Need Help Getting Rid of the Pacifier!

There isn't anything you can do to make this easier. Whatever you do, do NOT give it back to her. Throw it away and say good riddance and tune out the screaming the best you can. I never gave a pacifier for this reason but the best way to deal with it is to get rid of it and do not give it back.

Hold her every night. Love her and give her compassion and empathy. We all know how hard it is to break a bad habit. Empathy, empathy, empathy.....but do not give in. Another week and you'll be most of the way there.

My daughter took a pacifier until she was about 3 1/2. Her dentist told me the same thing about the pacifier, but at 2-2/12, they're not quite done being babies as far as I'm concerned so I let her keep using it until she gave it up on her own. I'm sure everyone is different, but my daughter still has a crossbite anyway. Our dentist said that while sucking on pacifiers, fingers and thumbs may contribute to dental malformities, genetics also play a part.

If she really needs a paci to soothe herself at bedtime, I would only let her have it then. If you think about it, she's only using it to help herself fall asleep. Once she dozes off, she probably won't be actively sucking so she can't do any damage. At least she'll fall asleep peacefully.

A pacifier is a very nasty habbit that I refused to let my girls have. Right at the hospital I told the nurses no pacifiers. My neice was almost five when they finally got it from her. They finally just had to let her cry herself to sleep at night. After a couple of months she forgot about it. What ever you do , do not give it back to her. Let her cry it out....

Yulissa is a beautiful name. My daughter name is Alyssa. I took her pacifier away from her one month before her second b-day. I was quite frustrated after realizing that she had used more than 15 pacifiers and lost all of them. The first day she was okay during the day, but that night she cried for about two hours before falling asleep. I felt guilty during the crying and went to three stores to find her one.Eventually, I found a pack at the 3rd store. By the time I returned my husband said she was asleep. I felt as if I was was a bad mom to let her cry for such a long time, but realized she went to bed without it for the first time in almost two years. I was happy thinking she would sleep the entire night as usual, but sure enough she got up feeling for it and cried again. I sterilized one that I purchased and put it in her mouth and she slept the remainder of the night. When she got up the next morning she was still sucking but when it dropped she looked at it with a 'What is this?' expression on her face. She realized the new pacifier was not the same as the others she was familiar with so she threw the pacifier down with attitude and refused to take it anymore. From that day on at bedtime she would cry for a few minutes,twist and turn, but realized all she had was what she didn't like so she would fall asleep on her own. This happened for another two weeks or so and before we both knew it she fell alseep on her own every night since. I said "Thank you Lord!". :-)
I know all kids are diffrent, but maybe you can try another brand of pacifier with a different shape or something. Good Luck!

My son (now 37) used a pacifier as a kid, which he seemed to be loosing way too often. We considered buying them by the dozen, that's how bad the crying got when we couldn't find a spare :-) So one day, I guess I had prayed so long for a solution, it occured to me that camels always seem to be chewing. As it was close to Three Kings Day I told him we would leave cookies for them and his pacifier to their camels. Bedtime the next day came and when he asked for the pacifier we reminded him that he had given it to the camels. He shrugged and went to sleep. Nevermore.

OK, she needs to suckle still. Place a clean washcloth in the freezer (a little bit damp at first) then let her gnaw on it for comfort. She's still teething, needing some comfort, so give her a simple solution...

Hmmm, I don't know your dentists view on things, but we go to a pediatric dentist and he says that it isn't true that paci's and thumbs are the cause of dental issues until they have adult teeth in. I mean really, what do people do with kids that suck their thumbs past age 2? Cut them off? My mom sucked her thumb until she was 11 and has amazing perfectly straight teeth WITHOUT braces. I didn't suck or have a paci and mine are crooked, go figure. My daughter sucks her thumb and her dentist told us not to harass her or worry about it until she starts losing teeth, which is between ages 5-6 for a girl...he actually told us not to stress her out or battle with her!

Just my opinion, but after 8 days, I don't think anything is worth having my baby crying for hours at night....unless it was a serious medical condition and couldn't be avoided. STress in young children is not good. Their brains are not well-suited to dealing with large amounts of stress chemicals in the brain....it's just not good. I don't think it's a matter of 'who wins' or 'battling it out' with a 2 yr old....Geesh, that's a little old-fashioned and a little far fetched to think that a 2yr old crying for hours is trying to manipulate you or somehow has equal logical thinking capabilities as an adult! She's still a baby....comfort and love on her. She may not remember this, but it does affect her in many ways down the road. If you don't want to give the paci back, offer something else, search alternatives online or maybe a special snack or drink instead. I would also consider a new dentist or research the likelihood of what he's saying being true. It may just be how her bite would have formed regardless and may have no bearing on her adult smile. Try to be comforting, you gave the paci to her and let her build a strong comforting bond with it....she doesn't understand.

When we were at the end of the pacifier for my son:

I rock him before bed, so I sang my usual lineup and then I told him the 'Pacifier Story.' Basically, it was the story of him being born, being a baby, having no teeth, drinking from a bottle (or nursing), getting bigger, being able to sit up, getting teeth, crawling, walking, etc etc on & ON...EXCEPT I added in about him loving his pacifier, how he named it, etc. I told how his pacifier was everywhere when he was a baby- bouncy seat, swing, carseat, excersaucer, clipped to his clothes, etc and in the story as he got bigger he only had his pacifier in his crib & in the car and then he was in a big boy bed & his pacifier was just for the bed (can you tell I go on & on?), etc.
Then I said, now his pacifier is gone, but he's in your heart & I told him to "close your eyes (well I sang it) and remember his pacifier and feel the love for his pacifier," etc (yeah, I'm corny too!)....I must've yammered on & on enough to get him to sleep and that was that.
Bye bye pacifier !!
I told his 'Pacifier Story' night after night (nap time too I would guess) until really it faded out of our routine...

You can explain that because she is getting bigger, the paci is for nap/bedtime only. After she falls asleep, it will fall out - just pick it up & set it out of reach (on the dresser, on the floor--"oops, it fell!"). Eventually she'll forget about it & you can "lose it". It didn't take my boys very long (<2 wks) to be done altogether.

My daughter gave up her pacifier at the age of 2. We gathered up all of her pacifiers and took them to the "baby room" at her preschool. I told her that she was a big girl now and that the babies needed her pacifiers. She handed the bag of pacifiers over to the teacher (a little reluctantly), but I think it helped that she was part of the process. She continued to ask for them at night, but I just had to keep reminding her that the babies had them. Of course, I knew that the baby room would not use "used" pacifiers, but it was a good way for my daughter to know that they were out of the house and that I didn't have anymore to give her. Good luck!

We used the "binkie fairy" idea with both our kids - you could do it after the fact (the binkie fairy took it to give to the little babies). With my older son it was his idea so no problem. With my youngest he was mad at "the babies" for a while, but now says they need the binkies and he doesn't.

I'm surprised she is still asking for it after 8 days, my youngest whined for about 3 days and then he was totally done - and let me tell you he was REALLY attached to it.

With me I had to make sure my husband took them away and either hid them or got rid of them (I still don't know which) because if my son even sensed the tiniest inkling of me thinking "aw, maybe just this once" he would never stop bugging me. Kids are very sensitive to how we're feeling, no matter what we're saying ;>

Good luck and hang in there!

P.S. I she likes stuffed toys, maybe get her a special beanie baby or other soft toy she can snuggle for comfort at night?

I am afraid to do it, but I also worry about my sons teeth. What is a cross bite? LisaM

Since you have already kept it from her for 8 days, don't give in now or you will never hear the end of it. She'll know that she has to hold out longer than you. We took the paci away from my 2nd son when he was 2. He was pretty strong willed about it too. Just hold strong. Be stronger than she is!!
best of luck!
Jen M.
Mom of 3 boys ages 5.5 yrs, 3 yrs, and 1.5 yrs

If there is a Cranial Fault- that is doctor's terms for the head bones being slightly misaligned, then the sucking action relieves this- so before taking a pacifer away you need to have a Pediatric Chiropractor, best someone who studied with Dr Major DeJarnette who developed these techniques. Check out the Int'l Chiropractic Pediatric Assoc, they might have a referral.

Also had you really talked to your daughter and told her why you are asking her to give up something that she wants?
Not just doing it because you arebigger? I used to do the latter, and embarrassingly found the former worked better for my kids and me.

Good Luck, k

I saw this on SuperNanny once- if you "prepare" your daughter for it, it should work. They told their child about the "binkie fairy" and how she was going to collect all of the binkies from the big boys and girls who no longer need them anymore and give them to the little babies who do need them. If there is a toy she has shown interest in, then that could be her prize for being a big girl and giving the pacifier to the fairy. You could even pretend to mail it to the "fairy" and have your daughter help you put the stamp on the envelope, etc. It may sound dumb but I've seen it work!

I am kinda in the same boat. My 2 yr old has it in her mouth most of the time and I can tell her teeth are looking wierd. I'm dreading taking it away b/c I can only imagine how rough it will be.

I have 3 yr old twin girls w/a neice that is a dental
hygentist. My girls use their "binkies" at night only.
I don't make a big thing out of it even tho my neice
insists it causes problems with their teeth. As a child
I sucked my thumb until I was 6 and it didn't "hurt" my
teeth. They're straight. So I figure why cause my girls
torture when they should be relaxing and going to sleep.
After all the teeth are baby teeth they fall out and are
replaced with stronger adult teeth. Try just letting her
have it at night.

Well, I took my sons "plugger" away at 2 1/2 also. He only used it at night anyway. But we went to Sea World one weekend and he saw the baby dolphins there. When we got home he asked for it and I said I left it at Sea World for the baby dolphins to use, and when they were grown up they would send it back. Sounds corny but it worked. He only asked a few times for it but that was it.
So maybe try to convince her that somebody else is in need of the pacifier. Good luck.

My daughter is now 4 1/2 and we didn't take it away until she was 3 (that is late). I can tell you it was the hardest thing for her and my husband and I. 8 days is great!!! Don't dare turn back now. We told our daughter that the "Passy" fairy needed her passys' to give to new babies. I will never forget the long 3 weeks it seemed before she started to forget about it. We also read books with her on giving up the passys.

The great thing is, 4 months later she didn't even remember giving them up and how hard it was for her. My husband and I will remember it for a long time. She would also wake up in the middle of the night crying for one. Good luck... you just need to be stronger. It will take "time".