How do you wean a 3 year old of her pacifier?

Question

Her dentist has told me it is time. Do I go cold turkey or are there some good weaning techniques?

Answer 1

well i poked a hole in it for my son and ever since he forgot about it

Answer 2

You can break this association, and I would do it abruptly, rather than try to limit the time he is using the pacifier. You'll have two or three bad nights, and then the whole thing will be over. For children of about two or three years, I recommend that you pick a date, and tell your child that he is going to stop using the pacifier because he is a "big boy" now. Remind him a couple of days beforehand, and again the day before.

On the appointed day, collect all the pacifiers, and have your child go with you as you "give away" the pacifiers to a baby. You can use a friend's new baby, a baby from church or preschool it doesn't matter, as long as he can see that there really is a small baby. It's best not to have a baby that he will see regularly, or knows very well. Then have him leave the pacifiers in a little bag with the baby (obviously, the baby won't really use these used pacifiers, but he doesn't know that You should then go to get some predetermined "reward" (a new older kid toy, a special outfit, etc.). Most two or three year olds will go along with all of this pretty well. Kids under two might have some difficulty actually giving their pacifiers to a baby, in which case you might just want to plan on throwing them out.

Answer 3

Someone has already mentioned it, but not in detail.
I like the idea of the Binky fairy ( or Pacifier fairy, whatever your child calls it).
What you do, is you take the pacifier and attatch it to some balloons and send it up to the sky, telling your child that other babies need it and that the binky fairy will reward them for being so kind to others. They will watch the binky fly away and feel accomplished, like they have done something good.
The next day, take the child outside and have balloons that look the same as the other balloons being held on by a tree or something nearby in the yard. Have a small gift tied to the balloon and tell the child the binky fairy brought it back for them to thank them for giving the binky to other children that need it.
I have found (from working in a preschool) that this works for many children.
They feel accomplished and they always enjoy the treat they get. As long as you explain things to them in enough detail and make them feel good about what they've done, there is always a good outcome. Plus, you know your child better than anyone so you know what kind of gift they would really like that could become another comfort object to replace the binky.

Answer 4

My daughter had basically moved on from her pacifier by 18 months though she occasionally wanted it at night. My son was very attached to his "buddy" and we decided that on their 2nd birthday they would both put their pacifiers away for good. We talked to each of them at length ahead of time, esp. the last evening with pacifiers. When the day came they each turned their pacifiers over to us and that was it. My son tossed and turned that night and asked for his buddy off and on for a week or so but no tears no meltdowns. Cold turkey with lots of notice and "you're a big girl now" type of support is the only way to go.
Good Luck.

Answer 5

I worked in a daycare for over two years and I helped the parents with this process. It has also been effective for my friends children. Take a small needle and put a hole in the pacifier. This way when the child is sucking of the pacifier it goes flat, after the child goes through about three of four pacifiers they will no longer want it. This does work on almost every kid that I've known.

Answer 6

Cut a tiny hole in it while she isn't looking. When she discovers something isn't right about it, just act like you don't know what happened to it. It will break the suction and she will not like it and think it got that way unknowingly. I did that with my daughters' pacifier and each week, I would make the hole bigger until there was nothing left to suck. It took a while and eventually she gave it up. It worked for her and she is 3. Cold turkey might be too harsh especially if she is really attached. My daughter was so attached that I couldn't just take it away like that.

Answer 7

I tried everything!! My daughter turned 4 in April and has been off the pacy for 2 months FINALLY! I started by not letting her take it outside.Then when we go someplace she has to keep it in the car and can not take it out of the car with her. Then People started asking her why she had it and that she was too big for it. Finally it got lost for 4 days,she cried and i told her i would find it the next day when i cleaned the house,i would tell her that everyday.She found 1 under her bed a few weeks ago and as soon as she put it down i grabed it and threw it away,now she does not ask at all.

Answer 8

My daughter was so attached to her pacifier. But she lost it one day and we could not find it and we weren't going to get a new one. So it was lucky because we had been talking to her about the pacifier fairy who comes to take the pacifiers to all the new babies. We told her that the pacifier fairy probably came early because she needed it for a new baby. She cried a little for about 2 nights but that was it. Mam pacifiers had a cute story on their web site.

Answer 9

Well i don't know about a three year old, but i remember my mom used to distract my younger brother with other things when he's usually want the pacifier and because he was pretty young, he usually forgot about the pacifier and then my mom would take it away.

Answer 10

Cold Turkey , do it today - Be prepared to listen to some whining - Sorry...Nothing looks worse than a 4 year old with a pacifier.

Answer 11

Go cold turkey. You should have did this when she got off the bottle. Just tell her she is a big girl and only babies use pacifiers. She will get over it soon enough.