Taking Away the Pacifier - Rush City,MN

We got kinda lucky with him at the daycare when he moved to the next room they weren't allowed anymore. We just made a rule that nuk was only allowed at nap and bedtime. Then when he was fine with that we told him he could take his nuk's to the store and trade them for a toy. We had the cashier throw them away and then they can't find them at home later or look through the garbage. If he asked we reminded him about buying the toy with them and the nuks are at the store and can't get them back because he used them to buy the toy.
Good luck

I snipped the tip of the Nuks for my older 2 boys when they were each 17 months old. It worked great for my oldest. He fussed about it for a night and then was over it. My middle boy was not so happy about it. He is a very oral child and was quite upset over it. I do think it helped that the only time they were ever given their Nuks was for sleeping or car rides.

I waited till my sons 2 yr doc appt. I spoke to the doc before hand that I want binky gone. So after he gave my son his check up he said to my son. "Now that you are two and I wrote in my file that you are now a big boy I need your binky to throw out because big boys don't use them anymore" My son paused for a good two minutes then handed the binky over and never asked for it again.

Please don't make your child grow up too soon. Is this really going to matter when he is 5 years old and way past using a pacifier? He is only 17 months old...still very much a baby. My son started chewing through his shortly before he was 3. That took care of that...and it was easy because he was old enough to understand. The pacifier is a souce of comfort for your child. You say you don't want him to be a 4 year old with a pacifier in his mouth...he won't be 4 for another 2 1/2 years. Relax and let your baby be a baby. Deal with this issue when he is older and is able to understand what is going on...and don't worry about what other people think...worry about what your child needs.

Many kids are still really oral at this age, and it's not going to affect their teeth in any way as long as they give it up before the permanent teeth come in. The only concern about daytime use is language development. For that reason, it is a good idea to try to get him to limit it to naptime/sleep use. He's old enough that you can explain it to him - "nuks are only for sleeping." Be consistent, and distract him during the day. Take him out somewhere fun and new and "forget" the pacifier. Don't give in, until naptime. Or, if in the beginning he really melts down, you can offer that he can go in his crib and use it. No toys or books, though, and you leave the room. It won't take long before he'd much rather be out playing with you than in his crib sucking on it. (Although if occasionally he wants to go to the crib for a few minutes of down time with the paci, that's fine, he's learning how to self-soothe.) Then later down the road, when he's three or four, and when he's ready, the pacifier fairy or Santa or whatever magical figure can take the pacifiers away and leave a "big boy" gift behind.

I cut the end of the nuk off in front of my son. He took it put it in his mouth and pulled it right out. He was at my parents the next morning and kept telling my mom that "mama broke it" so my mom told him he either needed to throw it in the garbage or put it in his bag. He walked over to the garbage and threw it away. He asked for it that night and I told him he threw it away he cried a little bit and now he doesn't ask for it at all and it has been 2 weeks.

I would suggest you take it away gradually, it certain situations. With both of my kids, once they were mobile, I took it away except for the car and sleeping times. Eventually, then took it away in the car, only allowing it in their beds. If he's having a meltdown, let him go into his bed for a "nukkie break" until he calms down (but not any time he requests it, just if he's having a hard time). My kids were both around two when we took it away completely. Both times, we had a new baby in the family that "needed" the nuks, so we packaged them up and gave them to the new baby. Good luck! He'll probably do better than you expect. My son was the worst and I had prepared myself for a major battle, but he only asked for it at bedtime for about a week, never really having a fit or anything.

I waited until both my boys were 2. They could understand better. My first was so tired one night, he forgot to ask for it, so that was it. My second, I waited until we have done our traveling and were going to be home for a while and took it way. The first night was a little difficult, but it got much better. Whatever you do, don't take it away and then give it back.

First.....I think you probably underestimate how much he still needs his NUK. For most children, it is their security and comforts them and soothes them. There is no harm and letting him use a nuk at this point. I think the advice from other moms is good......gradually get him to use it at night only....that way it isn't so drastic for him to get used to. My oldest son liked him nuk, but we only let him use it at nighttime and he gave it up on his 6th birthday. That may seem old, but if it helped him get to sleep at night..(once he was asleep, he didn't use it again until the next night)..what's the harm. It didn't affect his teeth and he got to decide when he was ready to give it up. Just my humble opinion, but try and feel it and see it from your child's point of view.....

We started a little earlier at around 9 months, with leaving the binky in the bed - they only get it at naptime, bedtime, and LONG car rides, then at about 18 months, no more for car rides. Then at about 2.5 years, we took it away completely. Wean him off and he will be ok it will be rough for the first few days of each step, but he will adjust.

My mom said that I paid for my new tricycle with my pacifier, I was probably 2 years old. My first son (a little over 2 years old), it was an accident...the dog got to the pacifier and I couldn't find the second one that fell behind the crib. Well when I gave him the pacifier he would not take it and went to sleep without it. (He did have a special blanket that he sleeps with, so I think that helped. He likes to rub the silky side) My second son (16ish months), I cut off the nipple to see what he would do. He has an attitude though, if you take something away from him then he does not want it back. Anyways it was kind of easy because 'how dare I do that to him' that he didn't want a pacifier any more. (Same as my first, my second also had a blanket he liked to hold)
If you take a comfort item away, something needs to replace it. They spend all these years holding onto this soothing thing and then its gone. Unless he's able to understand in a way that my mom did with me, then it'll be easier.

I have never understood the whole 'how do I take it away' question. You are the parent, simply take it away! It may take a few days but he WILL get over it. I would also like to add that taking away something that is intended to assist newborns with self soothing is in no WAY making your non-newborn grow up too quickly, that's just silliness. I have four children, took all of their pacifiers away, and they are all okay! I didn't make up any stories for why they had to give them up, or try to 'trick' them into not liking them anymore...the truth as I saw it (that pacifiers are for little babies and they are no longer little babies) worked just fine.

I agree with one of the other moms, and that you should ween him to naps and bedtime first. I did this when my son was 1 and when he turned 2, we went cold turkey before a nap. (I also agree with waiting until they are able to understand what is going on). I talked to him about for probably 2 weeks before that and bought him a big boy present (some cool trucks). Then on "the big day" he helped me gather them all up and throw them in the garbage. Nap time was a little rough and so was bedtime that night, but each day got easier. He probably continued to ask about them for 2 weeks, but didn't throw fits for that long. I was very worried about doing this (my husband was pushing me to do it, and my son was biting holes into them and I was worried he would choke on them), but in the end, it didn't seem to bother my son all that much. He was very attached to them for naps and bedtime, and he was a double fister! He always had 1 in his mouth and 1 in his hand. :) This came from the fact that I used to put 2 in his crib at night so that he could always find out and not wake up... haha! Don't worry though, you can do it and so can your little guy! Just hang in there. It will not be as bad as you think. Good luck!

Cut the very end of the pacifier off. It will be h*ll for a few days, but it will be worth it.

my son was the same way; but somewhere around him turning 3 he got it dirty and i wasnt going to town for a long time so he was stuck. i just repeated that he got it dirty, we had to throw it out and we werent going to the store to buy anymore.

your son is young enough that you dont have to stress about it yet. you can and should limit its use to ONLY bedtimes. that shuold help

You have had several others recommend snipping the tip of the Nuk, and I also had great success with that method when weaning my son (he was 15 or 16 months old at the time). Our pediatrician recommended this approach and it just seemed to be the least "tramatic" for us. Every day before nap, I would cut a little bit off the nipple - within a few days there was nothing but a little stub left and my son lost interest. Does your son have a "lovey"? If not, this might be a good time to find something else that my comfort him during nap/bedtimes - a blanket, favorite pillowcase, etc...

cut the tip off of all of them. He will loose interest when he can't suck on them.
When he asks about them tell him they are broken because he's too old to use them anymore.
Every few days-week cut a little more off until he either stops using them or 2 there isn't anything left to cut, and DONT BUY HIM MORE.

With all 3 of my kids, when we decided that it was time for the binkie to go, we had the binkie fairy come. We had already weaned back to only letting them have it at nap/bedtime, and we waited until they were between 2-2 1/2 so they could understand what was going on.

While my kids were sleeping, we took all of their binkies and threw them away. (We had to hunt for days before hand to make sure that we found all the ones that they had hidden around the house!) Then we put a cuddly stuffed animal that we knew they would like, and put it next to them on the bed. When they woke up in the morning we told them that the binkie fairy had come and left them the stuffed animal to cuddle with instead of using a binkie. We talked to them for a couple of weeks about the binkie fairy and what she does before we actually took away their binkies, so they understood before hand what was going to happen, they just didn't know exactly when it would happen.

We still had a few rough nights without the binkie, but overall, it wasn't too bad. They are all pre-teens now, but they still have their binkie fairy animals on a shelf in their room with the few special stuffed animals that they want to keep. I've recommended this idea to several friends and it has worked well for them too. I hope this helps! Good luck!

No offense intended but i don't believe a child should have a binky or a bottle past the age of one. With my son it was easy because he never liked the binky. i took them away permanently at 6 months. He stopped the bottle around 11 months. Had a sipper cup from the time he was three months. The earlier you get them off the easier it will be. He's almost 17 months and has been drinking out of a cup during the day for the past two months with a sipper cup at night.

People will give you a million different ways to do this and have opinions on the best time to do this but you know your child best. Our son is 2 1/2 and still gets his but only at night when ready to go to sleep. By the time he falls asleep it isn't even in his mouth...it just helps him fall asleep. He doesn't even get it at nap anymore at daycare. My belief is that if I was going to take it away, I should have done it very early because he got extremely attached to it for a while. It has not affected any speech or teeth for him though. We tried having him give it to the new baby next door...which he did and then threw his fit when he wanted it. We tried telling him the paci fairy would bring him a big wheel and M&M's but he still didn't care...so going to just bedtime has been the best for us. I feel he will just grow out of it as he already seems to be. I was the same way though...worried I'd have the 4 year old walking around trying to talk with it in his mouth. You can try taking it now but will likely have several nights or possibly weeks of him not getting to sleep but will eventually be fine. I believe it's up to you and your child what works best. By the way...I tried clipping the tip off as well but that didn't work.

Start by taking it away during waking hours, when the crying and fussing will not be so disruptive to his schedule. Once he can handle that, work on nap time, and than finally at night.