2 Year Old Still Using a Binky... HELP!!!

I just "lost" my son's binkys on Tuesday. He is 2yrs old also and he has been doing quite well w/out it. We still look for it, but can't find it. His first nap w/out it was short, he whined abit throughout the nite but made it through.
It has actually been a bit easier than I thought it would be.

I agree with Rachel. Tell him binkys are for nap and bedtime. We kept a dish by the bed which my kids retrieved and bed time and put back upon waking. With the limit, he may wean himself off. 2 of my 3 did! Good luck!

snip the tip of the paci. or do the paci fairy thing where you gather all the pacies in the house and put them in a decorated envelope for the paci fairy to take to a little baby that needs them (then of course you toss them when hes sleeping) but make sure to leave some glitter so he knows she came. you can have him pick a lovey out at the store in echange for his paci. convenatley forget it on outings to the store and such and just get rid of them one by one. or you can do it cold turkey and deal with the whine and tantrums for a week or two. either way you go good luck im sure you will get a lot of good advice :)

Chill !!!! Lots of kids use a binky until 3 or 4. Using a binky does not cause dental problems/overbites. Especially with boys, their upper jaw grows before their lower jaw, often resulting in an overbite until the lower jaw catches up. My son's ortho wouldn't put him in braces until he was 15, and by then his overbite had been reduced by Mother Nature about 75%; 9 months in braces and he was done !!! Save your energy for the really important "battles" -- weaning from a binky isn't in that category :)

At 2 years old, my daughter was a "binky addict." So much so that her front teeth were starting to bow out.

We began talking about the binky fairy, that redistributes binkies from children who don't need them any longer because they are big kids, to little teeny babies.

After we'd been talking about it, I made up a darling letter from the fairy, with special fonts, stickers, etc. It arrived in the mail and listed the date to package up the binkies and put them in the mail box -- 3 days later.

We made a big deal out of it, and "sent" it off. One week later, a letter from the fairy arrived, with a picture of the baby that had received my daughter's binkies. (Luckily, a co-worker had just given birth and I had a digital image that I printed out.) Worked like a charm. I thought my daughter's "grieving" process might last a couple of weeks, but it was literally just two days of pining for the binkies. My daughter, 4 now, still has that pic of the baby and we talk about her sometimes and how much she must have appreciated those binkies :) Good luck!

I know a mom who convinced her son that, since he wasn't a baby anymore, he needed to give his binkys away to the new babies. So they tied the binkys to balloons and set free, so that the new babies could find them and use them.

Another mom I know kept all of her daughter's binkys in a drawer. When it was time to get rid of the binkys, she gathered all of them up and cut the nipples off of them while the child was taking a nap. When the little girl woke up, she asked for a binky, and her mother took her to the drawer to see that they were all "broken".

As for my son, he is four, and still takes a binky to fall asleep at night. I know, I know, I should be ashamed of myself, but the dentist told us his teeth and palate look fine, so I am just putting it off. One thing I have noticed, however, is that he is using them less and less as he grows older.

My son was super attached to his Binky. He carried it around attached to a spit cloth for years. At first, I was concerned about making him give it up, but my mother pointed out that no kid has ever graduated high school with a Binky stuck in their mouth. Instead of stressing about forcing him to give up something that obviously provided him comfort, I just let the thing play it's course. As he passed 2 and entered 3 he started noticing that other kids weren't using one. He pretty much only used it at night when it would help him go to sleep. When he started pre-school at 4, he stopped entirely. He realized he was too old for them and offered to give them to a friend who had just recently had a baby. (Yes, pre-used Binkies are gross. But, it was the selfless thought that mattered. I let him give them to Baby Kelcie and my friend just threw them away.) My son's teeth are fine. His pediatrician said the Binky wasn't affecting his teeth any more than genetics were. (If he has dental problems, it will be inherited from his father and I, not caused by the Binky.) I know you don't want to hear this, but I don't see any reason that you have to force your son to give up his comfort item immediately. Why not let this ride its course? Help him see that kids his age aren't walking around with the Binkies and let the desire to fit in work for you. If you force the issue, you may create an overwhelming desire to hang onto the Binky in spite of peer pressure. Just a thought. :) Good luck with whatever you choose!

My 2-1/2 year old recently "gave" up the binky. I think no matter what method you use, it is a difficult time for all. The best thing to keep in mind is that once you commit to getting rid of the binky, you have to follow through and not look back. I also asked for advice on this same matter, and surprisingly was told by many moms that I should give up and my son wasn't ready. Go with your gut!

We first limited the binky use to naps and bedtime until he got used to that. My son, being the typical boy, loves watching the trash truck come by once a week. So for a week prior, we talked about the fact that he was a big boy and it was time to throw the binky away. The next week we put all the binkies in a bag and stood at the end of the driveway waiting for the trash truck. He put the bag of binkies in the trash can and watched the truck pick it up. We waved goodbye and talked again about him being a big boy. Yes, we had a rough few days afterwards. Nap times were non-existant and then fell asleep ok at night. There were tears but he understood that he had thrown them away. 2 Months later he is back to "normal", his speech has improved tremendously and the binky is a distant memory.

A friend of mine suggested taking a binky to Build a Bear and stuffing it inside the bear. That way the child has a new source of comfort.

Good luck with whatever method you choose. Just talk to you your son about it as much as possible prior and stick to your guns.

Hi N.,
I just went through the same thing. I started by only giving it to him at nap time. If he whined for it, I would say "binky is only for nap time, are you ready to take a nap?", sometimes he would go lay down in his bed with it for a little while. When he was done, he would hand it to me. It took a week or two for this to sink in. After that, I cut the very tip of the binky off so it didn't have the suction. It's important that you do this to every single binky in the house, otherwise, he just finds one that isn't cut. He hardly noticed the first cut I did, but every few days or each week I would cut it a little more. By the time I made the last cut, he could hardly keep the binky in his mouth it was so short and he pretty much lost interest. He occasionally asks for it now, but I tell him we threw it away and he is fine with that. Good luck!

Hi N.,
Well, if you feel that you need to do this now, then there are a bunch of different ways to do this. My 28 month old still uses a binky full time. I have started the introduction of the "binky fairy". I always remind her at least 1-2 times a day that, one day, the binky fairy is going to come and take one of her binkys away for a new baby. Personally, I don't believe in doing it cold turkey. My daughter is old enough to understand what is being told to her. She has about 6 different pacifiers all over the house. I will one day...(I don't know when yet, maybe in the next few months) take one binky away a week. If she comes to me and ask for a binky, I always tell her "I'm not on binky patrol, you'll have to find it yourself". She usually will turn around and start searching for it. Sometimes she will throw in a "binky, where are you??" She used to get upset and cry for me to find it, but, I have stuck to my guns and forced her to search on her own. When she would come back to me saying she found it, I would tell her good job. I never made a big deal about, I didn't want her thinking it was a major thing. Anyway, my point is that she is responsible for it.
I have however set rules for her usage of it. Well, only one rule. But it is a big one! She is never allowed to have a binky in a store, restaurant or any place else that involves people. Before she gets out of the car, I tell her, "take your binky out, we are going into the store and you don't need it." She accepts that and puts it in her car seat for when she returns. One day I will tell her that her binky is to stay in her bed only. That probably won't be for a little while though. Do I want her to use a binky to sleep at the age of 3? No, I don't. So, that is my goal, by the time she turns 3 years old, I would like for her not to use a binky at all. We'll see.
I think that being consistent is the key, and always do what you say you are going to do.
But, you can always poke a hole in it and make it not "work" anymore. If you go cold turkey, just be prepared for days of screaming. But, he will get over it, I promise.
I also wouldn't worry about the teeth, they are just his baby teeth. Most likey you will need braces for him anyway. Most kids do. Hell, I had braces when i was young, and I need to get them again!
Well, I hope I have given you a little info. Good luck to you!
M.

My son is two and still uses his binky to sleep or when he is upset. It is a way for him to soothe himself. I figure he will stop using it when he is ready. Have you ever seen a 10 year old kid walking around with a binky or for that matter a grown man. If you want to start to get him off of it rather than you take it away cut a hole on the tip of it. They don't like then. My son has one that has a hole in it and when I give it to him he tells me it is broken and does not want it.

Jacy gave good suggestions and what many Moms have done.

My son, had his Binky for awhile too... like your son. But, at about 2-2.5 years old.... we too discovered his "bite" was getting affected. So, we had to stop his binky. Gradually though. We talked to him about it, made its presence less and less.....then only gave it when he asked... then limited the places he could take it (ie: not outside etc.), then only at bed/nap time. THEN... one day we got a bag, and WITH him, we gathered up ALL his Binkies around the house.... we told him "we need to give it to Santa, so he can help other babies..." etc. And our Son actually "helped" us put all his Binkies in the bag. Then we put the bag "away" and said "bye bye." After that... that was it. Fortunately, my son adjusted pretty well. He did ask for it sometimes, but we reminded him about Santa needing it and how he was so nice to help etc. Luckily also, my son still napped and went to bed without it, really well. Just a couple days/nights of having a hard time settling down, but he did not cry or scream or tantrum about it. But I also co-slept with him too. But overall, he understood... but it was the "habit" he "missed."

BUT, my son STILL has his "lovey" of course... a lovingly worn stuffed cow, that he always has and sleeps with.

I know it may put a kink into your son's existing nap/sleep routines... but, well, his teeth alignment is getting affected...

Perhaps, let your son have something else to soothe with??
It may be hard seeing your son "miss" his Binky... but perhaps, ask your Dentist about it... some say you need to stop if their teeth/jaws are getting affected, right away.
Some say, as long as it is done before 3 years old. Some say as long as it is before their permanent teeth get in. Some say it will self-correct, if taken away sooner.

*I'm so sorry about your Dad... I lost my Dad a few years ago. I really recommend "grief counseling" or a grief support group... it REALLY helped my Mom immensely, and she made great friends there as well. Allow yourself to "feel"... and process through your grief... if you keep it inside, that is not always the most efficient way. Or, talk about it with your Partner.

All the best,
Susan

My son is 2 yrs. & 3 months and LOVES his. Aside from cold turkey--which probably wouldn't be that bad. As I have learned with my kids, cold turkey is actually the best bet! It is rough for a few nights, but you'd be amazed at how well they cope if you are steadfast and they know you wont cave. So aside from that...I suggest you only allow him to have it at certain times. Ours stays in the crib and car seat. Unless there is a dire need for it, I try not to let him have it. Sometimes he will fish it out of his crib and that tells me he is ready for a nap! Once you have that down you could progress to more drastic measures. I have read a lot of suggestions in years past about breaking this habit and I have yet to try any of them. But I will when the need arises, this is my favorite: poking a hole in the nipple progressing to cutting a slit in it, to nipping off the tip and so on until there isnt much left. My guess is it wont take much probably the first nip or slit in the nipple and he wont want it. But again he probably will still miss it and have a rough go at it for a few days no matter what you do. Im not so concerned yet, I think most of us worry about the impression it gives when out it public. At 2 Im also not sure how much he would understand about giving them to the binky fairy to give to babies who need them. I have talked about this with mine (being a big boy and big boys dont have them) and I just really dont think he gets it. At 3, yes, 2 no. You could simply "lose" them I have also heard about putting hot-sauce on it. Turning it in for a toy is a great idea but youre still going to have the sobbing when he wants it to go to bed etc. Perhaps the doctor at his next visit could take them, or the dentist...telling him that it's not good for his teeth? Good luck!

I have the same problem!! My daughter is 2 and I have yet to take it away. Though we are moving to Hawaii and I figured maybe after the move I will ween her from it. I heard cutting of the tip is an excellent way. I am thinking of that one myself. My cousin took her son (3 years old) to Build a Bear, and let him pick out his animal and put his binky in it. It worked for her!! I really like that idea also!!

Hi N.,
I didn't have this problem because both of my kids nursed until they were 2 3/4... but, I've heard a couple of great techniques from some friends... first, gather up all of the binkies in a bag and go to Toys R Us, tell him that he must use the binkies to "buy" his new item. Let him shop and find something he really wants, take him to the register and have him "pay" with the binkies. I've heard that the new toy becomes very special.

Another idea was to bag up all of the binkies, hang them on a tree and tell your son the binkie fairy will come and take the binkies to a baby somewhere and will leave him a toy hanging in the same spot on the tree...

Some people would rather not like to put belief into fairies so maybe the first option would be best for you!

Good luck and God Bless

Just from my experience...I say let him have it. We were able to curtail my son's binky use to only when he was a.) going to bed, b.) in a stressful situation (i.e. dr.s appt) or c.) in the car seat (once he realized that if he wanted to come and play with everyone else he'd have to leave the binky behind, he quickly agreed to these rules). Trying to cut it out completely led to waaaay too much stress for everyone. Once we established that and used that method for awhile, we approached him with the idea of turning the binkys in for any toy he wanted. He jumped at the idea (though he was closer to three at that point) and never asked for one after that (and they were all over the house for our younger daughter). We've done the same exact thing with my daughter, and she now only uses hers to go to sleep (she's two). I've read that it won't affect their teeth much, so I guess you have to weigh the cons (might affect his teeth) with the pros (his current way of self soothing). My mom always said that she took away my sister's binky too soon, and she ended up sucking her thumb to sooth herself anyways! :) Whatever you choose to do, good luck!!