OT - Need pacifier help!!!

[mom_2_boys]

DS2 made a New Year's resolution (okay, I made it for him) to give up his pacifier. DS4 gave his up when he was two and things went pretty smoothly. DH and I had DS4 trade all of his pacifiers for a new toy of his choosing. He did cry a little at first, but after a couple of days, it was no big deal and we really had no problems at all.

Not the same as DS2. He has been only using his pacifier at naps and bed time. He traded all his pacifiers in for a new toy. (So far, so good.) Nap time was tough, lots of crying. But bedtime was just - whoa. DS2 was furious! After two days of this, no one is getting any sleep in our house and I am not sure how to proceed. DS2 is a strongwilled child. Any suggestions out there?

 

[meeskamouska]

My DD was almost three before she gave up her SASSY....we took her to a build a bear type place and she "fed" her sassies to the bear. She has had her Sassy Bear for almost a year and it is now her comfort instead of the sassy!!!!

 

[horseshowmom]

I feel your pain. When my DD was little, that was the only problem we had with her. She didn't care about getting rid of her bottle, and potty training was a breeze, but oh that pacifier!

We used to keep 5 or 6 in her bed at night, because if she didn't find one when she woke up, somebody was going to be getting up and finding her one.

We finally said enough was enough in June before she turned 3 at the end of July. We were at a family reunion about 4 hours from home, and she lost the last one we had with us. She screamed all the way home.

That pretty much did it though. We didn't have any problems that I recall after that.

Good luck!

 

[Tjaleks]

I say hang in there. My youngest never took a pacifier but it was h ell breaking him of his bottle. He screamed for three days, but then it was over. After he was bottle broke he finally slept through the night, (at 18mo ).

 

[logan&tylersmama]

I say hang in there, because once you give in once - it will be like starting from zero again. and once he know that he can complain enough until you give in - he will do it till you break! so hang in there and it will all be over soon.
Jennifer

 

[kmk160]

Just echoing the others when I say stick to whatever you start. If you give it back you'll be starting from scratch all over again.
My son will be 4 in March. When he was 2, "Santa" took his nuk to give to babies and left him an extra toy. He never asked for it again.
We did, however, prepare him for a long time for that by telling him that Santa would take it when he came to drop off presents.
My DD, who is 8 mos., will hopefully fall for the same trick in a few years!!!

 

[Along4theRide]

We had a passy lover with DD(now 5.5), by 2.5 she was only using them for naps and bed time, but they needed to go! Someone suggested to me to have her throw them all away explaining that she was a big girl now and that she no longer needed them. So one day we gathered them all up and she threw them away, I made a big deal of it saying how big she is and how proud of her that I was. That day with nap and bed time she wanted them, but she remembered that we through them away. I let her pick out a small toy to take to bed, but no crying or fits here! I think I got lucky though!! With DS (now 3.5) he never wanted one, so no problems there!

Oh, and they both have a stuffed bunny that they used as security item as well.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[Cory's Gal]

Just echoing the others when I say stick to whatever you start. If you give it back you'll be starting from scratch all over again.
My son will be 4 in March. When he was 2, "Santa" took his nuk to give to babies and left him an extra toy. He never asked for it again.
We did, however, prepare him for a long time for that by telling him that Santa would take it when he came to drop off presents.
My DD, who is 8 mos., will hopefully fall for the same trick in a few years!!!

Too funny!! We told my son the EXACT same thing this year!!! Santa has the nuks for the babies. He reminds us of that everytime he has asked for one which is barely once a day now!!! By our trip, he probably won't even be thinking about it! To the OP, just stick with it, giving in helps nobody!! Be strong, we have all been there, you will get through it!!

 

[mom_2_boys]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and support! Nap time today was better, still a struggle, but it only lasted fifteen minutes instead of an hour. I am hoping for a miracle tonight, especially since DS4 goes back to school tomorrow.

It is nice to know that I am not the only one that has struggled with this. As soon as we get this under control, we are waiting a few weeks before we attack, I mean attempt the potty training issue. Again, my DS4 was a breeze, very willing to please and go along with the program. Can only hope that being like Daddy and big brother will be the encouragement that DS2 needs!

Thanks for all of the support and advice!

 

[karibritt01]

I don't believe in taking away the passy per say. For my son, we just stopped buying them. As they got holes or lost, our number dwindled. He kept up with his last for 9 months before it finally got lost. He really only used them when tired anyway. My DD has no thought of giving hers up, and we don't push. She takes it at nap, bedtime, and when she gets hurt, and that is it. We will let her break herself, or run out, whichever comes first. If you feel you must take a passy, poke a hole in the end of it. It won't suck the same, and they will give it up. I do not reccommend giving it to Santa/Easter Bunny etc as my neice was very traumatized by that.

 

[WDWCPAlumni]

I HATE seeing children walk around with binkies in their mouths, I feel like once they are learning to talk it should only be a bedtime thing.
HOWEVER, I did learn in school (college) that the sucking motion that kids do actually promotes brain growth and stimulation up to the age of 3.
And it is a security to the kids that really need it.

I say let your little one have it, but only at bedtime and try to break it when they turn 3.

Does it really HURT ANYTHING if they have it at bedtime?? Or is it just what you think is the right thing to do??? If they want it, let them have it. No biggie! Not like it will rot out the teeth.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

My DD3 still has hers and she could go w/out and has for long periods of time but she is disable and is roughly at the level of a 7 to 8 mth old. The only she has is when she gets really fussy and is just plain cranky. She doesn't actually suck it either it her security. I have been told to cut a little bit off every night, week, or month its your choice until there is nothing left and they will no longer want them. You can do it one at a time until you have thrown away your last one but make sure he knows you are not buying anymore and don't cut it in front of him let him think he is biting off in his sleep. Best of Luck.

 

[JenEeyore]

I too feel your pain. Our DS was about as addicted to them as one gets (had one since literally Day One), and we dwindled them down to naps and bedtime, but when he turned 3 we started planning for their departure. His friends were giving them up too, so that helped, and we all had the same game plan. We were going to trade the nukkies for toys at the toystore. Our turn came when we were on a WDW trip, and it was down to the last shopping day and he was aware this was the game plan, but the reality hit hard. When they were really gone and we were back in the room at night for bedtime...it was "nightmare" for a while. I was soooo tempted to run to the store and get one more...but hubby had a cooler head and said we should stick it out. Next night was a bit better, but first night back at home in old surroundings with old routine was another bear. BUT...we stuck it out, and each day was way easier than the one before. IT DOES GET BETTER. Let him have a blanket or a plushy friend for an extra special nighttime comfort, and they do catch on that there is life after Nukkies. Praise the successes on the way to being a big boy. He will get there! Best wishes!!

 

[WantToGoNow]

You've made it this far, keep going. If you give it back now, it will make it harder later on.

I took my dd's "na-na" just before she turned two. We really only had two nights of her asking/looking/crying for it. However, she just turned 3 and I'm positive she would still take it back if we gave it (she finds them at my cousin's house and pops them in her mouth).

 

[karibritt01]

Many people will tell you that you need to take away the passy because it will mess up their teeth. If you go to the website for American Association of Pediatric Dentist, it says that as long as children give up passy/thumb by the time they start to lose baby teeth, that there is no permanent damage to the mouth. That being said, why traumatize a child by taking away a security? They outgrow them on their own. You wouldn't trade a blankie or stuffed animal away when your child hits the magic age of 2 or 3. Begin to encourage your child to remove it to play, and before long you will find he goes long periods of time without it. At that time, make the rule that it is only for naps/bed. You'll be surprised at how easy they give them up when they are ready.

To the OP, I do think you have probably gone to far to turn back now. Maybe your DS will take an alternate form of security? Just be sure to watch for less savory forms of security, such as thumb sucking. I know several children who switched over when their passy was taken. You can always take a passy... you can't take a thumb! Good luck!

 

[aaronandterri]

hi
My friend had just had a baby when it was my dd turn to give up and she was being a pest so we took her to see the baby and said see the baby needs the dummy now, and after that she never mentioned it again, even now she sometimes said how she gave it away x

 

[Traveliz]

My daughter is 19 -- took it away when she was just over 2 -- she never took another nap again - if I had to do it over again I would have let her keep it for nap and bedtime. I was exhausted from her lack of sleep - she didn't cry or fuss - she just played and played and played in her crib.

Liz

 

[shelly3girls]

My DD is very strong willed. We did two things...
1. Took her to the dentist who told her how "bad" the pacifier was for her teeth. Told her if she didn't give it up she could end up with many problems (although he said it much more eloquently).

2. We packed up the pacifiers in a bag and took them to a friend who just had a baby. She was actually quite happy the baby was using them (ok, not really but she didn't know the difference).

She asked a couple times for it but I reminded her what the dentist said and she had no problem. She was around 2.5 so she may have understood these things a little better.

 

[1of6]

Don't give in now. You can do this.

 

[sdrsdd]

I took away the pacifiers soon after their 1st birthdays. Even as older babies they were only allowed to have them at naptime and bedtime (or of course if they were sick). I would NOT give in....it will be like starting all over again. I think it is BEST to take them away before they begin talking.