How to Get Rid of Pacifier - Dallas,TX

Updated on February 08, 2010
S.P. asks from Dallas, TX
20 answers

Need some ideas on how to help 13 month old get rid of pacifier. He only uses it at night and for naps but would have it more if I let him. He was never attached to it until I quit breastfeeding but has since wanted it more and more. Want to do it without lots of tears or upset...

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J.B.

answers from Tyler on

Because I had a baby within a year of my first child, I let her keep her paci until she was two and a half. She used one and I did not have any spares. It got pretty yucky. When she lost it, we just said the paci went bye-bye. It never interfered with her talking.

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D.M.

answers from Dallas on

You have some great responses. A friend of mine took her sons to the Build A Bear workshop and had them sew it in a bear and let them sleep with the bear instead. It worked great for her - I have yet to try it.

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T.W.

answers from Nashville on

We played this little "game." I saw something on TV (this has been several years ago) about giving the foofies to the "foofie fairy." We put them in a very small gift bag (depending on how many you have) and tied the bag to a tree. We asked our son what he wanted the foofie fairy to bring him (within reason) and he wanted a train. So he went to bed and woke up the next morning and that's what the foofie fairy left him. Now, I will not say that it was a miricle because it was a rough couple of nights after that but we just reminded him that we gave them to the foofie fairy and he got this wonderful train, so on and so forth. Eventually, he forgot about it. Good luck to you.

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E.F.

answers from Dallas on

Your son is still little and he needs that paci for his sucking refelxes. Most children have these sucking reflexes until 3 or 4. I am not saying he should have it until he is 4 but for now it calms him and helps him sleep. At this age you will have alot of tears and upset. As a mother of 6, 3 of my children took pacis and 3 did not. They had them til they turned 3. I just told them when you turn 3 it is all gone. Had no problems because they understood. He is still little. Up to you but if he is happy let him have it. No harm in it. God Bless.

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L.T.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter had hers at bedtime until she was 3. Then we threw it in the trash and she cried a little but then was fine. I say let him have it for now.

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A.A.

answers from Dallas on

There is no way to do it without tears.
My advice, is that you are ready to get rid of it for good. Then go cold turkey. The first 3 days will be hell but when it all goes away, it will be over. My daughter rocked herself back an forth like it was a drug withdrawal. the good thing is that you do it now. The older they are, the worst off it will be.
goodluck

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E.C.

answers from Dallas on

We did the same - offered at nap and night only. Then we stopped offering it at nap around 15 months or so; then one day I didn't offer it at night and she didn't ask. She was around 17 months. I bagged them up for her little sister that was about to be born. She never looked back even with her newborn sister - it was a lot easier than I thought. And I thought it was going to be super hard, b/c she loved it. Good luck!

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L.F.

answers from Dallas on

You've gotten alot of great advice. I do agree with some of the advice that says you may want to wait awhile, your child is still really young, but I would do it in the next 6 months or so. My daughter never did take a paci, but I saw a wonderful idea on Supernanny once. She had the child put all of the paci's in an envelope that was decorated and then they set the envelope on the patio for the Paci Fairy. They told the child that the paci fairy would pick up the paci's and take them to babies that needed them.

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M.R.

answers from Dallas on

Our son only used his at nap and night as well. When he was around 18 months we gave him the big boy speech and told him it was time to throw it away. We talked to him for a week giving him a countdown; one more night, this is your last night, etc. We got a trash bag out and let him put it in and say goodbye. He asked for it on occassion afterwards and we would say "remember you threw it away because you're a big boy now and big boys don't use pacifiers". Good luck.

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S.S.

answers from Tyler on

Here is a little trick........ trim a little off the end of pacifier. Trim a little more off every day or two. Finally, after there is nothing left to suck on, hopefully your child will just throw it down and be done with it. And you are not the one who had to take it away. My parents did this with my sister and it worked beautifully.
Good Luck!

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M.K.

answers from Dallas on

A friend of mine had a great idea. She told her daughter that they could send them to kids who needed them. SO, she got some helium balloons and they tied the binkies to the balloons. She said her daughter was so excited to see and play with the balloons and to watch them fly away, she completely forgot they were getting rid of the binkies! My friend said she never asked about them again.

Seems like a great idea to me!

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J.W.

answers from Dallas on

Cutting off the tip of the paci is the greatest. I cut the tip off, and my son immediately handed it back and said "no." I tried to give it to him again later, he put it in his mouth and handed it back and said "no" again. Did this one more time at bedtime, and the same thing happened. We had no tears at my house, but the friend that told me to do it had trouble at hers. It was more whining than anything, but after a few days her daughter was fine. Good luck!

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H.H.

answers from Dallas on

I would just let him have it. I found that the problem resolved itself around the age of three when this happened: http://www.burbmom.net/pacifier-addiction/
After he gave up the pacifiers on his own he never asked for them again. Even when he would find some around the house he would bring them to me to give to a baby because he didn't need them anymore. I think if you push it at 13 months you may end up with a thumb sucker (I have a little experience in that area as well with my first two boys). Relax and enjoy having a baby!

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W.D.

answers from Dallas on

I do love the idea of sending the binky with the balloons to other children, but if that won't fly (pun intended), I would go with Annette A's suggestion; that's the way we did it. Our pediatrician reminded us that children have a very short memory. Once those few days of tears were over, he didn't even remember that he had a binky!

Same kind of thing happened with one of our boys. He would only drink chocolate milk. Then he got a stomach flu and when it was over, I gave him white milk and he didn't even remember he didn't like it and would drink 2 gallons a week! Like I said, short memory!

Good luck! :)

K.M.

answers from Dallas on

We slowly started throwing them away until we were down to 2 or 3. We were going to start cutting a hole, but one day our daughter brought it to us and said yuck. She had bitten a hole in hers. We told her to throw it away and to throw away her others too. She said ok. That night she asked for it and we reminded her that she said yuck and through them away. We did not hear anything else for 3 weeks. Then the same conversation. That was the last time it was ever discussed.

E.C.

answers from Dallas on

I second the Build a Bear. When my daughter was 18 months I was like this is it! I was in the daycare ind and knew how hard it was having children with pacifiers as it stopped them from talking etc...

So I took all of her pacifiers and put them in a bag but kept her favorite one out. Went to Grapevine Mills mall. Threw the pacis in the trash and went to Build a Bear. I had her pic out her favorite. She wanted Elmo even though she has never liked anything to do with Sesame Street. And I had her put it inside of Elmo at the front but not stuff him to much so she could feel the paci. And she fussed for about 2 days and that was it! I kept telling her Elmo ate your paci by accident when she asked. And now (she is 6)
she laughs about it!

Build a Bear Cost-$30
The cost of not buying pacis anymore, not having speech delays or having extra dental costs.... Priceless ;)

HTH

E.

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S.C.

answers from Dallas on

Just throw it away. It may be hard for a day or two. But then it will be fine and you will be so glad it is over without making a big production over it. We did this when our first was 6 months old. I will do the same thing with the next baby. I have read time and time again that babies only have the real need to suck until they are 6 months old. After that it just becomes habit.

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M.W.

answers from Dallas on

Bless your hearts! We just went through this with our son. He was about to turn 3 and completely addicted/dependent on his "binky." It was awful! He'd have one in his mouth and one in his hand. Plus, we were forever searching for one which drove me nuts and heaven help us if we couldn't find one or the particular one he wanted. We tried several things...cutting holes in the nipple (but that made me nervous) had minimal success, he still cried and was furious that they were "broken", we talked for months about the binky fairy coming to get them and he would get something in return and he would be all for it until it came down to it and we tried the book, "No More Pacifier" which is really cute and he enjoyed it but it didn't really make a bit of difference. I just couldn't bring myself to take them all away and make him go cold turkey so my hubby did it. We had about 3 terrible days and then the desire just tapered off. He and I went to the store to get him a prize with the "money" the binky fairy left, which he picked out (he chose a dinosaur that walks and makes noise) and that was that. Every once in a while he will try to be funny and say he needs a binky and I will tell him that he knows better, that he is a big boy and to remember that the binky fairy took them. I know this is a tough issue. I dreaded it and put it off forever but he was starting to talk with a slight lisp and I was so worried about his teeth so I am glad it's over. To be honest, after those 3 days I was shocked at how quickly he was over it. I hope you find something that works for your son, esp. at his age since you can't really reason with him. Best of luck!!

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B.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I was having major problems with my son's binky use; well actually it was more along the lines of a binky addiction!! My friend absolutely raved about the cut method, and all of the psychology behind it. She found it on www.bye-bye-binky.com , which is great that it was also free. We went with it and OMGosh... worked so beautifully for my son with NO tantrums, not even one! Thank you God. Five days later he did not want anything to do with his binky. What a relief it was to all of us to finally be done with those darn binkies. Highly recommended! I am also interested in others experiences.... B.

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E.W.

answers from Dallas on

We started to slowly cut a little off the end of our daughters. Every other night we would cut a little more until she no longer wanted. The first time she barely noticed, then after the second cut she told us, "papi broken". We just played it off and then eventually a week later after cutting it every other night she threw it away herself. I could not believe it!

Good luck

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