Hello Mamas,
My 22 month old daughter started biting small holes in the tip of her pacifier today. She has most of her teeth, but still uses teethers and those big bumpy pacifiers for teething when she feels like chewing on something. She spends most of her awake/play time binky free, although I will pop a plug in her mouth if she is putting rocks or other things in her mouth. She usually has a binky in the car, and we have never even tried going to sleep without one. She is NOT biting chunks out of the pacifier, just slits in the tip, so I am not too worried about choking or safety. I had not planned on getting rid of the binky until after she turned 2 and was better able to communicate. What do you all think? Does this signify the end of the binky and the start of the weaning battle? Or could this be something else, like the first sign of molars?
We were already doing the don't offer, don't refuse thing. I showed her the hole in the end and told her it was broke, and she threw it in the trash. That was the first of 6 binks. When she asked for it I reminded her it was in the trash and offered the teether instead. That worked good until bedtime. At bedtime, she went and found a good binky. I told her if she chewed it, it would break too, and she would have to throw it away. She seemed to understand, and she did not chew on it. Then in the morning, while she was eating breakfast, I hid the binky. Whenever she asked for it, I offered the teether again. Looks like we are on the weaning path. Thanks for the tips and support. Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder that other moms fight the same battles.
I think I would take the approach that it is 'broke', throw them away as they become holey and see if she stops doing it. Babies give up pacis when they are ready (in my mind) and if she is not ready, she will stop biting them that way (as she won't want to lose the pacis). Just my 2 cents.
Now is a great time to get rid of the paci. Tell her oh, no - it's broken. And toss it out. She is old enough to get rid of it and not be upset for more than a day or two. A small slit is a choking hazzard waiting to happen.
You can do the don't offer don't refuse method to see what happens. Don't just give one wait for asking for one. Maybe the asking will not happen??
You're going to get a TON of 'you should've weaned already' responses. *just a warning*
But my son started doing this. As he bit a hole in one, it got tossed. As he got down to the last one, we warned and warned and warned..... When he bit through the last one [just before we went camping], he didn't get another. It worked. We'd tried weaning him before that and he had NONE OF THAT! It was a week of HELL when his pedi said, "Apparently, he isn't ready. He'd be over it in a few days at most if he were." So we gave it back and it wasn't until just before his 3rd bday that he was ready. I was surprised by how easy it was, but I think the warnings of him biting through them helped [believe it or not]. He knew when he was down to the last one.
Heavens, take the thing away from her. She could choke on the pieces! If she is biting her paci, she sure doesn't need it anymore.
Dawn
That's how my daughter got rid of hers around the same age. She actually threw them away herself when she bit a hole all the way through, and when the last one was gone, that was it. She never asked for another one, and didn't have any problems letting it go.
I'd take it away if she's biting on it like that. She's figured out how to bite small slits in the tip and will move onto biting chunks out of it before you know it. Find a blanket or stuffie to transition to a comfort item and ditch the binky. It's really not safe for her to keep it.
Both of my kids who were pacifier kids did this at the same age. They each had two pacis, one for the bed and one for the car. We showed them the slits and warned that when the holes got bigger, paci would have to go in the trash. Both threw their pacis away when the holes got bigger and that was that. My baby had a harder time, cried for it at night, but we just reminded her it was in the trash and she would calm down. Good luck!
She is not biting chunks out of it -- yet. Every slit is that much closer to biting a chunk right off the next time. This is a choking hazard every time you "pop a plug in her mouth." She is nearly two and plenty ready to give up the pacifier now, or you will end up with her choking or swallowing pieces of it. It sounds like she is very "oral" if she is also putting "rocks and other things in her mouth" like you say, so talk to your pediatrician about strategies to prevent her choking on something else, and be sure her environment in the house is well baby-proofed, but the pacifier should go -- at nighttime too, because at night you won't be there to catch it if she bites off a chunk and starts to choke while on her own.
Sorry to say, but it's time for it to go.
If she needs to chomp on something, it needs to be something she can't bite slits or holes in. She is wanting to chew, not suck on the pacifier.
I would take it away cold turkey personally. It isnt a communication thing it is a soothing thing. Find a blanket or lovie to soothe her.
Just get rid of it, she's two old anyway.
She is outgrowing it if she biting through the paci.. II agree to just throw them away one by one as she bites holes into them..I f she keeps putting stuff in her mouth keep those fat teethers around and continue to give her those.. Even to sleep with.
When our daughter looked like she was going to put something gross in her mouth, we said "Yucky" and made a face.. She learned to quit putting things in her mouth.
Mine was a thumb sucker, but when we got rid of the binky, she stopped sucking her thumb. She was also about 2 yrs old.
I wish I had taken my daughters away at an earlier age (she was 4). It was a security thing for my daughter while she was sleeping. The last one she had she would chew on it and it was falling apart, that was the only way I could throw it out. I would start to wean her off it now, it will save you a lot of trouble later.
Also, my daughter’s teeth are just fine even though she had her binky for so long.
Our DS wouldn't take a paci. There were times when I wished he would so I could pop something into his mouth and get/ give him some relief. Then I read about situations like yours and count my blessings.
Sorry, I don't have any sugestions, but good luck to you and yours.
Bye-bye binky!!!!! Good luck.
