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Parenting
Taking away the paci
DS2 is a hard core paci addict. We've tried unsuccessfully over the last 1.5 years to take it away. He only gets it at night or nap times at home, but not for nap time at school. I'm thinking we'll tackle this again after we get back from the big Disney trip when he turns 3 in January. Tell me what worked for you taking it away from an "older" one.
DS1 went cold turkey at 12.5 months, so this is a whole new experience for me. The cold turkey thing did NOT work for DS2.
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Re: Taking away the paci
What is, something I'm avoiding like the plague for 1200 please, Alex.
He'll be 3 in March. Uses it the same as yours. It's just under potty training in my dread category.
I also feel mean, b/c Sam gets her thumb, how is that fair?
We took DD's away when she was just under 2 because she was biting through them. Once they became a choking hazard, I went cold turkey. She was already only getting one in her crib at the time so it was tough for about 3 days at bedtime. Day 2 was the worse and I can remember sitting on my bed telling DH that if she was still crying in 20 minutes, I was going to the store to get her a new one. Luckily, she quieted down and we powered through.
I'm a firm believer that getting rid of the paci is one of those things that you just have to take away and get through a couple days of unpleasantness.
I feel the same way, especially based on the previous experience on trying to take it away. If it were only up to me, he'd have it until he got married
or maybe college. DH is really pushing the issue though. What DH doesn't know is that every time he chews a little hole in it, I replace it with a new one that looks identical. 
yeouch, yeah that's going to be hard for B. maybe you can start teaching him how to suck his thumb?? LOL
I would agree with you except, like I said, we tried to cold turkey thing. Three times. The last time, he cried for over an hour for almost two weeks. DH and I got into an argument over it, and eventually we gave it back. Or more accurately, he finally resigned to me giving it back. Cold turkey worked for DS1 but it doesn't work for everyone.
I used the same trick with both my kids--something I saw on Supernanny. Both of them were just using the pacifier at night and for naps when I took it away at 3 years old for DD, and 3 1/2 for DS.
For DD, I went to the mailbox one day and came back with an envelope addressed to her. Inside was a letter from the "Pappy Fairy" (she called it a "pappy"). The Pappy Fairy said that since DD had recently turned 3, she didn't need her pappies anymore, so could she share them with all the new babies in the world who really needed one? The letter said that if DD put all her pappies in the envelope and mailed it back to the Pappy Fairy, she would get a special prize in the mail.
Amazingly, DD was really excited and happily put all her pappies in the envelope, and put it in the mailbox. However, soon afterward as she was going to bed, she started crying for them again. I just had to keep reminding her that there were babies who really needed them, and that she would get a special prize. It took her a while to fall asleep, but she finally did. The next morning (apparently the mail travels fast to and from Fairy Land), there was another envelope in the mail for DD. This time, it was filled with little gifts for her (small things like a necklace, hair bows, etc.).
Even though DD was happy to get the gifts, we still had to endure a few days of crying at naptime and bedtime. But since she had sent her pappies off to the Pappy Fairy, there was no way to get them back. Finally, she got through it, and that was that.
With DS, he was down to only one pappy and when I saw that it had a big rip in it, I decided on the spur of the moment that he had to give it up. Since I hadn't planned ahead, he didn't get a letter from the Pappy Fairy, but I convinced him to put his pappy in the mail for her so we could send it to a new baby who needed it. Again, we had to endure some crying at bedtime that night. When he was asleep, I ran out and bought a few small things to put in an envelope. He was excited to get it the next morning. After a few days, he was able to fall asleep just fine.
Maybe you need something similar to the Pappy Fairy--something final, where both you and your DS know that the pacis are gone for good, so no amount of crying can get them back.
Good luck--I know how hard it is!
DD, 1/7/05 * DS #1, 1/25/07 * DS #2, 11/11/09
Baby #4, EDD 11/11/12
m/c 7/30/08 at 12 weeks (blighted ovum, emergency D&C)
I didn't and wouldn't...though DS decided he was done with it right after he turned three...he occasionally asked for it here and there and I gave it to him and I always offered it on long car trips but he rarely would keep it for logner than five or so minutes...I actually made him suck on it the other night for a bit b/c he kept chewing his clothes...he thought this was funny and hasn't chewed on his clothes since...
FIL was an oral surgeon and he said as long as he wasn't using it 24/7 it wouldn't be a problem...I wasn't about to take it away before he was ready...though I did make a rule that we didn't take the paci in public or his blanky b/c of germs and he was always okay with that.
BTW, DS is 4.5 now...
We tried to get rid of it when DD was 2. It did not work at all. She only had it for naps and bedtime but I felt awful taking it from her. She didn't have a lovey or anything.
Brew posted about the paci fairy on here. I worked DD up for months that eventually it was going to be time to give them to the paci fairy. She was not having it. Finally we moved her to a big girl bed (4 months before her 4th birthday)and the next night DD out of the blue said, "I'm ready to give my paci's to the paci fairy.
I was shocked and was completely unprepared. DH went out that night to get a watch and glitter and I already had a pillow pet that I was holding onto for her birthday. Me and DD decorated a bag and put them all in there (she had to suck each one and say , "bye pacis. I'll miss you!"). She set the bag by the front door and went to bed. Not a peep out of her that night.
The next morning she woke up and did not even remember leaving them for the paci fairy until she seen the glitter we left behind. Naps just about completely stopped after that, but she still had quiet time. Bedtime wasn't really rough. She would make a sad face and tell me her paci's went to the paci fairy for other little boys and girls.
FWIW, I was completely prepared to get rid of them after she went to the dentist (at 3 years old) hoping they would tell me it was ruining her teeth. They said it wasn't and her teeth were fine.
Maybe just start mentally preparing him and give him time to do it on his own? I personally don't see the rush in getting rid of it if his teeth are fine and he only has it at bedtime.