The Paci

Lilbobo

Hi Ladies, I'm coming out of lurking to ask about your experience with pacifiers. Specifically, did your kid(s) grow out of them on their own?

I try to limit my 15-month-old's paci use to sleep time. DH,on the other hand, will give it to him on demand, which is becoming more frequent.

I remember how hard it was for me as a child to stop sucking my thumb so I'm worried about DS having the same issue with the paci.

DH says he'll grow out of it.  So we're getting into a pattern of DH giving him the paci and me taking it away (by distracting him - not snatching it). I'm tired of feeling like the paci grinch. Am I overthinking this?

For those who used pacifiers, what was your experience with kids weaning from them?

Thanks in advance.

mwd

After 12 months, we limited paci use to sleep time and church, because DD has a loud voice, and can really wail.  At 2, we "lost" the paci.  DS, on the other hand, still sucks his fingers at bedtime. That is way worse than a paci any day! 

Scramblersmom

Ds is still using his pacifier and he just turned 18 mos old. He will be transitioning into the toddler room at daycare in a few weeks and they can't have their paci in that class. In other words, we are waiting for daycare to be the bad guy. If we still have issues at home then we will use advice that was given to us; cut the ends off so when they suck on it they will just think it is "broken" and won't be interested.

KateLouise

Both my girls had/have a paci. We generally allow it at sleep time and in the car. Although with DD2 we've been more relaxed about other times as well.

 We weaned DD1 at 2 1/2 years. It was super easy. We talked about the dummy fairy taking her dummies away because little babies needed them. Then one day she said she wanted the dummy fairy to come. I said well let's leave them in this bag. She only wanted to part with one. I said the dummy fairy would only come if she put all her dummies in.

So she agreed to put all her dummies in the bag. She put it on the dining table, and basically as soon as she turned her back, I swapped the dummies for a small treat, so that when she next looked in the bag they were gone.

We had three slightly unsettled nights in that when she woke in the middle of the night I had to go and rub her back for a couple of minutes and that was the end of it.

Her teeth are perfect, and she's never found her thumb as a replacement.

I hope DD2 will be as easy, although she's a bit more stubborn so we'll see. 

MesmrEwe

DD had hers until shortly after 2.5 when she was naughty in church and had it taken away forever (yes, by Mom...)..  She STILL remembers it!  DS OTOH, he stopped using it around the 13mo mark and never looked back... 

It's all dependent upon the child.  Some need it longer than others to soothe.  As long as they aren't old enough that it's interfering with their tooth structure, nothing to worry about...

2Gma

DD had her paci until age 2.  We only allowed it at nap/bedtime.  Right around age 2 she bit through the end of it and caused it to be rough and didn't want it anymore.  (I've heard of mom's cutting the end off for same effect)  She went cold turkey on her own.

I don't see any harm in letting your son have his at 15 mo old, especially if he is teething or if its just at night.

yale

With DS we didn't wean. We limited it to car seat and bed only. Then we cut it out altogether cold turkey when he was 18 months. Took a few days, but glad we did it sooner rather than later. We'll probably do the same with DD.

BrideBuddies

Honestly, I never really wanted to go there, so we only used a pacifier on rare occassions, like at church.  So we didn't have any issues when it went away forever. 

Don't know if it's related, but C is a champion nose picker now.. only when he's sleepy.   <eyeroll>

 

itsmevkb

At one year we limited to naps, bedtime and times out in public when we needed the kids to be a bit more quiet.  By 18 months we started limiting the use out in public and then before they turned two we told them for months and months how once they hit two no more paci. 

It was amazing how easily they stopped using them.  With our oldest after the first night without it he just sort of forgot about it and never asked for one again.  With our second, she loved them but then the cat chewed them up and I told her I'd buy her some new ones but I couldn't go and get one that night so she slept without one, asked again for one the next night and I told her I hadn't been able to get her new ones yet and withing two more days she just stopped asking.

Bigboneded

Definitely set a limit, I saw a 4 or 5 tear old running and skipping out of a restaurant on day and it made my skin crawl. After small toddlerhood, I just flash to the drugged out teenagers sucking on them and it is creepy!