Weaning from Pacifier.

I had the same experience with my son, as Bekah. He just stopped wanting it and over time it was over with. By the time he was a 13-14 months old he just didn't want it anymore...

I think, if you make it a big deal then they make it a big deal. Ease him away from it by offering him alternatives, like toys, cup of water or some other kind of distraction.

Cheers,
D.

C.,

Why wean him? He'll drop it when he's ready. If he enjoys it and gives him comfort...
I let my daughter suck her thumb until she was ready to stop. She is a well adjusted person.
C.

My son has just stopped using a pacifier - he is 16 months old. I started by not giving it to him as much and "replacing it" with toys or a water/juice cup. I do give him teething drops and if he get really fussing (he is still getting a few of the larger molars) I give him some pain reliever. I ahve also found that chilled apple wedges (or any other fruit that he likes) are great for little teethers. Over the past month my son now refuses the pacifier when he used to be VERY attached to it. My doctor said that it also can have some to do with how much they talk as my son is a BIG chatter box. I say, out of sight, out of mind. Every child is different so do what is right for your son and before you know it the pacifier will be a thing of the past! :)

I'm probably in the minority, but I didn't wean my daughter off her pacifier until she was 3. But I did make the rule that she could only have it in her bed. The dentist said that her teeth are perfect, and it sure helped with bedtimes!

Hi C.,

I weaned my son from his pacifier at 15 months on the advice of my pediatrician: I just took it away cold turkey. She said he wouldn't throw a fit for it beyond a day or two and she was right! He only looked for it for a few minutes the first night I took it away (he didn't even cry), and then he grabbed his favorite stuffed dog and he never asked for it again. He only had the pacifier at naptime and bedtime.

Hope this helps!
:-) D.

We went with limiting the places the paci could be used (first at home only, then in bedroom only) and then limited the times it could be used (napping and sleeping only then sleeping) and then we just 'lost' it.

you just take it away! Throw away! I had twin premmies and gave one a pacifier but about 2 months later I took it away. Never was a fan of them. He will cry and throw a big fit but in no time you will and he will forget he even had one! I know it seems extreme but I would rather hear a little crying and knowing that I am weaning him off the pacifier. Hope this helps!

My son is 2 1/2 and still loves his pacis. When he was little we kept about 10 in his bed because he kept losing them and would wake up crying for it, so I put a big handful in there and he learned how to hunt for them. As he got older we took one away at a time and he never noticed. We were down to 2. When he turned two, we cut a slit in them both and he didn't notice. Each week we would cut a tiny bit off the ends. After a week or so he noticed they were different but wasn't quite ready to toss them. Then they were really just the holder parts and he just holds them at night. He can sleep away from home without them. He tells me they are broken but likes holding them. I have heard of just cutting them off and then the kids throw them away but my pediatrician said if you do it gradually they can ease it to giving it up. About three months ago, I took one more out and he didn't notice at all. Down to one paci-holder only. Then about a month ago when I was changing his sheet in his crib I truly forgot to put his paci in his bed. He loves all his stuffed animals and so I usually rotate two or three in every so often and completely forgot to add the paci. He didn't notice til two days later. He asked for it and I said, I am not sure where it is, we will look tomorrow and that was the end of his pacis. He never brings it up. I am so glad that it was not a big deal for him. I am still a bit surprised, as he was rather attached but then he is also pretty easy going with change. Hope that helps.

The Teethifier is a really neat invention I discovered one day:

http://www.shopkidgear.com/

I didn't use it for weaning my son from the pacifier because I had already done that, but it can be used for that purpose along with teething.

I too had a horrible time getting our daughter off the pacifier (we call it the "nuk") so we had the "Nuk Fairy" (we left it by the window with a note for the Fairy and a special ribbon wrapped around it) slowly take one nuk away at a time to give to less fortunate babies that may not have one. Once we got down to two- she was allowed to keep one in a special box close to the bed for emergencies the other one was hidden away in our medicine cabinet for a keepsake (we still have it- it was her favorite one). This allowed them to be special to her- but she had to show that she was a big girl in letting the others go- it worked! The responsibility concept worked wonders and she felt that she was doing good for other kids so she learned compassion for others while she was letting go of this habit I could not break!

We weaned our boys kind of late. At three, my first son could not sleep w/out it. A friend recommended that we snip a tiny piece off the end of it. I told him a bug ate it. It felt different in his mouth after that and he didn't like the feel of it and chose not to suck it anymore. He still slept with it for a few more nights, but there was no crying after that. First, we only let our kids have the "plug" while in the car, nap time and bed time. Then we "accidentally" started leaving it at home so it was only for the bed. Then we snipped the end off. I think a parent's first mistake is to let their kids walk around the whole house sucking on it all day. Then when you see a three-year-old at the store with one you know where they went wrong.

BTW, my second son, who is 22 months younger, was weaned only a few months later. We did the snip thing too and he just threw it away immediately. No crying at all. I think this is a good time for you. You can get her some type of stuffed animal to take the place of the plug.

Hi C.,
I had my son put his pacifier in a special box, ( I just had him paint an old wipes holder) and every time he woke up he'd get very excited to put it into his box. This helped to get him off the pacifier and let him due it his way and be involved in the process.
Sometimes when he's not feeling well or having a hard day he goes to his box and gets it out. He just uses it for a bit and puts it back. I like that he knows when he needs it but then puts it right back when he's feeling better.
Good luck!

we ended up poking a hole in it so that it was no longer functioning.

What is your motivation for weaning? I suspect that you are going to make your life much harder than it needs to be. The pacifier makes life easier. Keeps them calm, focused, less drooly. The one draw-back is that they tend to speak less. If that's your concern, then just limit the amount of time he gets to have a pacifier.

Hope these thoughts are helpful and not intrusive. Every Mommy makes her own rules for different reasons. You'll make the right choice for your family. Best of luck!

13 months is a tad early to wean him from the pacifier because he just won't understand if you give him any reason when you take it away. If you do however, I highly discourage cutting the tips as this can be very dangerous and little plastic pieces can be easily bitten off. If any pacifier has holes, bites, tears, etc. they need to be thrown away immediately. Why would someone do this intentionally and then GIVE it to their child?...
I weaned my daughter at about 2 years (although she didn't even want a pacifier until she was a year and saw the other kids in her daycare had them...she was only in daycare for a short time thankfully!) I first started with the only in bed routine and then after a week I didn't bring them out even for bedtime. I said they needed to go to the other babies and showed her pictures of babies with them and that she was a big girl. I wouldn't let her cry for them that's just torture but she only wanted them the first 2 nights and after she fell asleep I took it from her so she wouldn't wake up with it. It was actually easier than I thought. She'll be 3 in March and her teeth are gorgeous and perfect so I wouldn't be worrying about his teeth now (if that's why you're weaning) :) Goodluck!!

I think at 13months it's still a little early. Start by limiting the usage. Tell him they're only for bedtime. We had a little dish by the crib, when our kids woke up, they put them in the dish and got them back out at bedtime. I'd wait until about 2 when he can understand and participate in the "giving it up" process. At this age, he won't understand, he won't be a willing participant, and it will just be torture - for him -and you!

Hi C.,
I think my Brendin was about 13 1/2 months when I finally put an end to the binky. I threw out all of the binky's without him knowing all on the same day. (I tried previously to get him to understand and do it himself, but it made things much worse.) The best advice I have is to not let it become a big deal... let the binky's disapear. If it comforts him at night, try rocking him to sleep. Eventually you might get away with simply rubbing his back as he drifts off. During the day try to keep him preoccupied with other things. It's amazing how well the old "out of sight, out of mind" trick works on toddlers and their binky's. Good luck to you.

Clip the ends so when he tries to suck, he just sucks air. Clip them all, after trying them and getting frustrated he won't want them anymore.