How Do I Get My 2 Year off the Pacifier?

I LOVE the binkie fairy idea - so sweet. We did a variation on that - very similar to what Michelle M did - we told her it was time to give her "pie" (pacifier) to a baby, since she was now a big girl. So we found a pretty box to put it in and gift-wrapped it and thought of a baby we knew that we could give this special gift to. She felt so generous and grown-up giving it to the baby - it was touching. She did have a tough time calming herself to sleep the next number of days, but this really broke the habit.

Hi K.,
My second daughter (now 31 months) was a binkie addict herself up until she turned 2. The dentist told us during her checkup that it was causing problems with her teeth and that we had to stop with the binkie right away. So... I cut the ends off of all her binkies. She could still have them when she asked for them, but they were less satisfying to her that way and she stopped asking for it altogether in about 2 weeks. Now she doesn't seem to miss them at all! I know a few other moms who have tried this as well with equal success. I hope this helps, good luck!

I've also had great success with cutting the end off the binky with both of my children.
We made sure there was only one binky left in the house, and then snipped a bit off the end. My son called it "broken," but he was allowed to use it if he wanted. (There wasn't a spare for him to fall back on.) He decided he didn't want it any more after a couple days. My daughter's habit was a little harder to break and we had to snip the end even short a couple of times before she decided she didn't want it. Good luck!

Hi K., my daughter loved her binki and just like you, she was only using it at nap time and bedtime. We had already cut down very low and she would just say that her binki was broken and still wanted it. So at christmas time, we told her she needed to give it to santa in order to get gifts in return. Worked like magic! Maybe with easter coming up, you can use the same concept. Good luck!

Hi K.,

I have a girlfriend that had the same problem, so she made up the "Binkie Fairy" When her daughter was ready she would put the pacifier under her pillow and the next morning she would have a surprise. She did one every couple of days until they were gone. She swears by this method.....good luck!

My kid is 2.5 now. He used to act like your kid-- fussing or throwing a fit if he didn't get his binky. We made him responsible for his binky. If he didn't put his binky on the table next to his bed, he couldn't have it. He was always losing it under his bed or mis-placing it. So we would make a big show of trying to look for his binky. We always had an extra in case he was really going to throw a fit. But he was always responsible for it. When he fell asleep, and barley suck in the binky-- we would pull it out of his mouth and place it on the table next to him. This way, he would get used to not sucking the binky all night. Gradually, we stopped giving him his back up binky because he kept losing it. Took us 2 months, but it worked. Good luck!!

K.,

My daughter was addicted to her pacifier too and when she was two we went on a road trip. I felt she didn't need it anymore so I told her it fell out the window while we were driving and even though she fussed the first few times without it she eventually forgot about it. I did substitute a sippy cup for the first few days and that seemed to ease her. Hope this helps.

Hi K..
I had the same issue with my son when he was about that age, maybe a little younger. Good news is, he is 6 1/2 now and doesn't need it anymore! So, we actually took a big risk and thought with him he needed an all or nothing kind of a thing. We took one of his binkis and cut off just the top of the sucking part, so it wasn't pleasant to suck on. We nervously put it on the couch and waited for him to come out and find it on his own. He did and picked it up and looked at it. We were both so scared of what he would do, but after he looked at it he looked at us and said "broken!" We acted a little suprised and said "oh, okay". We asked if he wanted to throw it away and he did. WE said "bye bye binki". Then, not knowing how things would go for naps and bed time, I kept one up in the cupboard, but all the others I made sure to throw them away. I also kept one with the top cut off so when he did cry for it, which was not much at all, I would take in his broken one and show it to him to remind him then he was okay and snuggled with his blanket. It only lasted a night or two of having to do that. I know it's scary, but it might be worth a try. Just make sure if you do it find ALL of the pacifiers so he doesn't find one that "works" and start all over. I hope that helps.
H.

My daughter LOVED Elmo and during a visit to Grandpa I found an Elmo binkie & clip. I gave it to her and told her that if she lost it then that was it. Basically I made her responsible (she was very mature for 2). I told her that everytime she "lost" it. And each time she would "find" it. After a few months I lost her binkie for her.

When she asked for it I told her that she had to find it or else she wouldn't have it anymore. She looked everywhere but couldn't find it. When she went to bed she asked for it and when I told her that she lost it and that was it I wasn't going to buy her a new one she said ok and when to bed. Believe it or not it worked! She asked for it a few times after but when I told her that she lost it she went about her business. After a few days she stopped asking.

By the way there was no tears or fits.

Good Luck!!!!

my daughter was addicted to her pacifier from birth up until she turned 2 years old. The day after she turned 2 I took it away and let her cry it out through the night. I just zoned out the crying and let her cry herself to sleep. It was a tough night for us but she eventually cried herself to sleep. The following day she asked for it and I said, "I don't know where it is, Where is it? So for a few days she would ask for it then started answering the question herself. "I lost it, I don't where it is." She ended up forgetting about after a few days. I say try taking it away and let her cry it out. I was scared that it would damage her teeth so I had to do it. Put the pacifier in a safe place where he can't see it. Hope this helps!

I also cut the tip off of my daughter's binkie. She would want it, we'd give it and then she'd throw it because it didn't serve it's purpose any longer!
Good luck!

Only allow use at naps and bedtime.
Then, cut a hole at base. We tried cutting off tip, but he sucked it anyway. Then the base ripped and he decided it was broken.
Be careful taking it away so abruptly that he turns to thumb! My alert, wonderful son sucked his "paci" untilhe wwas four. we wantd to cut him off every birthday, but let him have it at bedtime til age 4.

Hello K.,

My daughter loved her pacifer but it was ruining her teeth. She too would not go to sleep without it. She used the pacifier from infancy to 2 1/2. At 2 1/2 we talked about giving her "nigh night" to the new babies as she was now a big girl. We began only allowing the nigh night at bed time for a month. We then said it was time to give the nigh night to the new babies. So we put them in an envelope addressed to New Babies, walked together to the mailbox and she dropped the bundle in the box herself. I'm sure the mailman wondered what the heck it was! She never complained about it and would only mention the new babies needed the night nights because they were so little. Try it... it might work for you too!

Hi K.,

My 16 mo old is the same way, has to have it to sleep, but other than that she does not need it. I have to ask...are you weaning him because you want to or you are being pressured to? Don't just let him cry it out...maybe when he is 5 or 6 and it is damaging his teeth and he is old enough to understand that he has to give it up. His pacifier is still pacifying something and he needs it and uses it in the place of fearing something. I personally have not decided when the right time to wean mine off of it is, but here are a couple of suggestions I have heard of that worked...

My cousin called on the "Fy Fairy", she had a girl. Her "fy" would fall between the wall and the bed sometimes and once she could not find it, so she made up a story about a "FY Fairy" that would someday come and take her fy to a new baby who needed it. In the morning they did find it, but every time she could not find it Sarah would tell her about the "FY Fairy" and how she would come to visit little kids who were growing older and if she thought they were ready, and big girls and boys, then she would take their Fy's and give them to new babies that were little and needed them like she did when she was a baby. When ever Paige sees a baby with a Fy she talks about the Fairy and says that may be her old fi. Now, about five months later, she hardly even notices another pacifier.

The other trick I know of someone doing is cutting a whole in it. Slowly and very gradually she cut a tiny whole in the tip of the paci. One day her son brought it to her and said "Boken, it boken mommy," And she agreed that it was broken and that he had worn it out, "It was all done." On that note he took it over to the trash and said garbage and they threw it away together. I like this way because the child then sees what happens to it and knows where it went.

When my two year daughter (now 15) had a "suckie" in each hand at bedtime with one in her mouth, I knew it was time to "take control". We poked a small hole in the pacifier with a needle so that it lost it's suction. It helped a little, but when one got lost, we would just tell her it went away - even if/when we found it. She "cherished" the one that seemed to never get lost - she got so used to having it, she began to talk with it in her mouth; we ignored her when she did that. One day it was so bad, I told her if she talked with it in her mouth, it was going to be thrown away - almost like testing me, she did and when we asked her to throw it away, she did. She only whined that one night a little.

Good luck.