To Young to Take His Pacifier Away?

Try taking it away for a day and then see how he does. I did that when my son was 13 months old. He has never used it since. It may take a few days but it is worth a try.

I always thought it was so hilarious how complete strangers always had an opinion about my daughter having her pacifier! It's a hot topic, isn't it? I think the worst fight I ever had with my husband was over taking the pacifier away :)!

My third child was my only one who took a pacifier. If I took it away, she would put other things in her mouth - a very oral child. I figured I'd rather have her putting the nuk in her mouth, which I knew was clean, than say, toys in a doctor's office waiting room where who knows what germs are on them! She gave it up around 2 years old but SHE was ready.

I say relax. Let him transition on his terms. He won't be taking it to Kindergarten, I assure you! In a year, if he is still looking for it every waking second, he'll be more developmentally prepared for understanding you only allowing him to have it at night time/nap time, in the car - whatever. Right now it would just be stressful to take away his calming strategy.

My oldest was 3 when we got rid of his. He was limited to bed use and in the morning for the first little snuggle time, but if he wanted to get off the couch he had to give it to me. We used bibbery to get rid of it. He went a week and he got a special toy.

My middle was 2 and very attached to it. She would not forfit hers and actually had two with her most of the time. We went camping and forgot them. So we told her we forgot them and that we couldn't get more. Whem we got home she asked for them, but I told her they we all gone.

My youngest is 1 and haven't even thought about it yet. He's also very attached to it.

I think the dentists say that by 3-4 they have got to get rid of it. I think what you might have to worry about, is that he might start sucking his thumb is he needs the comfort. Thumbs are much harder to get rid of.

Good Luck.

My daughter is a thumb sucker, not pacifier sucker, but it's pretty much the same concept. I've read that a child's need to suck is actually strongest between the ages of 1-2 years. My doctor also told me there isn't anything to worry about as far as teeth are concerned until it is their adult teeth that are coming in, which is not for a few years. I wouldn't worry about it quite yet. I would give him a few more months with it until you start weening him off.

I know it only get's harder and harder to take away. The longer they have a pacifier the harder it is to take away in the future. They get more and more dependant on it. So it's up to you when you want to have battle of the pacifier now or later.

I think it is fine to have your 11 month old still use a pacifier. My 12 month old son loves his. He has 6 teeth and is getting more. I think the pacifier soothes his sore teeth. I'd rather have him chew on his pacifier than kids at daycare. My husband calls my sons pacifiers, "baby bubble gum." Good Luck.

THe sooner you can get rid of the 'binky' the better.
it really isn't that great for their teeth.
does he have a blankie or something else he uses as a 'security' object?
Just conveniently lose the binky's one by one :)
ask your pediatritian for ideas.

Around 1 year, we made sure to only give him the pacifier when in the car or at bedtime. Around 1.5 years, he got a cold and didn't want the pacifier -- I took that opportunity to ditch the thing all together!! ;-)

Also, FYI, my son had fairly frequent ear infections and according to his dr., the paci wasn't helping matters. He hasn't had an ear infection since giving it up...but then again that was only a few mos. ago and it is now summer!! It's also good to not have them drink from a bottle or a sippy too often (we use the sippy 2 or so times/day -- otherwise ds drinks from a cup. This is for the same reasons (teeth and ears) as the pacifier.

I think I just lucked out with the cold...good luck!!

My son is 20 months old. We took his pacifier away around 17-18 months of age. He only ever got it in bed or in the car. He stopped taking it in the car around 15 months. At his 12 month check up we were told to take it away by age 2. When I decided to take it away I cut the tip off of it so it wasn't "suckable" anymore. I kept cutting it down until there wasn't any rubber left and he didn't want it anymore. For 2 nights he cried for a new one. He has since replace his pacifiers with a blanket that he carries everywhere with him. I would suggest that if you do choose to take the pacifiers away now that you give him some sort of lovey instead. Good luck with whatever you choose to do :o)

S.,

It is hard to say how to take it away, as each child is different. My son was only given his nuk when he went to sleep. We actually took it away for good when he was almost 3. We tried earlier, but we were moving and it was easier on him. At that point we just threw them away and told him he didn't need them anymore, since he was a big boy.

Now your son is much younger and won't understand that. I would suggest cutting back to nap time, than gradually taking it away from there. If our son ever wanted it, he was told he had to go lay in his crib/bed and that is the only place it was allowed.

Good luck...it may be hard at first, but it will get easier....

I had not really intended to let my daughter have a pacifier. She didn't like it when she was "new", but around 8 months she suddenly started wanting it. She already had a few teeth at that point. Now she is 16 months, with 12 teeth, and I swear she hides her pacifiers so we can't take them away, however we better be able to find one for nap or bed time. So I too am debating when I want to start keeping them from her.

If you or your husband think he should stop using it, then take it away. But he is still young enough that it won't hurt him to keep it a bit longer.

Hi!

I work for a dentist who specializes in children. She said that a new study was just completed that said pacifiers are safe until 4 years of age if only used for sleeping.

My daughter is 2 and we battle the "only for nigh-night" but she was such a mouthy baby and still is that I don't want to take it away only to have her start on the thumb which will begin to cause damage at any age (according to the dentist).

So I would really say that it is up to you. It is true that it will be easier at a younger age and he won't even remember the battle in a few months. Unlike my daughter who will remember it and is more attached. I do kind of wish I had tried earlier to take it away. Just make sure you are working towards only while sleeping and the health of his teeth should be fine.

Good luck!
~A.

My son had a pacifier that he was attached to. I started taking it away when he was 9 months old. At first I only took it away in the day, he still had it for naps and nightime sleep. Then when he got used to not having it during the day I took it away at naptime. Then after a while I took it away for nighttime sleep. Just do it slowly like I did and it won't be such a big change. He was totally pacifier free by the time he was a year old. He is now 3 years old. I also have a daughter that is 4 months old and she has never liked a pacifier so I'm glad I don't have to take it away from her.