Binky with 2 Kids

Hi S.! I had the same problem. All I did with my daughter is start hiding them from her. She had like 5 different ones. I hid them one by one. By the time her brother came, she was pacifier free for over a month. It was hard at first but when she finds something else that comforts her she won't need it. Just be consistent.

Hi S.,

Your situation sounds somewhat familiar to mine. I have 2 little ones, 2 year old and a 6 month old. My son was also VERY attached to his binky so I thought removing it was going to resemble a catastrophic event in his life but I have to say I underestimated his ability to adapt. A friend of ours recommended a technique that I thought sounded pretty mean actually but it worked amazingly! So at 18 months of age we began the process and it was over in one day. We cut a small hole in the end of the binkies and soaked all of them in vinegar throughout the day, to ensure the effect was not lost. We let him have the binkies whenever he wanted them. (Usually he was only allowed at naptime and bedtime) After the first taste of a couple of binkies he was throwing them on the floor and would not put them in his mouth. He picked them up a few times during the day but would not put them in his mouth. He went to bed that night with them but only holding them. By the next day he was done with them. I guess the theory is, it is better for them to choose to discard them (with adult help to make them undesirable) rather than just throwing them out and dealing with the firestorm. When his sister was born (just after binkie weaning day)he was very happy to pick up binkies she spat out and give them to her but never once put them in his mouth or showed any interest in them. Of course we gave him lots of praise for helping his little sister. Whenever he gave the binky to her he gave her a puzzled look as if to say, "Are you crazy, those things taste terrible!" I was amazed he remembered the taste. I guess the closer to the birth of the sibling the more likely they are to remember the taste. However, even 6 months later, I am sure he still remembers the taste. He also adjusted to sleeping just fine without them. We did let him choose a special security toy of his choosing to take to bed as well as a kind of replacement for the binkies. Hope this helps and good luck with the new arrival!
P.S. I read other responses....re the binky being a security object...I also thought the binky was a security issue for my son, but after it being such an easy transition I am convinced it was definitely NOT a matter of security but simply a HABIT. All children are different I guess so just trust your instincts.

Hi S.,
My question for you to ask yourself is, why is it important to take away your daughter's binky? Babies and small children relieve stress and organize their thoughts through sucking. What will be your daughter's alternative stress relieving behavior?

Children grow up quickly, more quickly each and every year.
She is still a baby; you gave her age in months.

Please consider waiting until she has no interest in the binky anymore. That day will come if you trust that she knows what she needs. She is wise. Growth and confidence come with time.

Please also be gentle with yourself. There will be a lot of changes very soon in your life, try not to create any unecessary stresses in your life.

Have a wonderful pregnancy and a fabulous birth!

Wishing you the best,
R.
Doula and mother of Ben 16 yrs and Daniel 12yrs.

Not sure if this will work. We had the same problem. I was expecting our daughter and our son was almost 18 month. I started by not leting him just walk around with it. I would put it on the counter or someplace up high where he could not see it(out of sight out of mind). The 1st few days were hard. But be strong. Then one day he asked for it and I told him I could not find it. He took it so well. He was like ok and ran off to go play. He asked a few times after that but never really had a major break down. Just start slow. Only have one. Try telling her you are not sure where it is. (some people might say this is lying to your kids but it worked) See how she reacts. I think the one thing I can say is do it fast before the other baby comes. My son did try to pick up her binky every once in a while but it was not a major issue. Good luck!! You can do it just be strong. It may take a few days of power strugles but it can happen.

Our Pedi suggested that to ween cut a small slit in the end of the Binky. As the child sucks it will get larger and they will lose interest. As they find others do the same thing until they have "taken a holiday".
It worked with our 2 year old. As I found others around the house I was quick to hide them.

S.,
My daughter was a little older than yours. I think mine was 20 months old but, she just played with her binky. Now she is 2 1/2 and doesn't play with it or anything..... Get her a babydoll with binky in its mouth soon she will understand that its her babies not hers. I am having a baby in march and both girls find binkys and givce them to there baby dolls.
K.

Just buy the baby certain binkys that dont look anything like hers used to, and make sure to stress to her that those are the babies binkies and not for her. I had to do that with my last baby, it still works to this day and they are 3yrs and 16 months. Good Luck!

This is how I got my daughter off the binky & we had good success with it. I would think your best results would be if you do it asapso hopefully she'll be "over it" by the time there is a new binky in the house. I took a large safety pin & pierced the nipple all over (made it into swiss cheese). With the holes there is no suction & its "no good" anymore. I did this with all of the binkies we had except 1. Keep the untouched one where you know where it is for emergencies (bedtime). For us it took about a week & we were able to get rid of even the good one.
Best wishes
Theresa