Eliminating Paci

jamie217

So I am planning on doing this in a few weeks because I will be off and I am dreading it.  My girls only get them for bed, but they are totally addicted and want them as soon as they walk in their room.  They use Wubbanubs and each have to have 3 (they already get one with out the paci and still want it).  My plan is to cut off the tips of the paci and start by taking them away at nap time, try to keep them up a little later the first couple nights so they are exhausted and not as dependent on them.  My pedi said it will be 3 really rough days/nights, but I have a feeling it will take longer.  Does anyone have any suggestions of things that worked or helped. TIA!

jalaiaa

Eli never had a paci but James did. He only used it for night and naps and when I took it away he hardly missed it. I was SHOCKED! I had been putting it off expecting it to be a battle and it wasn't. So you may want to try cold turkey before cutting tips to see if it works. I have filed this under the pure luck category of my life because I know it isn't typical. But hey. Maybe it will be the same for you. 

cocojack10

::Stocking thred::

My boys are totally addicted to the paci, and I hate it!  MIL and nanny watch boys during day, and they give it to them all the time, even when we say to cut it down.  I try hiding it and say it got lost, but they throw fits.  I want to keep it to a minumum, but think it will be rough having it sometimes and not others. 

::sigh:: We will be cutting tips soon.

srh08.05.06

One of my girls never took a pacifier, but the other one did for naps and bedtime only.  We decided to take it away at 18 months, since our pedi said it can get harder when they can ask for it.  We got rid of them cold turkey.  We tried to give her some other security object instead, so she gets a small stuffed animal that we keep in her crib.  It was really hard for a few weeks.  She surprisingly did ok at night.  Naps were the hardest.  She just couldn't settle herself down.  But once we were days in, I didn't want to go back and have to do it all over again. 

To this day, she still isn't the best napper and sometimes needs to whine and cry for awhile before she falls asleep.  But we never went back to the pacifier and she's never asked for it (even if she sees other kids with one).

HisBelovedPrincess

From the beginning only one of my boys has taken the pacifier. Until we stopped nursing at 15 months, then the "non pacifier child" insisted that he have one like his brother.  Strange, but makes sense, I guess. Then at 16 months we started only using the paci at nap/bed time (before it was whenever Nathan was fussy, as Nehemiah didn't want it unless it was time to sleep).  My husband has been askign "when will we stop using the pacifiers??" I figured since Nathan was teething 8 teeth pretty hardcore, we should probably wait...well, today is the day.  They will be 18 months in over a week, and both Husband and I noticed two days ago taht Nathan has been way more laid back than his brother (an indicator that Nehemiah has picked up the teethign pace with all 4 molars)...and so I figured today we will try out no paci at naptime and see how it goes. So far s good Phew.

I hope you figure out your paci situation.

Puppins

My LO only got the paci at night once he was about 4 months old. When he was 11 months old we cold turkeyed him... boy was he pissed. But he got over it. It was probably 2 weeks of him being a cryer at bed time (which he never was) but eventually he fell asleep. My only tip is- YOURE the boss- if you take it away DONT give it back. Its been almost 2 months and he will still try to steal other baby's pacis...but hes still not getting one of his own. Lately I've been giving him other toys to go to bed with, he seems OK with those- distraction!

amanda31H

We keep saying every weekend that we'll do this...I want them gone and a distant memory before Baby #3 arrives.

I'm going to go cold turkey, and will not cut the tips. My pedi hates that process because it's easy for the kids to chew off a piece and choke.  As someone that has the occasional paci chewer, I see what she means!