TMC Confessions & Answers with Uncle Brett: 5 Ways to get rid of your toddler's pacifier

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  Posted by Katja C Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:47pm PDT

  My kid never liked pacifiers (he's never actually been thr type to put anything in his mouth--when he finds a small object on the floor, he usually gives it to me rather than mouths it), so I have no idea how hard it would be to break them. He's 2 and still nursing, and from all the reading I've done on extended nursing, it seems to be better for kids to grow out of the sucking-for-comfort thing on their own. So, if that applies to breasts, wouldn't it apply to pacifiers? What do you all think?

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  Posted by Brett Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:54pm PDT

  Readers: thanks for reading.

  Commenters: thanks for commenting

  HotCrossBuns: thanks for reading, and commenting. But just to clear things up about my doing my "homework", I'm wondering if you can point out to me where in my piece I say anything about kids doing long-term damage to their jaws or teeth by having a pacifier?

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  Posted by Terry M Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:34pm PDT

  I have to agree with hotcross, my daughter is 3...I just started potty training, and she is down to one Binky that she only uses at nite nite time, either nap or bedtime...but since she started potty training, She is telling me that Binky's are for babies...that does not stop her from asking for it at bedtime....Or when she is really upset it calms her...bottom line is, after 4 kids I've learned, they will let you know when they are ready...have you seen many 5 or 6 yr old's with a Binky, no, because at some point they realize they don't need it...Have you seen many 5 or 6 yr old's in kindergarten that are still in diapers???...kids have a way of growing up and out of things with just a few nudges from parents...

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  Posted by miss genie Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:25pm PDT

  I had to start taking my baby girl to day care at age 15months. they didnt give passies or bottles so in 3 days i had her completely off both. how i did it is just give her something else to do than suck on a passy. plus she was starting to really talk and i couldnt see her talking with it in her mouth. there something not right about that. but to each there own. good luck

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  Posted by Kelly W Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:04pm PDT

  I was a nanny for a baby who soon became a toddler with a binkie addiction, and binkies were deemed "poppies" in her household. At Christmas the parents bought her her own little Christmas tree, which on Christmas eve she decorated with her "poppies". She was prepared for weeks for the idea that Santa would take the poppies from the poppie tree and leave an extra special gift. She loved it, and never asked for poppies after that, plus her whole family made her feel really special about the big deal of her little tree, and Santa bringing something special for her, and were really supportive. I thought it was a cute idea, and I'll use it if I ever have a kid with a "poppie-problem"

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  Posted by M Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:05pm PDT

  To break my sons paci habit, we cut off the knobby part on the end. Then you do this to all of them and leave them where they lie. The little ones put it in their mouth but with no suction they don't want them. They break themselves in a day. My son was never without his paci and after this solution he was done in a couple of hours. Try it but you have to do all the pacis, and watch them spit it out, they break themselves. Best!!!

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  Posted by Melissa Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:37am PDT

  Cutting the tip off is a great idea. I did it to my daughter's pacifier when she was about 2. I found in laying on the floor, cut the tip, then just put it back where I found it. When she came looking for it, tried to put it in her mouth, took it out and said "Peanut(the dog) broke it". She slept with it in her hand for a few nights, then that was it.

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  Posted by Mammina Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:16am PDT

  I broke my daughters' pacifier habit when she was 2 years old. I tried every thing, from cutting the tip to putting a little vinegar on the tip etc..... Once she left it in my mothers' car and altough I used to have spare ones I told her that a dog went in the car and took it away. She spent a couple of nights screaming, but I made sure that I was by her side to reassure her. That was it, now if she sees another toddler with a dummy she goes up to them and tell them to throw it away cause its for 'babies'!! Good luck

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  Posted by ? Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:18am PDT

  My son could only have his pacifier in bed. He could use it anytime he needed it as long as he stayed in bed. He hated to stay there, felt his missed out on too much. did the same with my youngest daughter, no problems. My middle child found her thumb in the womb. That was a hard habit to break. Good luck, they usually give it up on their own when they are ready.

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  Posted by Aimie Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:31am PDT

  I also only let my boy have his binky at bedtime and after about 3 month of that we started telling him that binkies were for babies and that all the new babies needed binkies. We started suggesting that he give his binkies to the babies and one day he and I decorated a box put all the binkies in it and wrote "to: the babies" and he put a stamp on it. He put it out for the postman and while he was napping I grabbed it and threw it away. After that he would talk about the babies at bedtime but only for about a week. I'm sure it doesn't always go that smoothly but he really responded to the idea of helping the babies.

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