Help with Nookie

Hi A.!
I know it's not Christmas time yet, but I had a friend who told her daughter that Santa Claus needed to take it back to the North Pole with him to give to other little boys and girls who didn't have any! Her daughter (who was 2 also, and highly dependent on it) gave it up willingly and never asked for it again!

First What is a Nookie? A blanket? If so cut around the edges about an inch, repeat once a week, when she notices that her nookie is getting smaller, tell her she is getting bigger and she will have a little patch of her nookie to carry in her pocket until she is ready to give it up. My husband did this with his daughter when she was young. She is now 29 and she still has her nookie packed away in her memory box.

We had my daughter off of it except for nap and bedtime. When my daughter was almost 2, we started talking to her about being a big girl. We said nookies are for babies. We told her she was a big girl and didn't need it anymore. We told her to throw it away herself. She did and we praised her and bought her a special big girl gift. She asked for it for a couple of nights, and we just reminded her that she threw it away because she was a big girl and didn't need it. She was fine.

My daughter had just turned 3 when we took hers and she always had to have about 3 bobbies (pacifiers) at one time! We went to bed one night and told her that the baby bear needed it and made up a story about the baby bear crying for it. She asked for it for a while after that but we kept reminding her that the baby bear got it!

Hi Angie,

I was about your age when my 2 year old son was still walking around with his 'passies' (he had about 10 of them). He would have one in his mouth & 2 in each & hand, & when he started rubbing his nose with one we knew he was getting tired. As he got closer to the age of 3 he started not paying attention to them as much so, one day when he wasn't looking, I threw them all away. It took him 3 days to realize they were missing & ask me where they were. I just said "I don't know, honey" (while cringing inside waiting for a meltdown.) He was fine with it & never asked again. Hope things work out for you. She'll either get over them on her own or you can just throw them in the trash when she turns 3. (just make sure she doesn't see you do it).

C.

p.s. Yes, I realize the Pediatrician frowns if they see your 2 year old come in for an appointment with a 'passy' in their mouth. Too bad. IMO, it's none of their business.

HI! I cut the tip off and it lost it's suction. He went through withdrawal for two nights and then on the third day he threw it away himself. He was super dependent, had to have it and cried when he didn't have it. I was surprised that it was that easy, just plan on cutting the baby monitor off, and put the ear plugs in. Also, I told him the store didn't have any more and we just avoided that aisle. Good luck, just remember that she will forget about it in a few days.
K.

My daughter actually got rid of hers on her own--and not on purpose! She was about 2 years old. My family went on a snow skiing trip and we only took one paci. We had been pretty good about keeping up with just one, so I didn't bother bringing another. Well, the first night we were there, SHE lost it! We searched that place high & low and never found it again after our 3 nights there! She understood the phrase "all gone" so we just told her it was "all gone". She fussed, but not as bad as I expected. Once we got home I threw out any others so she wouldn't see them. I think she quit asking after a few days.

The best thing to do is something you think will work with your child. If she understands "all gone" or something similar, you might use that to say they are lost or whatever. Use anything your daughter will understand!

Good luck!

The dog bit off the end of my son's pacifier, and I decided that was the end of them. He cried like crazy for one day and was fine after that. He was like 18 months at the time.

It's not as traumatic as everyone says it is. Kids don't remember things at this age. I mean, honestly, how much do you remember from when you were two? She'll survive without one. The only thing I'd worry about is your sanity while she's adjusting for those one or two days. haha

I haven't yet tried to take away my son's pacy yet, but my sister-in-law has given me advice. The way she took her son's away was to cut off a little of the tip. She would still give it to him, but it wouldn't "suck" so he would throw it down. She said she kept cutting a little more off until he just didn't want it. I don't know if it will work or not, but it is how I plan on trying. Good Luck.

It sounds weird, but we cut the tip off of our daughters. That made it so that she couldn't latch onto it and therefore wasn't satisfying to her anymore. It took about 3 days/nights of her crying for it. Every time she cried for it we'd give her the one that was cut. She'd try it, look at it funny, throw it down and scream. By the 3rd or 4th day, she'd given up completely. It was a horrible few days but it was worth it in the long run. Good luck. Hope this helps.
A.

My first child was extreamly attached to her pacifier-to the point we once went to the store to buy one in the middle of the night when she was newborn. When she was 2 and a half, I allowed her to use it at home, but she couldn't take it out of the house. One day she sneaked it out when we went to Grandma's house. I told her that if she lost it, it would be gone forever. She lost it and never asked for it again.

Take all the nookies she has left and take her to the Build a Bear Workshop tell her your going to make a nookie bear and when ever she needs her nookies she can hold the bear... and when stuffing the bear LET HER put the nookies in the Bear. Then when she cries for her nookies tell her to get the bear.... She will know where they are at all times and suprisingly she will hold the bear and be ok with it after a short while.... I know of 6 kids this has worked on! Best of Luck!

What is your hurry to take the nookie away from your 2 year old? Obviously, this is still important to her. She is still little and needs the support. Have her help you wash it and let her love it until she doesn't need it anymore.

Just do it! Take it from her, and throw all of them away! The first night will be hard, maybe just sleep on the floor in her room. We did it right before my daughter turned 2 and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. She would still ask for it during the day sometimes, but if you don't have any it's so much easier. You know what is best for her. She doesn't just yet!

if your talking about a pacifier dip it in something she does not like for example lemon juice or pickle juice she wont want it ...she will get mad at first but wont take it as much due to she doent like the flavor...ive been a dental assistant for years and this works great or you can go to drug store and get thumbs it...helps with thumb sucking but also with pacifiers

A.,

What I did with all three of our pacifier-suckers was to not replace the lost ones or the ones they chewed holes into. The first son was down to only one and when I caught him chewing a hole into it I had him throw it away. He then proceeded to chew both his fingernails and toenails (YES!) down to the quick! DD gave hers up on her own but then the youngest one needed encouragement. I began poking them full of holes and when that didn't work, cut bits of the nipple out with scissors. Eventually they just lost their appeal. But then again, he's still nursing at 32 months...he obviously needs something in his mouth.

If nothing else, throw them away and just tough it out with her.

K.

There is no reason to take away her security item! Sure, launder it, but apart from that, why not let her outgrow it on her own? Two is too young to face the world without help.

I've heard of using the Paci Fairy to get rid of the paci or I guess in your case the Nookie Fairy. This mythical creature comes in the middle of the night and leaves a helium filled balloon in your child's room. The next morning you are supposed to tie the paci to the ballon and let it flight off into the sky where it will go to a new child who needs it more. I've heard of this working for the family who let the balloon go, although, I'm not quite sure what the person who later found the balloon thought. :)

My mother-in-law once told me she had never seen a bride or a groom still in diapers or sucking on a pacifier. If this is her comfort and she's only two ....

Or, you can do what I did -- I blamed the movers for losing the last of the bottles after what I considered the appropriate time. The movers lost lots of things in that move anyway and it worked well!

Cut the tip, cut a V, that way when she goes to suck it, it won't latch on.

A.

Just let them get "lost" one by one when she isn't looking. I can't remember too much how we got my oldest son to quit using them but with my daughter, she would walk around with one in her mouth and one in her hands and they were just "playthings" to her. Seriously, it needs to be gradual (over the course of a couple of weeks), not cold-turkey because it is a security item to her. Good luck!!!

When my son was 2 and a half, we took a weekend trip out of state to grandma's. We forgot the binkie!!! Our son didn't start asking for it until we were well on our way, so we just told him he'd have to tough it out. We were almost to grandma's house and no way were we going back home for the binkie. He cried for awhile and then forgot about it...never brought it up again!! I think being away from home and our normal routine really helped. When we got back home, my husband distracted my son so I could run into the house, find that binkie and throw it deep into the trash can. We anticipated that our son would ask for it once we got home, but he NEVER did! In our case, this was an accidental solution, but perhaps it would work for you. Next time you are taking a weekend trip someone, FORGET the nookie!!! Good luck!

I JUST DID IT 3 WEEKS AGO- THIS WORKED!!

My 2 1/2 y/o son was ADDICTED to it, I had him down to where he only had it during sleep and nap, but he still would ask and get it occassionally during the day (car rides, when in his stroller, etc.). I tried hiding it, acting like they dissappeared, but he's way too smart for that. He also could not fall asleep without it - PERIOD.

Well, 3 weeks ago he had the sniffles and couldn't sleep b/c he couldn't breathe through his nose OR his mouth b/c of the nunu in his mouth. So, several moms told me to throw it away, I tried it... he went straight behind me and DUG it out of the trash... then I totally lost it, I went all out and gathered up all 6 of them and one by one cut the nipple completely off infront of him. (This was a last resort, I was really NOT wanting to do it but I could think of nothing else.) **This was for his mid-day nap, not at night, I think that helped**

Anyway, he screamed, turned purple in the face, shook like he was seizing, and even hit me in the legs which he's never done. I tried to lay down with him but he screamed for an hour. Finally he wore himself down and I let him take a toy to bed and then THAT WAS IT. He's not had it since. He asked a couple of times the next few nights but not anymore has he even mentioned it. I was expecting a meltdown that night at bedtime, but TO MY SURPRISE he only asked for it maybe twice, and I told him "You remember, they're all broken?!" and he never asked again.

I reccommend doing it in the daytime, I wouldn't want all that drama at night. He even sleeps the whole night through and sleeps better now!!!

Good luck, I know it sounds harsh, but it works! I even tried having him give it away to the easter bunny, etc, but NO he's too smart for that. I even kept the plastic ends as a reminder for when he'd ask and I'd let him SEE that they're all broken.

lol..I must admit, when i saw the title, i thought you were asking for sex advice, so when I read, i need help take the nookie away from my 2 year old, I was like "Whoa!!!".....lol!!!! With my first son he weened himself off his paci at 9 months (took it out of his mouth and threw it across the room after being laid in bed and would NOT let me put it back in his mouth, and never whined for one again), and my second is 8 months right now and rarely takes it anymore. All I do is find something to distract their hands and get them interested in something else and they soon forget about it and I rarely ever gave it to them to sleep since my first son was a great sleeper and didn't even suck his thumb to go to bed, and my second prefers his thumb if anything while being put to bed. Good luck though, I hear this is a very hard transition!!!

LOL!!!! I have to tell you..LOL...When I saw the title of this post..hahaha...I thought something completely different!! ha! I thought, "I HAVE to read this!
(ROFL...) We don't call paci "nookie at our house : )

Ok,ok. (Straightening myself up, here ; )
I would try diverting her attention and keeping it from her a little bit longer each time she wants it. Divert her attention with something fun/good for her. A story, healthy snack, hugs, kisses, etc.

Hope it works! Oh, and if I post something about nookie on here, it won't be about a pacifier! haha

Blessings : )
H.

I seen this on T.V.
They told the little girl the nookie fairy collects them for little babies and they asked her to put it in an envelope and place it in the mailbox for the fairy to pick up, and you replace that envelope with an envelope with a toy(or something)in it from the fairy, take her back to check the mailbox to get her big girl suprise from the nookie fairy.

I agree with JAMIE F. I have two children. The first one the Easter bunny took it away and the second one Santa took it away. They both asked for it after, but I just reminded them that the deal was if they left the nookie for the Easter bunny and Santa that in exchange they would leave them a reward. The key is the make sure giving up the nookie is visual. They have to leave it or put it were the ???? is going to leave the reward. I never hear a tear from either one of my children. Good Luck!

Hi,
Being a Parent Educator and a mother myself, the advice I give is the hardest to take. You will have to bite the bullet and throw it away (where it is unretrieveable). You will just have to let her get her crying out. You do have to keep her occupied more, keeping her mind distracted. You have to be ready to give it up also.

I looked online at the Farmer's Almanac. It has a section for "best days" and includes the best days each month for weaning. I picked one of those days ahead of time & prepared everyone. On that day, I just got rid of all of them. It was rough for a couple of days but not as bad as I thought it would be. The almanac has something to do with the cycle of the moon. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I was willing to try anything! Good luck!

I have several suggestions. Maybe one will work for your daughter. One of my friends called it the "cork." Her child picked out a very special toy and put all of the corks on his bed at night. Then the cork fairy (similar to the tooth fairy) came, took the corks and left the special gift. To do this, you must put them in the garbage and not look back. If they cry, etc. it will be relatively short lived. I've had friends clip the ends of the nookie. The kids don't get the same satisfaction and move on. I never bought a bigger size than newborn. I didn't want to make it more comfortable and easier to keep. After about 10 months, I didn't let my girls have theirs out of the crib. If they insisted on having it, they had to be in their crib. We put them "night night" after they got up. I've had friends collect all of them to give to a new baby. When you finally get rid of them, don't keep them so that you won't be tempted to give them back. You will likely have at least a little crying, but it won't last forever. Good luck!