When are you going to take away the pacifier and how?

1stMate

I'm going to ask the pedi at J5's 9 month appt for his opinion but what are you girls going to do?  I've read to take it away by 9 months, not to take it away until they give it up on their own, and everything in between!  J5 already only uses it for sleeping so I think my only strategy is to just take it away cold turkey. 

abj22

DD only uses it in the crib and the car seat. Honestly it doesn't bother me at all. We decided we're not going to take it away, especially with a new baby coming into the picture. How could we take hers away and then give one to the new baby -- that just seemed cruel to me. If she had it all day long or in public, though, it would be a different story.

books4brooke

If he hasn't given it up on his own for sleep by 2, then we will have a paci fairy party.  I don't like when he finds them and puts them in his mouth when he's playing, but for sleep and the car, it's fine for us.

pumpkinhead06

jacob uses his mainly in the car, or when he's really fussy... but he's not totally attached where he HAS to have the paci.  he'll fall asleep just as easily without it, as he does with it.

we haven't discussed how/when we are going to take it away... I want to have a Feb/March 2011 baby, so maybe while I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, Jakie will be over 2 years old, we'll "pack" it away for the new baby since he'll be a big boy, or giving it to Santa that year...something along those lines.

FredsNey

I don't really plan on taking it away; I think she'll be able to give it up on her own.  Kate really only uses hers when she's winding down to sleep and when she needs extra comforting. She also rubs the ribbon of the pacifier clip over her nose and face or rubs it between her fingers.  She's already starting to get annoyed when we offer it initially because she knows it means she should be going to sleep.  We'll probably see where we are at two.     

brisell23

Logan only uses one for sleep, and I wasn't going to take it away, but he started to play this "I'm going to throw the paci out of the crib and will cry until you come put it back in" game.  I just can't run up and down the stairs 10 times before he finally gets tired of it and goes to sleep.  So I'm not sure how we are going to do it yet, I'm dreading it. 

ncsubride

shudders at the very thought of this

caymanbride

DS has his for naps, nighttime, and in the car/stroller, or if he's fussy when we're out. He definitely doesn't hang with it all day. I am in no rush to take it away, he likes it, but he's not obsessed with it, and I really don't see the harm. If he still uses it when he's 2, I'll consider doing something like the paci fairy or the Build a Bear thing. They're still babies, and if it gives them comfort, or helps them sleep, I'm all for it!

kelly&marty

books4brooke:

If he hasn't given it up on his own for sleep by 2, then we will have a paci fairy party.  I don't like when he finds them and puts them in his mouth when he's playing, but for sleep and the car, it's fine for us.

This.

Now we try to keep them out of sight during the day when he's playing, because if he sees one he wants it. Before that we were starting to notice that he wasn't verbalizing as much because he always had the paci. Since we started hiding it, I think he's started talking a lot more. We only get it out in case of emergencies....ie huge tantrum, a fall, something like that. Otherwise, he just has one in his crib and the car. 

valkaz

DD gave it up on her own around 11 months. I was so happy that I didn't have to figure out how to get it away from her.

luvnnyc

Andy is done with it. He only used it to sleep and sooth. When he got croup back in early June he couldn't breath so didn't use it for over a week. After that I just never gave it back and he's been fine without it. Guess we got lucky.