When and how to wean a child from a pacifier?

Question

My niece is almost 4 years old and still walking around with a pacifier in her mouth... not to be critical but, isn't that a little old to still suck on a pacifier?...
My baby's almost 10 months old, when should I start weaning her off her pacifier? And how?

Thanks!

Answer 1

My child's pediatrician told me when my child was 14 months old, to get him totally off the bottle and to the sippy cups...and THEN get him to give up the pacifier, in THAT order, she was specific in saying, twice.

What I've done is limit the pacifier use to only naptime and bedtime. I've noticed he's using it less and less and the use should gradually drop off (he's 16 months old now).

But the pediatrician we had a few years ago said, "You know what I think when I see a kid with a pacifier? I think, that child knows how to comfort herself, and that's a good thing."
So you will get all kinds of advice from all different directions, but just follow your parental instincts and you'll be fine and your daughter will be just fine.

My twin daughters were hopelessly addicted to the Playtex pacifiers. They were the type of babies who would wake up in the middle of the night and scream their heads off until I crawled under their cribs and scrambled around in the darkness for their pacifiers and plugged them back in their mouths. One time I was so sleepy, I was trying to stick the pacifier in the mouth of the wrong baby...only it wasn't only the wrong baby...it wasn't her mouth...I was trying to put the pacifier in the diaper end of the wrong baby. Sleep deprivation is soooo fun, but I digress.

I thought they'd be going off to college with binkies in their mouths, but when they were about 17 months old or so I checked their pacifiers and they had started feeling old/sticky, the way the rubber does when it's time to get a new pacifier. I showed them that their pacifiers were 'broken' and wouldn't work anymore and acted oh so sorry but we can't use them. They accepted it. Huge sigh of relief! So I think just being matter of fact about it can help. If your child has seen you throw away broken toys and other stuff before, they understand the concept and know it's not the end of the world.

Answer 2

I took away the pacifier at around 3 months because that is when my daughter seemed to know how to soothe herself without sucking on it. I definately think a 4 yr old is way too old for a pacifier! I think you should take away your kid's pacifier ASAP. I quit giving my daughter hers over about a week's time (an eternity to an infant). The easiest way I can explain how I did it is using a 1-10 scale. I observed when she would want to suck on her pacifier and rate it from 1-10, 1 being the least needed time and 10 being the most needed. I started taking away the pacifier during the 1 times, then moved onto the 2,3,4, etc. until I quit giving it to her during her most "needed" times. It was fairly painless for the both of us and believe me, you won't miss having it around! If anything, a few things to motivate you to take the pacifier away are:
1. if you don't wash a pacifier after it's been dropped (especially in public or outside) it's covered in germs- you might as well just have your baby lick the ground it fell on. While most of these germs are harmless, I wouldn't put a toothpick in my mouth that I dropped on the floor of a restaraunt-would you?
2. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. You think taking away a pacifier from a 10 month old might be challenging, wait until she's 2,3,4- talk about tantrums and a battle.
3. It can be bad for teeth. Just like thumb sucking, pacifier sucking isn't good for teeth.
4. Taking away the pacifier isn't cruel in any way- it's part of helping your child grow into a more successful person.
5. Take my word for it- it's wonderful when your child learns to sooth herself and when you don't have to always make sure her pacifier is near.

Good luck- and hopefully you will inspire your sister to take away her daughter's pacifier as well.

Answer 3

For the 4 year old - they should just "lose" any pacifiers around the house and in a few days she should forget about it.

For your own daughter - 10 months is fine to still have it. My daughter is 16 months old, and uses her pacifier a lot when she is having teething pains. Otherwise, just for bedtime (After getting up in the morning, she throws it back in the crib). After her birthday, if you put away the pacifier except for certain times (bedtime, going in the car), you will have an easier time to wean off the pacifier when you are ready for it :)

Answer 4

My 1 year old son has been to two different pediatricians- one where we used to live and one where we live now. I asked both of them this question (when my son was 6 months old to the first doctor, when my son was 9 months old to the new one) and both doctors assured me that as long as he takes it out of his mouth to talk, there is nothing wrong with a pacifier, but to try to wean him off of it by age three. The first doctor's uncle was a dentist, and she assured me that it doesn't cause dental problems unless the child holds it in his mouth when talking (talking around the pacifier with gritted teeth). She also said that babies have a need to suck and without a pacifier, babies with a high need to suck with suck their thumbs or fingers and thumbsucking actually does cause crooked teeth. If you are still worried, like I am, try the Playtex Ortho Pacifiers with have a better shape and don't touch the teeth.

Answer 5

My daughter is 9 months and very much attached to her pacifier still. I'm hoping to get rid of it before she's 2. A 4 year old is only doing it for attention.
For you.... I'd wait and see... if your child still loves her pacifier, don't take it away yet. Most kids grow out of it.
I've heard of a few ideas... cut off the nipple... tie all the pacifiers together... "cold turkey".

Answer 6

I would say wait until she is like a year or so. Then, you tell her that their are little babies who have mommies that can't buy them their own pacifier so, the binky fairy takes the binkys from big kids who don't need them anymore and give them to the babies. Then you go around the house and put all the pacifiers in a bag. Then you go outside and hang them on a tree. Then the next morning you go outside with her to find a present that the binky fairie left for her because she was a big girl.

Answer 7

I think four years old is too old for a child to use a binki. My son is four and he weaned him self off at 4 months old and my 1 year old daughter at 2 weeks. I think a child should be weaned at the most 1 - 2 years old. At 10 months old would be a good time to start weaning the child off the pacifier. Good luck and God Bless !!

Answer 8

4 years old is too old to have a pacifier. Your 10 month old is fine but all kids should be off the pacifier by 2 years old or it will make their teeth come in wrong.

Answer 9

Hi, every child is an individual and will give it up when they are ready. How many children do you see taking a dummy/pacifier to school :-)
One of mine had several fastened to him, in his pockets, under pillows... till he was four and about to start school. We kept telling him when he started school he would have to give it but didnt push him. After a week at school and seeing that other children didnt have one, he happily put it in the bin. One of my twins never used one, the other did till she was 12 months old. One day I dropped it and said we should put that dirty dummy in the bin (meaning it was dirty due to being dropped) she agreed, tottered to the bin, put it in and never asked for it again.

I would look at why the 4 year old still uses their pacifier. Our son was in and out of hospital so it was a comforter and we would never have taken it away from him. So long as the child is aware that one day it must go and the parents have and are continuing to try and wean it away, the child will eventually give it up. Our son did not suffer any problems with his teeth, though it can hamper the progress of speech.

Answer 10

I really did not wean my son off of his pacifier. He was 1 year old, and we were out of town for a wedding, and i noticed that there teeth marks in them and at the bottom , so when we got home, we threw them all out, because i did not want him to chewed it off and have swallowed it. It took a few nights for him to get adjusted to not having it. And it all worked out fine.
And yes i think that being 4 years old you should not have a pacifer that is to old, and also not good to her teeth.