What age should you wean your child off a pacifier?

Question

My daughter is 2 1/2 and I am thinking of weaning her off her binky. My family and friends have been pushing me to to this for awhile but I think it is time. Any suggestions how to do this or when?

My daughter sleeps alone in a toddler bed, does not use a bottle, and does not have a blankie, so now we are working on getting rid of the pacifier and potty training her.

(Just a note)
It's nice that parents are proud of their children for various things, but sometimes in showing that off, they can be just plain rude.

Answer 1

Yeah, I think I weaned my son when he was two. I couldnt just take it away, he cried too much. So I got given some great advice.
First day, I cut a bit off the end of the rubber part. He sucked on it, when he fell asleep I took it out. Gradually I cut more and more off. Till about a week later, he put it in his mouth, took it out, looked at it, and threw it away. He never asked for another one again.
Well, he's 12 now, so I'm hoping he doesnt ask for another one anyway. LOL.
Thats my 2 cents. I'm sure you'll get lots of answers, and they will probably be better than mine! But hey, it worked!

Answer 2

My son is 16 mos old and when I took him for his 12 mo old well baby check up the Pediatrician asked if he was still using a pacifier or a bottle...and he was using both.So,his Ped.told me the Bottle had to go immediately and the pacifier could stay for a little longer and she suggested to not let him have it past 15 mos.So,I gradually weaned him off,only allowing him to have it for naps and Bedtime and then only for Bed.It was hard to do that because he did scream(sorry 2 tell u that)but there is no getting around it...they will have tantrums.But,the more he/she goes without it,that is one day closer to beng pacifier free.She said the reason to wean him off was because orthodontically it is not healthy because it could result in an overbite and I even noticed that my sons palate took the shape of his pacifier.It took a good week and a half to 2 weeks before he was weaned but it still took him a little longer to get settled in for the night.To not traumatize him,I gave him a security blanket that he could cuddle with so he could feel as if he had something tangible to soothe him.So maybe if there is a certain blanket or stuffed animal he/she likes you can start to put that in the crib.Hope I helped a little!

Answer 3

I weaned my son a few months before his 2nd birthday but he was down to just using it for bed and nap times a few months after he turned one. His speech was always advanced for his age and the pediatrician said it was fine to use during sleep until his 2nd birthday or so. We quit cold turkey and suffered through about 2 weeks of difficult bed and nap times before he forgot about it. The peace we got in the year plus while he was on the pacifier was worth it and I'll probably do the same thing the next time around (should that child want a pacifier). He is now a happy 2 year old who does not have any strong ties to a particular comfort object so we don't ever have to worry about forgetting a favorite toy or blanket while traveling.

Answer 4

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RE:
What age should you wean your child off a pacifier?
My daughter is 2 1/2 and I am thinking of weaning her off her binky. My family and friends have been pushing me to to this for awhile but I think it is time. Any suggestions how to do this or when?

Answer 5

I was so glad when my daughter gave her pacifier up at 3 months and the fact that she only took it when she was tired anyway.

But I had planned that if she started taking it all the time that I would take it away as soon as she started talking, nothing annoys me more then a child trying to talk to me with that binky in their mouth! But if she stuck only to nap and bedtime that she could have it for a little while longer.

When she started teething I pulled the pacifiers back out and froze them for quick fixes for teething pain. Other then that I was lucky she didn't have that habit, but she DOES have a blankie. She can go a whole day with out it, but at nap time and bed time she still needs it and on her bad teething days she needs it. Blankie isn't a big issue here unless I need to wash it!

I just got lucky, if she was my daughter she would have had the pacifier gone at 1 year along with her bottle (my daughter weaned herself off the bottle by a year old).

Oh, as for advice on HOW to wean, you can try soaking it in lemon juice (worked for a friend) or poke a few holes in the nipple (every last one of them) and let her have them, my cousen's granddaughter got mad and never wanted another one again! :-)

Answer 6

I beleive that a child should be off of the pacifier by the time they are 2...this doesnt mean force them at 2 though. YOu will see signs in your child that will help you make the decision when th etime is right for you. You have several options dependign on how attached your child is to the binky.....I got rid of mine by simply taking them away in the middle of the night...the next day my child woke up and I had begun to give her sippy cups and the binky had never been brought up again. I have also heard of children who attend day care wrapping up thier binkys as presents for the babies in the infant care room...(of course this is after a lot of coaxing and a wonderful story that makes the child excited to share withth ebabies) Children who don tgo to a day care can also tie them to balloons and send them up to the binky fairy....watching the balloons fly awaygive the child a sense of pride

Answer 7

i know some people who threw all of the pacifiers away except one. on the last one, they started to rip the nipple off the pacifier and then told their son it was broken, like the would a toy. they made him throw it away and say bye, bye. and that was the end.

my son is almost 2 and he is only allowed a pacifier when he is sleeping or when we are on long trips in the car and will need to nap. hping to cut that back to just at night soon. don't know if we'll make him throw it away, but it worked for my friends!

Answer 8

don't just take her off it wean her slowly at times when she is being kept busy during the day take it away and put it in a place out of site out of mind she will more then likely complain and kick up a stink. just say to her look mommy will leave it up here for you you/we are playing now you don't need but you may have it back later on. when she would be tired tho don't try it she will get to upset and that wont be at all good for you or her. keep doing this and when she ask for it but she is still busy start saying you can have it real soon try and make the time longer and longer away. she will then start to forget about it after a time. and then try to encourage to give it to you at bed time if she can not go to sleep with out it that's ok she will in time let her have it back. but after she is asleep try taking it off her keep this up and she will give it up.

Answer 9

i have heard that it is close to impossible to "wean" the pacifier..lol...u have to just do it all at once. Make a big deal of how big she is and that big girls don't need binkies. Let her actually throw them away. I have heard of a few people that have done it that way. Good luck

Answer 10

Well, the longer she has it, the harder it will be to take it away. Does she have it whether or not she's fussy? If she's just playing, try popping it out of her mouth and then distracting her so she won't notice it.My son was hooked on one when he was younger but weaned himself off of it so I really don't know foolproof methods for it. Good luck and have patience.