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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
How old is too old for a pacifier?
We're coming up on 2 yrs old and we're still using a pacifier. Getting ready to go to twin bed so I don't want to take it away till he's comfortable in his new bed. How old is too old?
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Re: How old is too old for a pacifier?
Apparently, it's 2 years old.
I work at a gym drop-in daycare. There is a 2 year old with a paci that comes a lot. I have seen a lot of horrified looks and witnessed several comments made by the other moms when dropping off their own children.
Cam 6.6.10 - Autism, Global Developmental Delay, Mixed Receptive/Expressive Communication Disorder
Well out in public is totally different than bedtime. There's no need at all for a 2 y.o. to be walking around in public with a paci, but I wouldn't give it a second thought if they were just taking it to bed.
Bar tab = $156,000, Bus to Foxwoods = $0, Puking in the Stanley Cup = Priceless
SIL let my nephew use a pacifier until he started KINDERGARTEN. He was about 5 years and 10 months when they took it away. ... yeah...
Logan - 11/09, Lander 08/11, Baby #3 ~It's a girl!!~ EDD: 04/10/14
Personally it bugs me to see a kid over 18 months with a pacifier. Especially when you see a 3 year old!
I had DS1 off the pacifier by 7 months. DS2 isnt really interested in one to start with.
My DH thinks pacifiers are evil at any age....one of the many things we fought over during my first pregnancy. He is so happy DS2 wont take one.
I can understand that, though. Some kids take to a paci like a comfort item. I tried to introduce other lovies to DS, but it's only the paci. If this child is with a SAHM, gym daycare might be scary. We just started my DS at daycare for socialization for a few hours a week with other kids sans mom, and I do let him have the paci there. Once we're past the first few weeks and he's fully used to it, we'll take it away again during daytime hours.
To answer the question, my 18m old uses a paci. It's only for bedtime, naps, and when he's in a lot of teething pain. We plan on weaning at 2 by using the "paci fairy" technique. If he fights it really hard, we'll probably give him another 6 months with it for bedtime use. I would not let it continue past 3 at bedtime.
We only do the paci at naptime and bedtime. DS knows the paci stays in the crib and has never wanted it except to sleep. I am in no hurry to take it away so whenever he's ready is fine with me.
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Ditto all this.
My DS was a 24/7 user and having the pacifier in his mouth started to cause a speech delay so we took it away at 22 months old. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. He asked for it all day long the first few days, then completely forgot about it.
DD uses one, but mostly for sleeping and in the car. If she is very tired she will look for it, but she doesn't really use it much during the day.
I am not going to take it away unless it becomes an issue of using it out in public when she gets to be closer to 2. As far as using it for sleeping goes, I don't have an age limit. I'll deal with it when the time comes.
I think it will be easier than you imagine. Just do it cold turkey :-)
This! We took it away cold turkey around 9 months with no issues. He didn't start sucking his thumb like some said he might and we honestly haven't noticed any difference. I think the earlier the better. I personally tend to think pacifiers are for when they are very young and still have the sucking reflex. Once that reflex is gone and they start to be more independent I think it's time to take it away. For us, anything over a year is too old.
DS was the exact same way and we just took it away about a month ago. The pedi mentioned it at the one year check up but didn't say any more about it for later check ups and wasn't upset that we hadn't taken it away yet.
My neighbor's daughter still takes one and is 4. I find that ridiculous.
Two is definitely too old, in my opinion.
We were shooting for one year, but it was a tough transition ... we finally took it away for good around 15 months or so. I think the longer you wait, the harder it gets!
We just took DD2's away earlier this month, at 15 months. I wish I'd done it a bit sooner -- it was very easy, we went cold turkey, and she has slept better and started talking more since giving it up. She only had it at night, naps and occasionally during a car ride, and I didn't think it would make much of a difference for her to still have it -- but it definitely did.
I wasn't worried about an impact on her teeth yet, since she only had two. My pedi wanted us to take it away at one. My DD1's speech therapist also mentioned in passing that if we had speech concerns about DD2 (which we do), we ought to take it away ASAP.
DD1 hated them and never wanted one.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
I think anything beyond a year is old enough to get rid of it.
My kids actually started sleeping soooo much better after I took them away. I was nervous for the same reason!
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0415/p681.html
But, my kids both use them just for night sleep and they're almost 2--- they've never gotten them for any kind of soothing that was not sleep oriented (except in the carseat up until a year or so) and we've been on only for nighttime sleep since about 18 months. They are terrible sleepers still and it is really hard...but after we go visit family (10 hrs away, staying at 2 different houses) in a few weeks, we'll be saying bye bye to the pacifiers. Hoping it is as easy as a lot of ppl say...