Pacifiers!

we cut the tip off of my sons at the age of 2. We went around the house and found all of them and cut the tip off of allof them. And when he would put it in his mouth he said they were broken and he threw them in the trash. So after a few days of him trying different one he eventually gave up and never asked for one again. Hope this helps.

Hi C. -

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter had the thrush. I hope she's better now.

While I'm sure you'll receive lots of advice on weaning her gently from her pacifier, what worked for both of my older children was making them quit cold turkey. Actually, my mother took on this challenge that lasted a grueling week, but in that span of time, she managed to completely wean them both at age one. My kids were a little too young at that age to reason with them when it came to weaning, however, your daughter is older, so it may work. Telling her that big girls don't need their pacifiers might appeal to her growing independence, or it may not...it really depends on your daughter. Also, from a more pragmatic standpoint, you may want to just cut the nipple so that it deflates and she can't suck it anymore. That seems to work for many kids.

In any case, bless you and your daughter on this endeavor. If can you break her of this habit, it will be yet another great milestone.

you just have to be firm and take it away and not give it back no matter how big of a tantrum she throws.she will forget about it after a lilwhile.i have 3 kids and none of mine ever wanted a pacifier they would always spit it out but the quicker you take it the better her teeth will be and again just ignore her tantrums and they will end and she wont want a pacifier no more.good luck

Hey C., I hope your daughter is feeling better. I thought I'd let you know what happened to us. With our daughter who is know 12 we cut the tips off (I see some else gave you that tip)it worked like a charm for her. When we tried that with my son at 15 months he didn't care that the tips were gone he sucked them anyway. So we told him you are a big boy no more "binks" and threw them away. Naptime was rough he cried more then slept. At bedtime same thing at around 3am he stuck his thumb in is mouth and went to sleep. Same thing next day. My husband and I decided it would be better to let have the "binks" and give them up when he was ready then have him be a thumb sucker. He is know 21/2 and only uses his "bink" if he is really tired or scared. Hope this helps.

One of those Nanny shows on TV has kids hang the pacifier in a tree for the "Paci Fairy" who takes it and leaves a gift in its place. I never used them though so I'm no expert.

I was always told by people and doctors that pacifiers are made for babies only. Once they start getting teeth they are too old for it. I would just rid of it. It may take a day or so, but thats really the way to do it. She may cry b/c you don't have it but after a couple of days she wont even think about it. Hope this helps.

My son is almost 2 and still has his binky. He doesn't have it in his mouth all the time and if I see him with it, I'll tell him to take it out so that I can understand what he's saying. And he does. But when he's tired, I don't fight that.
I've heard the suggestion that you show your child a baby or take her to a nursery where there are new babies. And tell her that those babies need pacifiers and to ask her if she could give her pacifiers to the new babies. Children this age are fascinated by babies and wanting to help anyway, so it usually works. And then you'll go home and gather all the pacifiers and put them in a little bag and go "drop them off" for the new babies while your child is asleep so she doesn't realize you're just throwing them away. It helps to have a gift for her generosity when she wakes up from the babies. Then when she asks about her pacifiers, just remind her that all the new babies have them and how big a help she was.
You'll find your own strategy and you'll both be fine with whatever you choose. Good luck!

Hmm, I don't know. I have heard of the "Paci Fairy", like someone else suggested, but I don't know of many others. We weaned our daughter from the pacifier at 7 months, actually she weaned herself. She got a bad cold, and could not keep her mouth closed and breath, so we just took it away and she forgot about it.

my son went cold turkey.he was just over a year and we lost his last one at the grocery store so i decided now's as good a time as any.the first couple nights were a little rough but it quickly got better.maybe since she's a little older you can try letting her pick out a new toy or stuffed animal and let her "buy" it with her paci..try to pick out something maybe she would think as a "big girl" toy.but if you can't convince her just toss it out and be done with it.she'll forget about it soon enough.good luck!

I have 4 children ages 12 to 1. I never gave any of my kids a pacifier. My children were all breastfed babies. My last 3 were breast and bottle supplemented. None of them showed any interest in the pacifier. My bf's children are/were both paci babies. We started taking the paci away from his son around the age of 2. His mother was still giving it to him for months after we'd stopped. Now their daughter is 15 months old and FLIPS out if she doesn't have hers. I guess I don't understand the whole concept of them because none of my kids used them. My kids are all self-soothing. None of them even had a "blankie" or "teddy" they had to sleep with...My 4 year old and my bf's 3 year old are only 10 months apart but honestly seem years apart maturity wise. My son acts like his older brothers and my bf's son acts babyish a lot...I'm not saying pacifiers do that to kids, but when they are older and seriously don't NEED them, they just want them, doesn't that kind of spoil the child? Only my opinion, nothing factual...

My daughter refused to take a pacifier until she started a new daycare at 9 mths. The daycare teacher happened to find the pacifier she came home from the hospital with in her diaper bag. The second day I picked her up she was sucking on a pacifier. I was so upset, why would you get a 9 mth old to start taking something she never wanted. The first thing I did was read up on it. What the experts say is that 90% of all children wean themselves from the pacifier by 4yrs old and that it does not have a bad effect on their teeth like most people say. Their advise was that you have other and normally bigger issues to deal with (i.e. temper tantrums, yelling, bitting etc) that the pacifier isn't something you should worry about or spend time trying to get them away from it. If it comforts your child and she needs that then let her have it. What we normally do with our daughter is give her one in the car and at bed time. If she doesn't see one then she really doesn't want one. Of course ever now and then she does find one around the house and will put it in her mouth while she plays and we let her have it. For us the pacifier helps sooth our daughter when she is upset or trying to get to sleep by herself and I feel no need to take that comfort away, she is still little (17mths old) and shouldn't have to grow up too fast. Kids are expected to grow up way too quickly. If a 2 yr old needs some comfort I think that is fine, she is still young.

I'm sorry I can't be any of help. My son never took a pacifier I tried but he just never liked. My nephew did till about 2 1/2 and we just explained to him it was time for him to turn into a big boy! I wish I could be more of help!

C.
I have to agree with Bridget 100000% here. she is right. I too did alot, tons of research on paci usage. my son is 19months and still takes his paci at naps and bedtime. normally if he doesnt' see it, he doesn't want it. but for bed and naps he will sometimes take it sometimes not. Acordign the the APDA they state (and you can look this up on their website for futher confermation) that most kids give up the paci volunterly on their own by 4 yrs. it does not damage their teeth or the alignment of their teeth as once believed or like your family or friends will tell you. and neither does thumb sucking. babies and toddlers have a normal suckign reflex. this was developed in teh womb while they were still quite young. they sucked their thumbs and fingers inside you. this is the way to comfort themselves. some like their fingers, some want paci's. nothing wrong with either. And I like Bridget, see no reason at all to take away their way ot comfort themselves. that can be very tramatic on a small toddler. the best way is to let them wean themselves at naps and bedtiem. As long as that is the only time they are taking it. I'm not suggesting you let her have it when ever she wants during the day, but allow her to have it at naps and at bedtime or on long trips to help her be comfy. She will give i tup on her own, and her teeth will be fine.
Like i said, my son is 19 months old and still takes his for naps and at bedtime. and i will allow him, not society, or my family, decide when it is time for him to leave that behind, and go without it. He doesn't get it during the day time at all. that way he still develops speech normally and learns how ot cope without his paci. an important skill, that will make it easier for him to wean himself from his paci.
hth
B.

Hi C.. My son (8) used that paci like it had a cure all. Does your daughter ever throw it? Logan was around 2 when he got into the habit of flinging it. One day after a thousand time retrieving it I told him that if he didnt want it anymore that was fine. NO BIG DEAL. he took one last look at it and threw it across the room. I went and picked it up and he watched me put it in the garbage. So I pretty much gave him the option. I pray its that easy for my second one. He never even cried for it. As I've said before babies are smart they know what you are saying. good luck

Ahhh...The breaking of pacifier! My twins are 2.5 and we started the paci is gone two weeks ago, cold turkey only because Ashleigh had hid them and I couldn't find them. AJ wanted it only at nap / bed time, but Ashleigh only used it because he had it...she had stopped it well before their 2nd birthday. They went to their grandparents and because we put them in toddler beds for the first time, she felt the paci was a good idea, so they are back to using them. But I think Ashleigh lost hers so she is without one...but has a "Snuggly Bear" that is her comfort. AJ still has his paci, but is slowly getting into "Blankies", so maybe he will do away with the paci all together yet again!

I had heard of the Paci Fairy in either American Baby or Parenting magazines or read it online and it seemed to work. The idea is to gradually get rid of the paci and the "Paci Fairy" gives you a gift.
The paci issue to me is like potty training. They will eventually give it up for something else and PRAY that they don't give up the paci and go for the fingers!!! That is a whole different ballgame and it does effect their teeth...I have read that the paci does too, but since they only have baby teeth it isn't as bad as the permanent ones.
Try the cutting the end of the nipple, that worked better for Ashleigh and then go from there. Or just lose the paci altogether and see what happens. AJ & Ashleigh didn't have issues with losing the paci at all...they still went on about their naps / bed time the same and didn't loose sleep over not having something in their mouths.
Hope the trush gets better and you find peace in the paci issue!
Take care,
God Bless,
J.

Mom to Ashleigh & Austin (AJ) ~ 2