How to Break the Paci Habit?!!?

My mom tells me the story of how they broke my sister from the paci. The told her she was a big girl and asked her if she would throw them away. The morning of trash pick up they wet down and had her throw them in the dumpster and then waited for the dump truck so she could watch them go and say goodbye.

We let my son keep his at night until 2.5. We were are going to let him keep it until 3 but he started trying to sneak it out of the bedroom (we, too, have only given to him at bedtime since age 1.5). Finally we decided after a lot of talking about getting a big boy bike (his prize) to just go for it. Honestly I do not remember why but he only cried maybe 5-10 minutes the first two nights but it did take him about 20 minutes longer to fall asleep. So I have no adjusted our sleeping routine. He used to go into bed and fall right asleep and I would sit with his sister (they share a room). But now I sit with him through the first part of prayers and song and sit with her the last part. He usually is alseep by the time I leave the room (or close to it) (about 5-10 minutes later) but about 50% of the time is not but he'll go to sleep on his own.

With my daughter, we cut hers out a little after 2 after finding out that she no longer took one for naptimes at daycare so we knew she COULD go to sleep without.

Honestly, it's a lot harder on US as parents. We think they will be tramatized, hate us forever, never be able to sleep well again, etc. But in reality, once it's gone, it's gone. When my son finds one now, he will throw it away. He's never wanted it back (nor did my daughter).

If YOU think she's ready to get rid of it (or you are ready for her to be done with it) - talk about it for about a week. Make it a big deal about her being a big girl and think of something she'd really love as a 'reward'. Then get rid of them one day and don't look back. Throw them all away!

Good luck!

My nieghbor had a paci fairy come and take the paci's away. They got a pretty gift bag and walked around the house one day collecting all the paci's and put them all in the bag and hung the bag outside on a low hangning tree branch. It was built up for a few days in advance that on Friday night the paci fairy was coming becuaes little babies needed paci's - but that she would bring something special in return.

The next morning in place of the ordinary gift bag out on the tree was a sparkley gift bag with beautiful ribbons cascading down from the tree branch. Inside were a few very special gifts that the child had wanted. (she did include something that was a bedtime "lovie" that she could cuddle at bedtime.) And that was that - her daughter was cured of her paci. There were a few times that she looked for it but mom reminded her that the paci fairy had come and brought her these other things.

I think the trick is getting your little one to buy in to the idea.

I don't think there is anything wrong with using it at night. If she is not walking around with it I don't see the problem. My son never took a paci because he just didn't like it. With my daughter she really needed that sucking comfort (and was wasting alot of bottles of formula!) so we bought her one. She is only three months old so I am not trying to break her of the habit, but she already only uses it at bed time and I will not take it away intill she is ready. My son had a stuffed bear and he sucked on its nose for comfort. He still has the bear but no longer sucks on it. Which is good because that thing was so gross!

I think you only get a few times to take it away without serious issue....when they are itty bitties and are not using it as security, and then when they are a little older and you are able to communicate why it is gone.

We waited until the oldest was 21 months, and she was verbal. We waited until the youngest (just turned 2 on Sunday) was 23 months old, and was verbal.

You've done the first step I'd give advice to.....only at bedtime, and not finding it for them in the middle of the night (oh, so hard!).

With the first kiddo we talked about giving it to other babies who needed it. With the second, we lost it on a trip back from GM's, and could not find it that night at all. I took it as divine intervention. (I found it the next morning in my oldest's pillow case, and then hid it.)

Both kiddos struggled the first night, but it really didn't take long. And, if you have already resigned to the fact that you won't get up in the middle of the night to get it, then you can handle a few nights of the same fussing at the beginning of the night wanting it.

When either asked, we just reminded them it was "all gone, and another baby needed it."

I'd wait a few months, unless you think your little one will be able to understand that it is "all gone." Good luck, mama. Good job, so far!!!

I think you are doing a good job. You are being consistent with the crib being the only place for the paci.

Next step would be to start snipping the tips of the paci off.

A little more each day.. Once she decides that paci is not working.. just say, "Uh Oh.. Broken.. We need to throw that away.. " And have her throw it away..

Soon there will not be any more and she will know they all broke and SHE threw them away.

No replacements.
Once they are all gone.. Just say."Pacis are for babies, you are a big girl now. "

I think you're on the right track by limiting the use to bed time only. Both of my daughters were paci addicts. With my oldest one, we went cold turkey when she turned 2 and it was the worst experience. She cried and cried for a week. My husband wouldn't let me cave or I would have. To this day I feel guilty about it. When my second came around I let her wait until she was 3 and the difference was night and day. I talked to her about it, told her that she was too old for it now, and she was just fine with it. Never cried about it or anything.

I don't see anything wrong with waiting until they are able to reason and understand that they have to say bye to it.

My son was addicted to his paci 24/7. I punched a small hole at the top it lost suction and the rest is history. After examining it and still trying to put it in his mouth he realized it was alot of work and gave it up : )

My son used to sleep with pacifiers both during nap and at night. Just few months before he turned 2, I cut the tip of the pacifier (read it on some website :)) I cut it really close so he couldn't even hold it in mouth. I told him he can hold it in his hand and sleep. After two days, I asked him to put it under his pillow and sleep. After a day or two I gave him a new toy to put under his pillow. Then he started sleeping without asking for pacifiers :)

To be honest, we didn't push the issue at night, but we set firm limits during the day. I read that if you quit too soon (around 3), they may switch to thumb sucking and I didn't want that! As time when on and one paci after the other was lost or broken, we told both children once the last one is gone there will be no more. It worked out that by the time they were about 3 the last one was gone/broken. We had been talking about it for so long, that it was an easy transition. My daughter put it down with little trouble, but we had to watch for thumb sucking with my son. It worked out and both of their teeth are fine. Good luck!