My two-year old hasn't used apacifier during the day since she was 13 months old, but still insists on taking one to bed at night. Any suggestions regarding how I can encourage her to give it up would be much appreciated.
Jen
2006-07-27 08:38:02 · 26 answers · asked by greyhoundjen 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
The only thing that worked for us was that we "lost them all," well not really but she didn't know that. We thought she would mind more but we gave her a sippy cup with water in it and she didn't even seem to mind. The only bad thing now is that she can't go to sleep unless she has a sippy cup with water. I guess they just have to have some comfort object. Maybe you could replace it with something you find more appropriate?
2006-07-27 08:51:03 · answer #1 · answered by mommyem 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a child having a pacifier at the age of two. Pacifiers, like thumb-sucking, blankets and teddy bears, are a way of calming a child down and gives them a sense of security they would otherwise not have. It is also a road to independence. Unless you are willing to sit with her every time she gets upset to help calm her down, she is going to need something to help her through. She is, after all, only two. If you think you're going to make her a "big girl" right off the bat by taking it away, I feel sorry for her. She isn't going to gain self-confidence and independence at two without some assistance. If you push her, you'll find she's going to end up with other psychological trauma worse than walking around with a pacifier in her mouth. Is it worth it? No. Most experts say, don't fight it too much. Pacifiers work wonders in helping toddlers move to independence in being able to calm themselves down without clinging to adults. At night time, when she is alone the most is when she needs it the most. I don't doubt that she may wake up in the middle of the night and instead of crying for you, she may find her pacifier and put herself back to sleep on her own. If she were 4 or 5 years old, then it is time to work on finding her a new means of calming herself. And even then, letting the child SLOWLY work through it is best. Just imagine the one thing that makes you feel comfortable and calm... and imagine people taking that away from you and telling you that you shouldn't need it. If the thought upsets you, imagine how it would make your two old feel.
My suggestion, take your time, in both taking the pacifier away. If it is just at night that she is taking it, then it is probably the time she needs the most sense of security. Her pacifier is allowing her to get that security on her own.
Here's an article, hope it helps.
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerbehavior/12254.html
Good luck.
2006-07-27 21:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by terrbear 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son hasn't had a pacifier since he was 5 months old. Even then, he only wanted it at bedtime and nap time. Eventually, I just rocked him to sleep without the pacifier. Since your little one isn't so little anymore, and she understands that the pacifier is something she wants to comfort her to sleep, you may have to "replace" the pacifier with another object. Maybe try to promise her an extra story if she doesn't take the pacifier at night. A friend of mine made her son throw all his pacifiers in the trash by himself...a true sign that he was a "big boy" and didn't need the "baby things" anymore. Good luck to you!!
2006-07-27 15:48:55 · answer #3 · answered by geminiparody4 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We told my daughter that there were a lot of little babies who needed pacies and that maybe we could mail them hers - now that she was such a BIG girl. We put them all in a box, helped her make a card (stickers on folded construction paper), and wrote the new babies a note. Then we walked to the post office together and mailed them right away (to an aunt who was in on the ruse). We had a couple of tough nights, but really not as bad as we thought.
The most important thing though - be understanding. Children crave stability and uniformity. Losing the pacifier can be hard. Your child is not trying to push your buttons or make you mad - she is truly upset and it matters to her. However you handle it, do it with love and your child will come through okay.
2006-07-27 20:51:29 · answer #4 · answered by Samantha E 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we had one that was like that too. We told her that she was gettng to be a big girl now and that soon the pacifier would have to go back to nookie land so it could go to another baby. We gave her a week of notice, counting down each day and letting her know how much the other child would appreciate it. The nite it left was hard, and so were the next 2-3. But she adapted pretty quickly.
Even a year or so later she would occasionally bring it up, which made us feel really guilty, but she has been fine.
She got a nice teddy bear the nite the nookie left, that helped too.
Good luck and be firm - they can pull your strings!
2006-07-27 15:45:23 · answer #5 · answered by been there! 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my daughter is going to be 3 next month and she still has a dummy! I have told her that when it is her birthday (the night before), When she goes to bed she needs to leave her dumnmy on the table and when she wakes up in the morning the dummy will have turnt into presents. She is so exited she has been telling everyone what she is going to do, i am pretty sure this will work. Why dont you try it on your childs next birthday or at xmas whichever is 1st. There is no rush to get her of it, i have known children to still have a dummy for bed time at the age of 8!! Good luck, hope you try this and i hope it works
2006-07-27 18:19:34 · answer #6 · answered by noone 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her something else like a special sippy cup or bottle to start using at night time or something else that will help her with her oral fixation. Right now it is a comfort for her so find something else that is similar. Start slowly though, tell her one night she can have pacifier the next night the sippy cup. Or give her the choice but put one of her favorite (none sugared) drinks in there at night.
2006-07-27 15:46:35 · answer #7 · answered by Serena 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a 3 yr old that used a pacifer for naps and bedtime since her birth. I tried to take it away one day- cold turkey and it was the worst day of both our lives. After about 2 hours of screaming and wailing, she started pulling her hair out and clawing her own face. So now you know how addicted and attached she was to this thing. So finally one day, I followed a friend's advise and snipped the end with a scissors. I was a non-believer in this method thinking it would never ever work since my daughter did just pull out her own hair. Would you believe she took one suck of this thing and said, "mommy, I don't want this anymore." Done. She never turned back. The key is to make sure your daughter only has one pacifer...like a favorite and get rid of the rest.
2006-07-28 00:48:25 · answer #8 · answered by Lilly M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call the pacificer fairy. I had my daughter start each night putting her pacifier under her pillow. I told her that when she left it under her pillow for the whole night the pacifier fairy would come and give her a present (coloring book and crayons) and give her pacifier to a baby that needed it. It took about a week for her to leave it under her pillow each night she left it a little longer than the night before.
2006-07-27 21:08:08 · answer #9 · answered by AMY G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well i have a 3 year old and a 1 year old and they only get their pacie when they take naps, i dont see much problem with it, cause they know durin the day they dont get it, it is only for night night, now when they get about 4 or 5 i will put a stop to it, i have seen bigger children at places and they are suckin pacies and i could not believe my eyes, so i plan for them to give it up soon, right i wouldnt worry about it, i think it is okay, she is only 2, good luck sug
2006-07-27 15:43:54 · answer #10 · answered by SUNSHINE 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋