Tips on getting rid of the 'beloved' pacifier

Hey everyone, I have a wonderful 2 year old daughter and I am looking for ways to help her kick the "wafu" (she started calling it that very young, we don't know why). I know, I know, I should have gotten rid of it at 1, but she seemed to still really need it and I'm not a stickler on using the same time line for all kids nor do I think she read the book. Now she's 2 and 4 months and I'm beginning to wonder if she will give it up anytime soon unless I help move things along. She is the type of child who could be called "highly sensitive" and I don't want to tramatize her, but then again I'd like her to find another way to cope when she is scared, angry, or upset. Not to mention sleep!! Do I ignore the Ped. and all "the books" or is there really that much harm in letting it go until she is a little older? Any opinions or suggestions are appreciated!!

[duehring]

Ok, out of 5 of my babies none of them would ever take the pacifier. This is what I would do though, I think.

I would try to only let her have it at sleep time for a starter. My boy who sucks his fingers started to only suck them to get himself to sleep at about that age. My sister has her little almost 2 yr old down to that and it has worked. She only gets it while in her bed.

I think if you can cut it down to that then wein her of it when it works. I don't think I would worry too much about it.

[Berko]

i'm not a mother so i'm not speaking from my own personal experience, but i do know that some of my nephews were attached to their "wafus" (although they had another name for it). also a lot of my friends kids are attached to them as well. my personal opinion on them in general is if they work for the kid great - it's a good way for them to soothe themselves so why not. but obviously, just like the baby blanket and bottle you want them to let go. i have a few suggestions: 1) try to make it a night time/nap time thing. Tell her that the wafu is for when she's going to sleep and if she's using it then she wants to take a nap. 2)try giving her something else for the times that she doesn't use it - like a little prize or something for each day she doesn't use it - sort of like the same that you would do for toilet training - each time she would use the potty you would give her a little treat - positive reinforcement. 3) for nighttime weaning of the pacifier let her keep a special treat under her pillow for the nights she doesn't use the pacifier.
it could be that she's too young to understand any of the above mentioned suggestions and really in my opinion if you let it go a little longer i don't think it's so terrible. i heard once from psychologist regarding thumb sucking (which obviously is a little different since the thumb is actually attached to the child and you can't take it away)that it's good for the child to be able to calm themselves down (especially a girl) and soothe themselves. you can try these things to limit it and then hopefully to put it away completely. i think it's one of those things that although you want to work on limiting it and weaning her off it it will eventually be put to rest. good luck.

[nikita2477]

thanks ladies!

[siren of the sea]

ihad one friend cut the end off so the child couldnt get any suction, however i dont know how safe that is. my sister said the binky fairy was coming to pick up the b to give to other babies. she actually liked that idea. i also read in a parents mag that a mom said they were going to mail the b to other babies that need them. maybe leave a little something under the pillow as encouragment. my son is a thumb sucker. he is almost 8 and still sucks it at night. i have taped his finger and i cant get him to stop. his poor teeth are coming in horrible! good luck to you!

[lucky mom of 2]

I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could post a suggestion, I read it at work but I don't want to sign up on that computer! Anyway this worked for both my girls at age 2- cut just the tip of the "binky" as my girls called them off completely.It feels different in there mouth, they didn't like it, and handed it right back to my saying "it's broken, and I don't want it anymore". Don't keep any extra on hand though or you'll give in and give her a new one. If she doesn't mind the cut, then wait another day, and snip alittle more off, you do this until she will finally not like it anymore! It works great, it took about 1 or 2 nights for them to learn to sleep without it, but I think cold turkey is better. Otherwise she'll still be asking for it during the day. Good Luck and keep us posted!

[lucky mom of 2]

I think I wrote that little confusing, don't cut the tip off completely, just snip alittle at a time, until she gives it up herself. As far as safety goes, for my girls it wasn't an issue because they disliked it so much that they didn't keep sucking on it. I think as long as there are no parts that could come off it would be ok unless they are getting air, but with the binks we had they were closed anyway at the bottom so no air was getting in. Good Luck!!

[nt6148]

Here's what I did -- When Tate was around three he had gotten down to about three or four pacifiers. I told him that we would not buy anymore, and that if he lost his -- there would be no more. After a month, he was down to two. He lost one in a cow pen - so we were down to only one. We were at the Galleria on the third floor looking down at the ice skaters. He dangled it down over the railing -- and it was gone!! Being the ethical mom (haha) that I am, we did go down and look for it - but no luck. He took it in a very matter of fact manner, didn't cry, and didn't ask for another one. I guess the timing was right for us. I could have never done this when he was two.

[zippgirls]

I saw this on TV.
The mom todl her daughter that the binky fairy called her and was needing binkys for some new babies that didn't have any and she needed their help.
They had to tie the binkey to the tree and during the night the fairy would come and take them and leave her a big girl surprise.
The mom then went and took them down at night and hung a present.
In the morning they went out and found the present..the little girl was so proud of herself that is helped to give them up.
I have also heard of this being done with holiday people..santa..ect..
Also another mom I know had her son through them all in a lake and told him some baby fish needed them..he was into fish then.
maybe that will help?

[myproblem]

I got it away from my daughter by letting her have it only when she was going to sleep. I would go in later and take it out of her mouth and set it next to her in case she woke up in the night. At about 2 yrs 3 mos, we got her a new bed, and told her that it was for big girls, not babies. My sister had just had a baby a couple of months before, so I told her we would send the pacifiers to her baby cousin because she was a baby, and slept in a baby bed. We then took apart her crib, and had her go cold turkey on the pacifier and the crib the same night. She asked for the pacifier about three times over the next week, and we reminded her that we sent them to the baby. She is a very logically thinking child, and she just accepted that she was no longer a baby, and that they were gone.

[nikita2477]

these are great ideas...I feel very lucky to have this site to vent and field questions to....thanks again!! :)

[flower2]

The whole Binky as I call it issue is so interesting to me. My dtg would never take one then at three wanted one and now at 6. At two your child is still needy orally and it is soothing. Remember she has no nipple or bottle so this is the end of the road for her. I say give it another 6 months and then ween off slowly. I think I messed up taking the bottle away from my girl too early. She seems to have some sort of sucking/oral fixation. Good Luck.  PS Until it threatens to be a dental issue I say let her suck in peace. You may want to check with the dentist not the pediatrician. The doctors tend to be so conservative and by the book I find.

[JDLAWSON]

My oldest son had a Nana (pacifier) and a blanky-- He was our 1st so we let him have it all the time--when he turned two he was only aloowed it when he slept and was riding in the car.  When his third birthday was getting close about three months out--he was told that there would be no more Nana--A few days after he turned three--when we had his party--He is a Christmas baby so we didn't take it away tha tnight to much stimuli from the outside--but party day when he felt he was three.  We took it away and that was it--He would ask for it but not through a fit--he still had his blanket and think that was enough.  Also he got enough advance warning--Every few days- we would say what is going to happen when you turn three---and his response would be "No More Nana".

Give time at this age--I did talk with my dentist and he said that it was okay for them to have a pacifier until they were four--but I didn't want him to have one  that long.-

[have 2 kids]

please look at my post under getting rid of the bottle thread.

[nikita2477]

Thanks for the advice and ideas! I think I will limit it to nap and bedtime use and if that doesn't work, give it a few more more months and go cold turkey with "the party". I draw the line at 3 for sure! Maybe Santa could take them and replace them with something cool. Of course she'll probably hate Santa for a while :)

[dave27socali]

I tried everything.  My sister-in-law told me about a book called change is strange that worked for me nephew.  The site is htt://www.changeisstrange.com - a book called "no more pacifier."  It did the trick.  Our Davey Jr. was done with the pacifier in 4 weeks flat!  And also as important, Dave now loves to read books.  The book is personalized and makes your kid the star of the show.  A great entertaining way to solve the problem.

[jesslee83]

my friend said in her family, the have the "binky fairy"...just like the 'tooth fairy"....but instead of throwing it out in one day, for each night the child goes without the 'binky" they get a "gift"...a treat, a special story, etc.....and then, 1 night, POOF, the "binky fairy" picks up the binky, and leaves a gift, to show the child that they are a big boy/girl and then the mom tells them how the "fairy" helps deliver the binkies to other children so they can sleep good too!

it works! as soon as my nephew was born, his 2 y/o sister started hiding his binky lol....when i went to ca to their home for vacay, i could never find his binky and my neice is like "well he can't help if he doesnt give away his binky!", like duh! lol.....bless her little heart.....

[Facere23]

I took broke my DD from it when she was 1.  I did like others have said.  I only gave it to her for nap and bedtimes.  After a week or so, Only at bedtime.  And eventually not at all.  The last day, I explained to her that she was a big girl now and the the "bink" was for babies.  And that we didn't need it anymore.  She walked over to the garbage and actually threw it away!  It was awesome!  I didn't think that she would understand the concept I was pushing, but , by her reaction, I think she did!