Moms with young kiddos (under 2-ish)...

[wvasweetness]

Can we please talk about paci weaning for a sec??

Wesley is 20 months and is more in love with his paci than ever. He only gets it during naps and nite-nite time at home, but I have a lot of anxiety over the fact that he's almost 2 years old and still has his "bink." LOL.

I know that he doesn't "need" it - because he doesn't take it during naptime at school, and doesn't even ask for it. But at home for naps and bed is a totally different story.

When he wakes in the morning, he doesn't even have it in his mouth, he is always holding it in his hand.... but he's attached for sure. When he starts getting tired at night he will start saying "piwoah... bink...piwoah... bink" (meaning... "pillow... binky") and he will look around all over the house for his bink. He will look under the chair and say "nope", look under the dining room table, say "nope", and keep looking until he finds it.

The thought of taking it away totally makes me sad, because it's his only real "lovey"... and he sure does love it. We were going to give the binky to Santa in December, but I chickened out. I always joke with DH that Wes will be going to college with it some day. *sigh*

Sooo, if you've paci-weaned, how did you do it - all at once?? And how did it go?

[Sarah8914]

I wish I had advice for you! All I can say is good luck. And at least it is the paci. I've got a thumb-sucker over here and have NO idea how to stop that!

[newfiemountiewife]

None of my kids had one, so I have no advice. Good luck figuring it out!

[aly321]

I never had a paci weaning problem, but my brother's dd was VERY attached. They took her to Build A Bear and put her binky inside the animal she chose. Then she had it every night to hug in her new animal. I thought this was a darling idea, and it worked.

[aggiefamily]

Lance didn't give his up until he turned 3. We told him that 3 year olds couldn't have pacis anymore since he was a big boy. At the time he was also moving to the bottom bunk of the bunk bed and pacis were not allowed on that bed. He wanted to sleep there so bad that he threw them all away himself.

I just think he was ready at the time. I know at 2 he was not ready.

[Linz]

Originally Posted by aggiefamily

I know at 2 he was not ready.

same for DS. he sort of gave it up on his own a few months before he turned 3. he had fallen asleep in the car without it (long car ride, coming home from my parents' house 2 hrs away), which he normally wouldn't do. so when we put him to bed (as soon as we got home), I decided not to give it to him. he never asked for it again. I didn't expect it to happen so easily -- he was addicted to that thing.

[LenaGardner]

You may have seen it before, but I posted about this a bit ago and writing a book for her really helped us. She still reads the book!

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...highlight=kiki

[iJenny]

It sounds like YOU are more attached to the binky than he is. I would try to get rid of it cold-turkey and see what happens. My oldest son was OBSESSED with his paci and I thought he'd never get rid of it. Then one day, we were on a day-long shopping trip and lost the binky within the first hour. My mom said, "lets see what happens if we don't give hime one at all" and so we tried it. He asked for it a few times, we said it was gone and distracted him, and that was that. So I guess I"m saying... you'll never know how he'll react until you try.
Also, I really like the build-a-bear idea. I've also heard of people sending pacifiers to the "Paci Fairy" and she leaves a "prize" the next morning when she takes the pacifiers.
Good luck! Growing up is harder on the parents than the kids...

[mummytothree]

My son's Dr. and I just discussed this like an hour ago at his 1 year check up...the doctor said now was the time to get rid of it....but I told him I had other ideas. I like to wait till a little over 2. Out of my 4 kids I've only had 2 that took binks (1 sucked her thumb and one sucked a blanket) and I had no problem taking it away from my other child at a little over 2 years of age....and she was like addicted to that thing....like it was in her mouth morning noon and night!!!! I just throw it out and that was it....she fussed for a day or two but she doesn't even remeber her bink!!!

My son now is not to addicted to it....he takes it at nap time and during the night.....but not to go to slepp at night. And really he doesn't need it during the night...my DH is just such a light sleeper that he puts it in so HE can go back to sleep...not our son!!!

I say you are the momma and you will no when it's ready to take it away.......if you are worried do a little research or take with a pedatric dentist....I pretty sure that binkies don't start affecting teeth unless they are used in the 4 and 5 year old range!!!!

[pbumbaca]

Both my boys were very attached to their binky's and both were two when I had them have a "binky" party (they too only had them at naptime and bedtime). We bought a gift bag and had cupcakes and said good bye to the binky and I had them put the binky in the bag and put it in the trash. We had a couple of crying nights but it wasn't too bad. Good luck. I love the build a bear idea!

[sczos911]

Oye. It's tough. The first few nights were ROUGH for us with DD#1. I have a 2 year old & I know I need to do it, but she is sooooooooooooooooooo attached & the 2 y.o. molars are coming in and it provides comfort for her that tylenol can't.

We have a Ya-Ya Fairy. (We call it a ya-ya.) And the fairy comes to take it away & leaves a gift. The fairy brings it to a baby that needs it & since you are not a baby, yada yada yada. Big story all made up to comfort child.

It sucks. I'm not looking forward to it.

[ditzyscrap]

Neither of my kids took them...Natalie would if she was fussing but never took it to sleep with, and Mason hated them from day 1. LOL!

My mom swears though that it takes 3 days to break a habit. And my sisters say it's true. I haven't had to break any habits, lol (thankfully), so I can't say for sure. LOL!

[jessica31876]

I never really had this problem with my kids because mine only took a binky til they were 6 months tops BUT when giving up the bottle between 12 and 16 months I just got rid of all the bottles. It was surprising that they just didnt ask for them. I did not make a big ordeal out of it...no binky fairy or ceremony or prizes just quietly threw them out and started giving all their drinks in cups. I bet youd be surprised if you just got rid of it that he wouldnt even want it all that much. I know its tough though cause you want to keep them happy and if he is as attached as you say then he will probably ask for it a few times and it might make him upset at first. Good luck whatever you decide to do!!

[pewtertm]

Rachel loved her binky and I dreaded the weaning process but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. She actually ended up with red raw spots on her cheeks because of the paci rubbing against her wet-with-drool-cheeks in her sleep.
Some dentists recommend getting rid of them by age 2 at the latest, and I've also heard therapists say that paci's inhibit speech development.
Between her rash and what the drs said, we gathered up every binky in the house and dumped them in the outside garbage can (one of DH's older girls actually got hers out of kitchen trash...so we took Rachel's straight outside). She fussed a little the first night, but that was it...she did alot better than I thought she would.
Good luck!

[Jennilyn]

My oldest daughter gave hers up on her 3rd birthday. We put them in the garbage and watched the garbage man take them away. My youngest daughter was more attached to hers so I thought it'd be really hard to take them away. One day when she was 2 1/2, we lost her soothers and didn't have them for her nap. She went to bed fine and even though we did find them while she was sleeping, we just pretended we lost them for good and she hasn't had them since!

One bad thing about the kids going sootherless is that they sleep less, meaning my youngest usually gets up before 6am.

[alansrock]

Logan only got his from day 1 when he slept (naps & bedtime). I transitioned him from the paci with a pretzel teething toy and then after a few months of that I just took the pretzel away and he never asked for it or a paci again. It was really easy. Logan still sleeps with a little blankie which he can sleep with for as long as he wants as far as I am concerned!

Hope your war with the paci is a smooth and fast battle!

[lauren grier]

I just hucked them.. lol. I'm a mean mommy I guess.. ^_^

[robinforman]

It was waaay less painful than we thought it was going to be, and we both commented afterwards that we should have done it a long time ago. Good luck!

[suzann]

A friend of mine snipped the end off the paci with scissors. Just a little bit off the tip at first and then she cut a little more off every day. Pretty soon her son didn't even want it anymore, because there wasn't anything left to suck on. LOL! I tried this with my daughter and she handed it back and told me that it was a broken one. So we ended up just allowing it for sleep and then eventually taking it away completely. But the snipping thing might work for you.

[amystoffel]

My oldest had his until he was about 3. It was ROUGH. First we limited it to only being able to have it in bed. It stays in the bed and he can use it when he's there, but it doesn't leave. That went well until he started stealing the baby's binkie. So we resorted to bribery. The "binkie fairy" came one night, and took all the binkies and left prizes. After about a week of him flipping out about not having one...he was over it. The baby never really liked his...so he got weaned at the same time.

[Yvette]

I had to get rid of my son's when he was about a year old - he kept biting the end off them! He missed them, but soon substituted a bedtime blanket for comfort (he picked out a fleece blanket in a lovely NEON orange that he still sleeps with occasionally at age 5, almost 6)

[nikkiARNGwife]

Well..first of all I don't think 20 mos is too old for a paci at all..DS took his til he was 2 1/2..and he was SUPER attached to his. But I'm a tough love kind of mommy I guess b/c we just went cold turkey with it..honestly I think it's the best way b/c if you give it to them sometimes it just makes them want it kwim? DS had 2 nights where he cried when I put him to bed and for naps and then he was fine. My best friend is going through this with her nearly 3 year old and I've told just take it away..but she gives in because she doesn't want her to cry and so she still has hers and the cycle continues lol.

[rochelle789]

I haven't read all of the responses so someone may have already suggested this, but you could try cutting off the tip of it and telling him it's broken. That way if he just likes to hold it, he can still do that. He just won't get the gratification of sucking on it like he used to. I know this has worked for some people. I have yet to try it because my baby is only 12 months. I expect to be weaning her from her paci in the next several months. Like you, I'm not looking forward to it at all.

[amysum1]

My DD is 20 months too and takes her binky at naps and bed time. I am relieved it is only then. My other daughter had hers nonstop till she was almost 3. So, I think we have nothing to worry about!

[Shawna]

With Kaylie we just took the packi's away around 14 months I think. We decided that we'd rather get rid of the pacifiers & bottles earlier rather than later on after they get so attached to them, I guess we've just always been adamant that we wouldn't have a preschooler still using a pacifier. Kelsie only took one til she was about 4mo old, once she got her first tooth she wouldn't have anything to do with one which made it super easy for us!

Kyle's 21mo old now and last August all his packi's got lost in our house and he just didn't seem to notice after that first night that they were gone. A few days later I found one and handed it to him to see what he’d do, and he just looked at it and then threw it across the room lol! Later that day we were out school clothes shopping and he got a bit fussy in the stroller so I gave it to him and he threw it on floor in Dillard’s lol! So that was the end of him needing his packi!