parents did to me. We went on vacation and they conveniently "forgot" my beloved suckafire. I think it works because they don't see it as a power struggle. . .nobody is withholding it. . .we just forgot it.

I hope the Santa thing works for you, OP. None of my kids became attached to theirs. But my oldest self weened at about 6 months and so I gave her a bottle after that. She became attached to her bobba. We were sightseeing in San Francisco, waiting for a bus. As the bus pulled up, she dropped it and it rolled into the street and the bus ran over it! She looked horrified, cried for about 5 minutes and then that was it. When she asked for it later, we would just tell her. . . it's all gone. . . the bus ran over it, remember?

LOVE IT!

 

[KiKi Mouse]

I used one a bit for my first born. Never at night as I was her pacifier...LOL But in the car and a bit during the day. She got thrush and I threw the pacifier away. Cold turkey. Didn't look back and never used one for my other two kids.

 

[NEM]

Just did this with my 2.5 year old while having an 16 month old around...

Started with sleep only for both of them for a while and then one day after talking about it for a week or so, I let my 2 year old use the big scissors and cut the business end off of about 3-4 of them...I asked him if he wanted to keep the base (someone told me he may want to hold on to it). He said no and put them in the trash himself. He asked a couple of times for the next few days, but I reminded him that he cut them and they were all gone.

After a week, he did not ask anymore. Occasionally he will climb into his brothers crib and I will find him getting a quick fix (different brand), but he knows those are not his.

Now, potty training...we are still a work in progress....

 

[hentob]

Really, whats the big deal? DS is a Jr in college, I assure you he did not take his Baba to college with him.

Agreed. Bed and car time was a chance for my children to relax with The Nuk. They eventually stopped using them on their own around 3-4 years old. No teeth issues. Not one cavity (they are pre teens now). No side effects from the pacifier.

 

[WDWBarb]

DD was very attached to her "pasy." I didn't think she would ever be able to sleep wtihout it. It was a seriously difficult situation. I finally got her down to one (we had them stashed everywhere!) and then I took her to Target and told her that anything in the store cost exactly one "pasy." I found a very nice and helpful cashier and quickly whispered the situation to her and handed her my credit card. DD found a doll she wanted and reluctantly handed over her finaly pacifier to the cashier who rang up the sale. There was a hesitation there, but DD knew she was making a trade and she was responsible for it. She never asked for it again. I heard her struggle falling asleep a great deal that night, but it quickly got better. It was like a miracle. I just had to let her do it on her terms. But she did cling to that doll for many months after...

Wow... didn't realize I'd get so emotional just thinking about that!! She's 16 now and going to her driver's exam next week...

 

[golfgal]

After the kids were one or so they only had their pacifiers in bed or in the car. If they wanted to suck on their pacifier, they had to go sit in bed. They learned pretty quickly that wasn't all that much fun so they pretty much gave them up during waking hours, unless they were sick. DS18 was a little over 2 and chewed a hole in the end of his. I told him that if he did that he wouldn't have one any longer. He kept chewing on it and it was gone. He never asked for it again.

DS15 did the same thing pretty much. DD15 lost her's (really) and asked about it for a day or two but was mostly fine after that.

Shortly before DS18 was going to preschool for the first time (he was 4), he found an old pacifier in our toy box. In the morning before school you could just SEE the wheels turning in his brain-he remembered the security of his pacifier but didn't want to USE it. I told him he could put it in his pocket if it made him feel better at school and no one would know so he did. When we got to school and saw his teacher he turned to me and gave me back his pacifier telling me that he didn't think he would need it

 

[Kim&Chris]

"The Binky Fairy" + Cash = one surrendered binky.

That's how both my sisters were able to accomplish it.

 

[ZachnElli]

Three kids and they were all addicted to the binky! I got them all down to using it only while sleeping then went cold turkey. This happened by accident with my oldest who lost his. He was 2.5 years old and could understand when he asked for it and I would tell him he lost, he could have it when he found it. It did briefly reappear 3 days later but by then we learned he didn't need it.

I was thumbsucker, the binky was much easier to break than thumb sucking!

 

[sunnyday123]

DD had her "Cowboy binkie" ( It had a cowboy on the front ) until she was 2, and I thought she would have it until she went to college. She could move it with her tongue to talk, and it was funny until we realized she had developed a terrible lisp-Santa Claus was Thanta Clauth. Her wonderful father teased her constantly about it.

I took her to work one day, and a manager I worked for knew about our on-going binky battle. He walked over to her and said, "Hey, you are too old for a binky!" popped it out of her mouth and walked away.

The look on her face was hysterical. She asked me for a year if we could go back to my work and get her binky. I'd tell her he needed it for his new baby, and she'd just tell me to ask for it back when the baby was done.

It took a while for the lisp to work itself out, and I practiced with her daily on how to not do the binky tongue thing that caused the lisp. Had I known that would happen, I wouldn't have let her have it as often or as long as I did.

 

[mamacatnv]

DD had her "Cowboy binkie" ( It had a cowboy on the front ) until she was 2, and I thought she would have it until she went to college. She could move it with her tongue to talk, and it was funny until we realized she had developed a terrible lisp-Santa Claus was Thanta Clauth. Her wonderful father teased her constantly about it.

It took a while for the lisp to work itself out, and I practiced with her daily on how to not do the binky tongue thing that caused the lisp. Had I known that would happen, I wouldn't have let her have it as often or as long as I did.

2 kids, pacifier habits to the age of 4, not a single lisp, overbite or speech issue. Both kids did use the Nuk, not sure if that had anything to do with it or not.

 

[NVDisMom]

We spent months trying to get DD1 (now 13) to give up her binky. She refused! She even went so far as to start hiding them from us so that we couldn't hide them from her. She would wait until we had put her down for the night and help herself to a hidden bink! My brother finally had a brilliant idea and he doesn't even have children of his own. He suggested we paint it with the "no bite" nail polish meant for nail biting. DH took the girls out for a day at the beach while I thoroughly cleaned DD's bedroom. Found every binky I could and painted them all and put them back. That night we put her to bed as usual. Not ten minutes later she got up to use the bathroom. What she was really doing was washing her pacifier. She went back to bed looking none too happy. She was up and down all night. Poor baby. Finally I asked her what was wrong and she told me everything. I asked if she had tried washing them and she replied truthfully and asked me to wash them too, maybe I could make it better. Of coarse it didn't work. She was so upset. I explained that maybe when you are getting close to turning 3 that the tooth fairy makes the pacifiers taste yucky so that you won't ruin your pretty teeth. Still not happy but she was willing to concede. We kept one and it sat on her night stand in a cup for almost a year. Every once in a while she would pull it out and try it again. Nope, still yucky! I still have that last binky in a box with some mementos and the story is written in her baby book. She read it a few years ago and almost died laughing. We still giggle about it once in a while, especially when I pull the no bite nail polish out for DH! LOL.

 

[MELSMICE]

Thank you everyone for the ideas, please keep them coming! Right now she's being cut off at daycare. Daycare Mom has been a saint about taking it away. I think right now I need to make it just for night time and then get rid of it completely. I think she'd react better to doing it in stages.

My oldest was over 3 years old & was very attached. She had it all the time. We did it in stages.

First she was allowed to have it any time she was in her pj's.

Then we moved to just in her bed. She would have 3 or 4 of them in bed with her because she would loose them during the night & DH & I were tired of getting up to look for it. She called it her "nonnie".

Finally one night I picked it up & told her it looked it had "nonnie bugs" on it. There was some dirt/dust where the rubber met the plastic. She hated bugs. I just told her, "You can put it in your mouth if you want, but I'd be afraid that those nonnie bugs would crawl in my mouth." I handed it to her, she looked at it & said, "I'll just put it under my pillow & if I need it at night I'll get it."

That was the end! Thank goodness.

With my twins, we did it earlier & I think we gave them to Santa Claus. It was easier as they were younger. I believe they were about 2.5.

Honestly, I'd wean her slowly & allow her to have it just in the house, then just in her jammies, then just at nap/bedtime. She'll eventually give it up.

 

[tzolkin]

My middle sister and I (the oldest) both sucked our thumbs.

My mom decided to give my youngest sister a pacifier, so that she would be able to throw them away eventually and thought this would be an easier habit to end than thumb sucking. My parents took the pacifier away when she was 2.5 and she started sucking her thumb. She continued to do so until she was 12.

 

[MELSMICE]

We spent months trying to get DD1 (now 13) to give up her binky. She refused! She even went so far as to start hiding them from us so that we couldn't hide them from her. She would wait until we had put her down for the night and help herself to a hidden bink! My brother finally had a brilliant idea and he doesn't even have children of his own. He suggested we paint it with the "no bite" nail polish meant for nail biting. DH took the girls out for a day at the beach while I thoroughly cleaned DD's bedroom. Found every binky I could and painted them all and put them back. That night we put her to bed as usual. Not ten minutes later she got up to use the bathroom. What she was really doing was washing her pacifier. She went back to bed looking none too happy. She was up and down all night. Poor baby. Finally I asked her what was wrong and she told me everything. I asked if she had tried washing them and she replied truthfully and asked me to wash them too, maybe I could make it better. Of coarse it didn't work. She was so upset. I explained that maybe when you are getting close to turning 3 that the tooth fairy makes the pacifiers taste yucky so that you won't ruin your pretty teeth. Still not happy but she was willing to concede. We kept one and it sat on her night stand in a cup for almost a year. Every once in a while she would pull it out and try it again. Nope, still yucky! I still have that last binky in a box with some mementos and the story is written in her baby book. She read it a few years ago and almost died laughing. We still giggle about it once in a while, especially when I pull the no bite nail polish out for DH! LOL.

That is a brilliant idea!