How Do I Get Rid of the Paci's?!?

Here's another way of looking at it:

If the child needs and wants something so simple and easy to provide, why not just wait until she outgrows it?

She will.

Hello,

I usually tell parents to wean them off the pacifiers by spacing the nights until they can do without them. I also have them think about taking them to a toy store and 'trading' their pacifier for a toy (you pay for the toy, but they give up their pacifier). Also let the family know that under no conditions are they to reintroduce the pacifier!

M.

My son was very attached to his pacifiers. When he was two, I told him that he was a big boy, and didn't need the paci anymore. We made a big deal out of throwing them away, and then celebrated. He knew he wasn't getting them back because he saw them go into the garbage (we threw them away in a public garbage can instead of at home), and it was a seamless transition. It was almost too easy!

I can see I'm in the minority here. But, honestly, I do not understand what the big deal is about allowing a child to have an item of comfort. If your kids are only using them at night to help soothe them to sleep... WHAT is the big deal??

Honestly, if you think about it... we ALL have our little routines, or objects that help us through the day. That little ritual you do when you're sitting in traffic to help you not ram the idiot in front of you. Or that cup of coffee to get you going in the morning... or that favorite pair of pj's that you curl up in when you're heart broken. We ALL have things that help comfort us. WHY then do we insist our children not have something to comfort them?

WHAT is the big deal about a paci?! As long as they get rid of it before their permanent teeth come in ... there are no dental issues. Your kids will not go to college with it. Honestly. They won't.

If it is something they feel they need... why put them through the trauma of taking it away. We gave it to them to soothe them.... and now we are saying 'NO... you can't have it'! Seems like a bit of a contradiction to me and just serves to confuse these little people.

They will give it up on their own. Why not let them decide when that time comes.

Actually, YOU can't get rid of it but your child can when she is ready. My oldest was a paci baby. We continually reduced his use to only bed time and when he was really upset. I also only had 2, for bed and diaper bag. I tried losing the paci, exchanging it, bribing and all other methods. My son saw right through it and would become really upset. I felt terribly guilty. It is amazing how perceptive these little ones are.

Then, one day, HE really lost it. I looked everywhere with him. We could not find his paci's. He never asked for it again. Do you know, he talked about losing his paci until he was 4?

I wouldn't force it if it causes her trauma (despite the warnings about her teeth). My other 2 were thumb babies and that is much harder to break. In fact, my 6 year old still sucks his thumb at night...driving me crazy.

My oldest daughter had a horrible time giving up her paci! We tried everything - throwing them away (she'd find another one stashed somewhere), giving them to a new baby (again dug another one up), cutting the tip (didn't bother her), and even the baby sized ones (which were the last ones she tracked down in the house) were good enough when faced with the choice between a too-small paci or no paci at all. On her 3rd birthday we finally took the last 2 and went to Build-A-Bear. She picked out an animal and stuffed the paci's in with the heart and went home with a cool new stuffed kitty. When bedtime came the first night she begged for her paci and even asked me to take the kitty back and take the pacis out, but after about 30 minutes, she snuggled up with the kitty and went to sleep. We had this kind of conversation with her for the next few nights and then it was finally over! Good luck to you!

Well, first try to make to big of a deal of it, but only at night is a good thing! We began cutting it, and every few days we would cut of more until there was really nothing to suck on and then it really became missing and that was ok because it was 'broken' anyway. My daughter was about 2 as well and our son we never gave him one.
Good luck!

Hi N.: I have two kids, they are now 13 and 16 and they were both addicted to their "pacis." They're not addicted anymore so there is hope! :) Anyway, we had to use two different techniques with each child.

With our oldest, it just so happened that the brand we were using got recalled when she was a little over two. So that night my hubby went out and bought several different kinds. We told her her old paci was "broken" and gave her one of the new ones. She popped it in her mouth, but didn't really like it because it wasn't "her" paci. But she held onto it in her hand all night. She basically went to bed only holding the paci for another year. Then when she was three, it was pretty easy to get her to finally give it up.

With our son, however, it was much more of a challenge. He was much more attached to his paci. We did the same thing you do, we only allowed it at bedtimes. But I would often find him back in his room, reaching his little hand through the crib rails to sneak a "suck!"

Anyway, we tried the same thing--switching the brand--no effect! He happily popped the new one in his mouth and sucked away. :( This continued for a while...I can't remember if he may have been closer to three or not, but we sat him down and told him that the paci wasn't good for his teeth and so we were going to do something new. We would put him to bed without his paci, and told him that if he didn't cry for his paci at all, we would bring it to him in one minute. So, we would tuck him in, and wait 60 seconds, then bring it to him. We did that for a couple of days, then upped it to two minutes, then three, then five and so on. Ultimately, he would start falling asleep before we would come back in with it. At first, we'd leave it laying beside him. But after a while, we would sometimes "forget" to bring it in, until finally we stopped bringing it in altogether.

Hope that helps!

We just successfully rid ourselves of the paci this past Christmas. We started talking to our 2 1/2 year old about 4 months prior to Christmas...telling him that Santa might need some pacis for little babies...and that it would be really nice of him to leave all of his pacis in a bag for Santa under the tree on Christmas Eve! Worked like a charm. He had 4 months to warm up to the idea and was SO excited Christmas Eve. No crying.. Santa left him a special note and a special present as a thank you for the paci bag. Good luck!

My 3 year old son was a total baba (paci) addict!! We actually lost his baba's and could not find any for bedtime. so that was the last time. It has been harder. But we are about5 days out and past the worst time, so we are just going to keep going with it. My daughter actually found one the other day, but I just about tackled her to get it before she gave it to him.

My pediatrician suggested getting a container and putting water in it. You can let them decorate it and call it the "paci house." You keep the pacifier in there and when the kid wants one, you take the pacifier out and give it to them. After a week or so, you slowly start adding vinegar to it. Over time, the pacifier will start taking on a funny taste and the kid will start to think "boy maybe I don't like this thing that much after all"

Good luck!! I know the struggle!

Luckily my boys only wanted paci's for about 3 months and they were over them. My best friend, however, had a horrible time with her 2 yr old daughter. She wanted hers all the time. They ended up going the paci-fairy route as many others have. She always told everyone she was a big girl and not a baby so they explained that babies needed them and they needed her help. They "mailed" them away and she felt like even more of a big girl. No problems since, and it was so cute hearing her talking about helping the paci-fairy.

I've also heard of people telling their little ones that they need to send them up to Heaven so God can give them to little babies who need them. They've tied the pacifier to a bunch of helium-filled balloons and "sent it to Heaven." Good luck to you!!!

My daughter was the same way - she was still very attached to her pacifier at the age of 2 (even though we only let her use it at night). I finally just decided to make her go cold turkey... I hid it one day; when she went to bed that night she asked for it and we told her it was "lost". My husband and I had been terrified all day that she would freak out or sleep horribly or both, but she hardly batted an eye when she heard it was missing. She slept fine. The next night, she asked for it again, but again, we said we didn't know where it was, and she was okay with that. And then she never asked for it again. It was amazing. So maybe you could just put the pacifier away somewhere out of sight and try the "cold turkey" method... if it goes horribly wrong, at least you'd still have the pacifier and could try something else. I know people who have cut a hole in the pacifier nipple so that it doesn't "work" and I think this method worked okay too. Me, I was just so sick of worrying about it that I didn't have the patience to try a gradual method.

What I did was, we were living with my mom at that time and she had a dog (a big golden retreiver) and when it was time, we said that the dog ate it, or tore it up or whatever. And it took a couple nights but he adjusted. He still had his blankie but after a week or so he didn't want that either, because it was a two together thing for security. So, if you have anything like that to do, the child will understand eventually. You just have to stick to your guns and go through a couple nights of hassle. And when they ask, just tell them of what happened over and over. Even if you say you lost it. If anything like my son, he didn't want any other one except for the one he had. Didn't want a new one, so it went ok in the end. Good luck to you.

3 is the magic age in our house. My oldest was a very oral child and needed ALOT of sucking when she was a baby. After about 6 months she only had the paci during sleep, church and the car. By the time she was about 1 it was only sleeping. When she turned 3 we told her that she was a big girl and didn't need her pacies any more and let her leave them on the dresser. At nap time they were gone. The first nap was hard. She was more angry than sad. After alot of crying we told her that she could have a sticker if she didn't cry for her pacies. It worked like a charm. We gave her a sticker every time she slept for about a week.
Blessings
K.

My daughter was very attached to her pacifier as well. I tried the holes in the paci and I also tried cutting the top off as well and my daughter still sucked on it. One day we couldn't find her paci anywhere. We looked and even went to the store to buy a new one (because my husband was afraid of what was ahead of us). For some reason, the store didn't have the type that she liked. The first two nights were rough because she would wake up in the middle of the night several times but by the third day she was fine. She would ask for it but we would tell her that we still can't find it. If you can stand a little crying through the night for two nights, I say, "give it up!"

N.~

If the girls only use them at night I really wouldn't worry about it so much. My son had his until he was 3 and my almost 2 yr old stilluses it. What we did w/ Mac was took all of them away but 2 and at this time Iwas pregnant so for 9 months at bed time we would remind him that when the baby came he was going to give his pacis to her. It worked pretty well. I would widdle the number of pacis you have and then give her a specific time frame as to when you were giving them away to someone. Anticipate a few rough nights :) Again if they only use them at night when they are tired it's more of a comfort thing :) Good Luck

Hi, I am a 55 year old mother of a grown son and daughter and I have been blessed by two Granddaughters. I think it is the parents' anxiety over whether their child is progressing "normally" that causes most infancy and toddler problems. If your girls's are leaving for college and still using their paci's THEN I would worry! Your girls are still very young and they NEED that extra bit of comfort, of security that their paci's give them. No one wants to see a five year old out in public with a paci hanging around their neck on a string but your children are all ready using them just at home at sleep time. TRUST ME, they will give them up on their own. Also, when people have children close together, as you have, they tend to expect too much from the older child and too little from the younger one. In your case you are trying to take away your second daughter's pacifier a whole year earlier than you are for your first daughter. As a second child I can relate! Anyway, stop making it an issue. They are little only once and grow up sooooooo fast. Don't Sweat The Small Stuff because most of it is. :-) Denise K.

I agree with below .I am a Grandma & my mother always told me with trying to stop or start new routines (or habits)with children(I think it can work for adults,too)give it 3 days & it's done!

We just went through this with my almost 3 year old. I had her decorate a paper bag however she wanted telling her that whole week that on Friday night when it as bedtime that she would have to put all of her paci's in the bag and we would put it outside for the paci fairy who would in turn bring her a treat and would take her paci's and give them to a baby that needs them. She was upset the first night or two but after a few days it was mostly that she just talked about how another baby had her pacis and that she was a big girl now. This may work with your oldest. Good luck to you. I know it can be a hard thing to do but for us we did it just in time...it was starting to push her teeth out in front. M.

One day I just made a big deal, making it sound like it was a big celebration that they had reached the age where paci's and bottles were no longer needed. And we skipped and danced through the house, collecting all the bottles and paci's and we happily threw them all away.

To some degree they were excited that MOM thought they were big kids but then there was a little bit of that separation thing going. So later on that same day and the following day they cried a little because their bottles were gone and they were forced to use sippy cups and whatever. But that was it, they got over it and didn't show any lasting "scars". :)

Did you see that episode of Super Nanny where they collected all th paci's and put them on a tree outside for the Binky Fairy? I thought that was so cute. They told the little one that they were giving all the paci's to other babies and that the Binky Fairy would come during the night to take them away. Then just like "The Tooth Fairy", there were little gifts by the tree as a thank you for the binkys. The child was happy to get new toys and was happy to give her paci's to other children.

Good luck!

We just went through the same thing with my daughter. Only it was with her bottle. I talked to my daughter about giving her bottle to a new baby. She was excited to do so, but her handing it over was a different story. So I made up a story about "The Bottle Fairy". She comes and takes the bottle, or in your case the paci and gives it to a baby in need.I bought a letter sized envelope and had her decorate it for the fairy. We then wrote a note and put that and the bottle in and sealed it up. We went to the mailbox, and I let her put it in herself. She was so proud! That night she went to bed and only asked for her bottle once. I just reminded her that the "bottle fairy" was coming that night to take it. She went to sleep just fine. The next day we went out to the mailbox to see if it was gone. (Took it out that night and just threw it away). We have been bottle free ever since! I hope this helps. Good Luck! I know it is hard but it has to be done.

N., try cutting the end totally off, no loose parts, give her the handle to carry around, tell her it broke and can't be fixed, have no others around. You may have a night or 2 of frustration, but it usually doesn't last long. She may carry the handle for a few days. Good luck K.

We're going through a similar thing with my daughter right now. We moved her carseat to the opposite side of the car telling her that was the "big girl" side. So the rear facing car seat will be on the passenger side when her brother arrives in 3 months. We said no nuks on the big girl side. She still wants them to sleep with. So each night we put 1 nuk in a box that is all pretty and she says goodbye to it. In the morning the nuk is replaced with a small treat. She can see that the nuks are disappearing and we are talking about saying goodbye to her nuks and being a big girl, but this way it gives her time to break the habit. I am sure we will have a few rough naps and nights when they're all gone, but I'm certain she would much rather be a big girl than a baby as well so we'll all move past it. Good Luck!!

The "Pacifier Fairy" came to my friends house and took all the pacifiers. They did it just like to "Tooth Fairy" and his daughter got a prize. It worked, she had no problem parting with it (and she was REALLY attached.)

My oldest son was a little over 3 and we had to make him get rid of it cause he was so attached. I really wish now looking back that I would've just let him do it on his own cause I felt really guilty taking his only comfort item away from him. Our dentist said that it doesn't effect their teeth until they get their permanent teeth which at the ealiest is 5yrs old. Our dentist gave us the idea to bury them in the flower bed and in the spring or fall flowers would come up and that worked for my son. Of course it takes some planning cause you have to make sure that you put it somewhere that you have flowers. Also I know that for some people giving them to someone's baby when it's born works too. Best of luck it can be a hard transition but my son was really only upset for a day or 2. One nice thing about paci's is that at least you can take them away. My daughter never wanted a paci but she sucks her finger and she still does it and she is 5yrs old and doesn't seem to be wanting to stop anytime soon and I can't take her finger away=)
Good Luck!

This reminds me of the super nanny episode where this little girl had like 20 paci's around the house. They took a gift bag and collected all the paci's into the bag for all the other little kids that don't have paci's. Then when it came time for that last paci Super nanny just tapped on her paci in her mouth and she threw it right in the bag! It was so cute.

The easiest thing to do is also the hardest... Just chuck em, lose them, what ever... And don't buy any more... Yes, there will be a few nights of restlessness. But on the kinder note... what if they traded them for a new stuffed animal to sleep with...Next time your at the store and the 2 yr old asks for a toy tell her you'll get it IF the paci can go visit the garbage man... :-) Or some distant cousin... Is there someone that you know that is going to have a baby soon? Ask if they can give the paci to the new baby... THen let them help you "mail" it. Its basicly giving the 2 yr old the ability to make the decision how ever you do it. The 1 yr old wouldn't understand and also won't miss it after about 2 nights... I always worry about the whole cutting off the end... What kind of bacteria built up in there? and some could "shred" as they suck on them...
My personal trick is to never upgrade from the 0-6 mo size... Then it gets hard for them to hold it in their mouth as they get about 1ish and they loose intrest... :-)

My oldest was in first grade and still sucking her thumb at night but we did not want to do anything harsh like taping it down or putting something on it that would taste bad. We created a chart that after each night she did not suck her thumb, she got to put a sticker on it. Once she had gone a week, she got a prize (I took her fast food lunch to the school and had lunch with her - but we did not tell her friends what she had done to earn the fun lunch). After the second week, we took her to Screams (an ice cream parlor in Hell, MI with a Halloween theme). I think the big thing was that we encouraged her and told her that she could do this, it is not that big of a deal and we let her be in charge. Good luck!!

Not sure for the 1 year old but we took our daughter when she was two to toys r us. We talked to the cashier that we would be paying with pacis. She could get any toy she wanted ( stuffed animals were the least in expensive. And then we went and checked out the bunny costed 12 pacis. She paid and we left 5: ran his credit card after we proudly walked out of the store.the first night with out the paci was the worst then we talked abput it and after a lot of coaxing her and george(the biunny) went to sleep. christy

There are lots of ways you can do it. There probably will be no easy way. She will have a tough couple nights, but thats it. Soon she'll forget and you'll move on. These are the ones I have seen or done.

My daughter was 18months and I was pregnant with my second. She was VERY attached to her paci. I was worried that if I didn't get her to quit before my second came along, I never would. So I cut the end off of one like a friend had done. It worked. We showed her and told her it was broke. She took it and threw it in the trash. Asked/whined for it for a couple days afterwards and we reminded her it was broke. And that was that. (I never thought it was going to be that easy. I thought I would give it a try and if it got bad, just give one of her other ones to her)

Other one that I know of was my niece. She was around 33 months old. My sister kept telling her that paci's were for babies, constantly, but still let her have them at night and in the car. But, one day, she took hers and threw it in the trash and said "paci's are for babies". She regretted it a little while later, but my sister said too late its gone. She asked/whined for it for a couple days, but they too reminded her it was gone.

And the other one that I know of was a coworker took it away at around 23 months. He only used it for naps and bedtime. They told him no more paci. He asked/whined for it for a few days, but they told him it was gone.

So I think no matter what you do, she will ask/whine for it. She may take it worse than these three, but who knows it could end up this simple for you. I NEVER thought I would be able to get rid of my daughters, I was so shocked on how easy it was.

This what worked for me. I was over my mom's house and I bought a big bag of M&M's (my son's favorite candy). I told him if he throw's away his nuk(as we were leaving my mom's house) he can have the big bag of M&M's. 1.) We were somewhere else rather then home to throw it away - these little ones are smart- if you throw it away at home they can go right back in the garbage and get it. So do it somewhere else then home. 2.) I did the M&M's so that everytime he asked I would give him say 5or6 M&M's. Even if it was just before bed or in bed. It was my way of beinging able to remind him - I would tell him remember you put your nuk in the garbage and you got the big bag of M&M's? Honestly he never cried - he was just excited to get the M&M's and that only last a short while.
Good Luck -

With my children, I told them we would exchange it at the store. I even had them "give the pacifier" to the cashier. My son (who is my oldest) picked out something a little expensive, so I learned with him to put a dollar limit on it with my daughter, which worked.After, I would find some pacifiers here and there and I just threw them out.

Initially it is hard to not give it to them at night. What you could do is maybe read to them at night to calm them down and help them through this.

"This too shall pass".

Warm regards,

M.

My daughter too only used her pacifier at night to sleep. We dicided together that we should give it to one of her newborn cousins who were going to be born. We talked about it for months. This is not something you can spring on a kid like this. So after she saw the baby, we actually went to the post office and really sent them to her new cousin. She never really had crying fits, it just took her a little longer to fall alseep at first.

Out tactic actually started with our 2nd child. We came home from the mall and realized we had lost it somewhere along the way. Instead of running out to buy another one, we told her we lost it at the mall and it was gone. That was it! She was just about a year old. 2 more babies followed her and we "lost" their pacifiers the same way.

Good Luck!