breaking the paci

britishbride05

I want to break Abby of the pacifier habit.  She doesn't use it when she's out in public and i try to only let her use it at night, for naps and when she's in the car about to fall asleep.  The th ing is, she's reeeeeeeeeeeeally addicted to it.  If she sees one during the day (even a plastic toy one for a doll) she starts to hyperventilate and starts calling for her "tee" (i don't know why she calls it that lol) but we don't give it to her.  She tries to climb into her crib to get them, but doesn't succeed and throws a fit.  But I don't give in.  I want to braek her of the nighttime/nap ones so I can get rid of them completely.  Sarah doesn't take pacifiers at all, so we wouldn't even have those sitting around.

So...

1) do I try to break her of the nighttime/nap binky now?  Will it be easier for her to adapt to the toddler bed if she has a pacifier (we'll be moving her over in a few months...she's starting to learn how to climb into it, just a matter of time before she learns to climb out) or does it not matter?

2)  how old was your LO when you broke them of the pacifier habit, if they had one?

3) How do I even go about it?  Cold turkey?  I don't know if she "gets" that she's too old for them just yet... any advice? 

MrsJOSEnADRI

I obviously don't have experience in this matter, but since she's only using it for bedtime/naptime you may have to remove it cold turkey.  Since you mentioned that Sarah isn't using one, it might be easier to reinforce that she doesn't need one anymore.  Maybe you can mention things like big girls sleep in a big girl bed without a binky, etc.  If she only calls for it during the day if it's within sight, then, hopefully, if it's out of sight out of mind.   I'm considering not introducing a pacifier at all.

allison8878

We are trying to break the paci habit too (Quinn is almost 2 1/2 yikes) and we decided to do it gradually. So many people have success with cold turkey but, honestly, I'm a huge wimp and can't do it. He only uses it for naps and bedtime now, so we decided to stop letting him have it for naps. Today is day 3 and he's doing great. It helps that daycare is on board too so they are enforcing it. He asks for it but they tell him that he's a big boy now and doesn't need it. It may be a different story when we try it at home. We thought we'd go 2 weeks with no paci during nap time, then take it away for nighttime too.
FWIW, we let him keep the paci until we transitioned to his toddler bed about a month or so ago.
Good luck!

LizC78

My DD used a paci and she LOOVED it.. We only used it at night and nap starting around 15 months.  I was going to try and get rid of it around 2 but I had my son when she was 19 months old and with him taking one (or me trying to get him to take one-he is a thumb sucker) I decided to wait.  I let her keep it at night until she was 3.  She did not use it for naps at school but she did at bed time.  I told her at 3 that it was time to give it to the other babies who needed it.  (i thought it was going to be horrible) but we gathered them all up and put them in a baggie and took them to the hospital (yes they looked at me like I was nuts- I whispered just throw them away)  And the first night she kind of wimpered and said she needed her "bobo" but after that she was fine.  I did get her a big girl gift for being such a big girl.  And that was that.  She does still remember taking them to the hospital and she is 5!

 Now anyone have any ideas how to throw away my 3yr olds thumb???

mrsjessnjorge

I don't have any personal experience since Nico never took a pacifier. I'm torn between the thought of doing it gradually or cold turkey. My nieces broke the pacifier habit by giving them to Mickey mouse at Disney world since they were told "old" and other babies needed to use their pacis. My sis in law used this trick with both girls and it worked. I think they were closer to 2 years old though and they only used the pacis to fall asleep at night. You can try to do something like that or you can start by only giving it to her in bed. Eliminating it from the car. Hide all pacis so she doesn't see them around the house. Then you can try to get rid of them while she's sleeping at home. Good luck!

chunky777

MrsJessNJorge:

I don't have any personal experience since Nico never took a pacifier. I'm torn between the thought of doing it gradually or cold turkey. My nieces broke the pacifier habit by giving them to Mickey mouse at Disney world since they were told "old" and other babies needed to use their pacis. My sis in law used this trick with both girls and it worked. I think they were closer to 2 years old though and they only used the pacis to fall asleep at night. You can try to do something like that or you can start by only giving it to her in bed. Eliminating it from the car. Hide all pacis so she doesn't see them around the house. Then you can try to get rid of them while she's sleeping at home. Good luck!

I was going to tell you something similar.  What about give it to the "paci" fairy??? So that other babies in the world can use it.  And then you might want to give her a BIG GIRL toy/doll. 

Isabella uses her paci to sleep, she NEEDS her paci to sleep.  She's always been a sucker....even when she was only on BM she would love to just suck.  If I didn't introduce her to a paci I would have had bleeding nipples.  So God knows what I'm going to do when I need to wean her off of it. 

CesEve99

LizC78:

She did not use it for naps at school but she did at bed time.  I told her at 3 that it was time to give it to the other babies who needed it.  (i thought it was going to be horrible) but we gathered them all up and put them in a baggie and took them to the hospital (yes they looked at me like I was nuts- I whispered just throw them away)  And the first night she kind of wimpered and said she needed her "bobo" but after that she was fine.  I did get her a big girl gift for being such a big girl.  And that was that.  She does still remember taking them to the hospital and she is 5!

Now anyone have any ideas how to throw away my 3yr olds thumb???

This is a wonderful idea! Mady only uses hers for bedtime/naptime, its the only way she knows its time for either one. We're not ready to take it away yet, we were thinking of waiting until the baby arrives in November so she can actually see that only babies use pacis.

As for the thumb issue you have...I just read in parents magazine an article were parents starting using gloves on their kids at night to prevent them from sucking their thumb. Not sure how effective that is.

soontobemrs.rjd

1. I would break her now, the longer you prolong it , the harder its gonna be. 2. Charlotte was 12 months old when we took it away. 3. We took it away cold turkey, only way to do it! GL

southmiamiwifejen

chunky777:

  

Isabella uses her paci to sleep, she NEEDS her paci to sleep.  She's always been a sucker....even when she was only on BM she would love to just suck.  If I didn't introduce her to a paci I would have had bleeding nipples.  So God knows what I'm going to do when I need to wean her off of it. 

THIS. Before she was born, I said I wouldn't introduce a pacifier. I even returned all the ones I got as gifts at my shower and didn't buy any myself. Fast forward to now and she pretty much needs it to nap or fall asleep at night, and we have dozens scattered around the house, the cars, all my purses, the grandmas' houses, etc. LOL. Emma never took to swaddling and will sleep pretty much anywhere (swing, car seat, crib, bassinet, our bed, etc.), so the pacifier is her only "thing" when it comes to sleeping.

Anyway, clearly we're far from breaking the habit, but I love everyone's great ideas for when the time comes. I don't think it will bother me so much if she uses it for a while (until she's 2 or 3) as long as it's only for sleeping. What bugs me is kids who have it stuck in their mouth 24/7 to the point that it starts to interfere with speech or tooth development (now watch me end up with one of those kids hahaha...)

Snshine

In my experience you have to go cold turkey.  We waited until Noah was old enough to understand that they were going in the garbage.  We all went to the garbage can, we waived bye bye, and we threw them away.  We did it in the morning so that if it went south he would be wiped by night time.  He wanted it for his nap that day but we didn't give in, he also never napped.  By bed time he was so tired he didn't care.  And that was the end of it.  He asked once in awhile about it and we would remind him that we threw them out and he was ok with that.  I was shocked it went so well because he was an addict.  We're getting ready to try the same method with Kate.  God help us, she's so much different and less resiliant to change than him!

MrsLeanna

I'm with you.  Alexis is the same.  If she sees one, she wants it and freaks out.  I'm with Dawn on waiting until she understands that we have to throw it out.  I'm just so hesitant to mess with anything that can potentially screw up her sleep.  I'm definitely not doing it yet, I'm playing it by ear for right now and I'll see how it goes.

GenaAndJosh

I'm dreading it too!  He turned 18  months yesterday, and I am not sure when to get rid of it!  I am afraid, he only uses it during nap/bedtime, but would love one any other time of the day!