do you think my 13 month old daughter is too old for a pacifier?

Question

ok i can keep the paci away from her should i try and break her? help???????????????
she loves this thing and even sleeps with it and has to have it night and day do you think she is too old? no rude comments please!!!! thanks

Answer 1

DEAR DO NOT DO THAT THIS HER SECURITY AND IF BREAK HER LITTLE HEART THEN YOU WILL BE UP ALL NIGHT FOR ABOUT A WEEK STRAIT WITH NO SLEEP BUT MOM DO WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST IF YOU DO NOT WANT MAKE HER SUCK HER THUMB HER TEETH CAN ALWAYS BE FIXED UP LATER IN LIFE OK AND REMEMBER THIS IF SHE SUCKS THE RIGHT ONE ON HER HAND SHE WILL BE LEFT HANDED IF THE ONE SHE WILL BE RIGHT HANDED YOU MIGHT TRY THAT OK JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT OK ON THIS MATTER TAKE CARE AND DO NOT LET DENTIST AND DOCTOR TALK YOU IN TO PUTTING A PLATE IN THE TOP OF HER MOUTH TO STOP THE SUCKING

Answer 2

As you can see by all the answers you've gotten so far, there's not just one right answer to the "binky" question. As a daycare teacher, I deal with it all the time. In my opinion, it's fine for her to have a pacifier at this age...the question is...how much time each day should she have her pacifier? Try slowly cutting down the amount of time that she has it each day, until she only needs it to sleep, or when she's extremely upset. Then you can start weaning from those times too....try having her take a nap without it, you may be surprised...she may not even miss it! .

I see a lot of parents that just throw the binky out at a certain age...but that's not fair. Babies are just like grown ups and habits are hard to break. You wouldn't expect a smoker to just throw out his cigarettes without preparation...why should a baby have to give up a pacifier cold turkey?!

My only problem with a pacifier is when a parent is using it to make things easier for themselves. I've had toddlers who go all day without a pacifier, then the parent comes to pick them up, and before even saying hi, they shove a pacifier in the baby's mouth. Just make sure she actually needs it if she has it, and it's not just so routine that she just has it hanging out of the side of her mouth all day long and doesn't even suck on it.

As for the right age to get rid of it? as soon as you can...but without forcing the issue. If you take it away too soon...she can just move on to the thumb, and good luck taking that away! But if you wait too long, you'll have a very hard time fighting a 3 year old over it!

A lot of people will tell you that it ruins their teeth too...but that's not necessarily true. I think bad teeth is more genetic than anything. A pacifier might be partly to blame, but they can't be completely to blame. My oldest 2 kids had pacifiers until they were about 2 years old and now, at 15 and 10, they have beautiful straight teeth. My 3rd child didn't care for a pacifier, so he never really took one, nor did he suck his thumb....but now he's 8, and his teeth are slightly crooked. Go figure!

Anyway....Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Answer 3

I don't think she is too old to have it , eventually once you do feel the need to get rid of it I would suggest the best way would be to tell her that the paci fairy needs to come and take it away for new babies , you know like the tooth fairy. Its worked for a few people I know good luck and do what you feel is right for your child but don't worry about the whole messing up the teeth bit now untill she's a little older anyway. All the best

Answer 4

I know how you feel. Our daughter loved her binky and we were worried that she would be hard to break of it. It always grossed me out when I saw kids that were old enough to be talking in full sentences, and they would do it with the binky in their mouth and sound all slurpy... ugh. What we started doing is only giving it to her when she really really needed it. By 10 months old, she didnt want it at all, we got lucky. Some babies have a strong sucking need, and binkys satisfy that. what you have to decide is if that is still the case with your daughter, or if shes now to the point of it just being a habit. i have heard of a few different things that have worked for other moms: cut most of the nipple off the binky. it will frustrate them so bad they wont want it anymore. or throw them all away, tell them that the binky is all gone, and then tough it out for a couple days as they scream. leave them alone and they will get over it. Good luck!!!! you can do it!!!!

Answer 5

Yes she is getting to the age where you need to start thinking about getting rid of it. You need to consider her teeth. I know there are issues with pacifiers and tooth development.
I'm not saying you need to do it right now, but soon.
I wouldn't go cold turkey just yet. Try maybe every other day or so to start...just say you can't find it and have her help you look for it for a while..hopefully she'll find something else to distract her. If not cold turkey works too...just hard on both of you for a few days.
Remember though that there is a light at the end of the tunnel... good luck.

Answer 6

I took my daughter's pacifier away at 12 months and I never gave it to her at night, so she was not too attached to it.

I think the only way to do it is to just take it and have it be gone, I know that sounds harsh, but in a day or two, they really will forget about it.

Answer 7

Yes, she's too old. If you let her wait until she's ready to give it up, be prepared for War of the Binky when she's 3 or 4.

You should only give it to her when she's sleeping. Take it away when she's awake because it will delay her speech development. Then start to wean her off of it during naptime and eventually work up to weaning her off it at night. That will be the hardest part, but she can't have it forever. And she doesn't "need" it at all except for security reasons.

Answer 8

Yes, As soon as a baby reaches 9 months they no longer need a pacifier. Slowly wean her off of it by maybe taking it after she falls asleep and during the day take it completely away telling her its only for nite nites. Then one day, take it in her sleep and throw it far far away into the garbage and tell her its lost, it might be hard for a couple days but she will get used to it!

Answer 9

It's always hard for the first week or so, but it gets better. My doctor told me when my girls were a year old to get rid of the paci.

Answer 10

If shes still very attatched to it, I'd let her have a couple of months and see how she is doing - my daughter totally lost interest in hers herself about 10 months old, same thing with the bottle and the potty. I suppose I've been lucky that way, but sometimes it works itself out.

Its not going to kill her though, if you decide its time to give it up, maybe buy her a special toy she can have at bedtime and whatnot.