How did you and your 2 year old 'give up' the pacifier?

Question

My daugher just turned 2, and we're going to give up the pacifier later this month. She uses it for sleeping at night, naps, and sometimes in the car. I feel that the cold turkey method is the best idea. She is a happy, smart kid who I feel is up to giving it up: I just wonder how it went for other kids/parents around this age. Thanks!

Answer 1

We weaned my daughter off hers. First, not in the car. Then not during naps. At times it was a battle, especially trying to get the granparents to go along with it! Finally, she really wanted a Puss In Boots (Shrek) and so we told her that when that got here, she had to give up the pacifier. I told her that I took the pacifier to the swamp and threw it in for the ogres.

I was surprised at what a fuss she put up over it. When she turned one, we told her she was too big for bottles and was big enough for sippy cups, and she went without a fuss!

Answer 2

Well I've had 3 out of 4 give up the binky and it is rather horrible! Especially for child #2 who isn't into any kind of change! A lot depends on your child's personality. I am not a big self-discipline person so I just stopped buying new ones and watched the old ones break. When they're broken (such as a crack) they are not satisfying to suck anymore. Pretty soon we were down to just the one and when it broke my son threw it away himself since it was so unsatisfying! He spent two days being rather miserable and we spent time doing special comforting things together whenever he was feeling the "need" the most.

Cold turkey was a nice method for him since when I tried to limit it's use to nap time etc. he quickly decided he would like to lay in his crib all day and suck the darn thing.

You have to chose a method that fits your child and yourself! Pacifiers are much much better than thumbs!

Answer 3

cold turkey is best, but not always easiest. Keep telling her she's a big girl now, and try to use the pacifier less and less each day, then one day just simply tell her it's gone. What I did with my middle child who is the only one of my 3 who used one is, we did the less and less each day, but my daughter is not one to give up easily. Then she starting biting holes in them. That's when I threw it away and said, NO MORE. She looked at me and said why momma. I said, you aren't a baby and babies need the pacifiers. You are biting them all up and the babies won't have any. She thought for a moment, and then walked away. There was nothing more said about it. Mom to 3.

Answer 4

Cold turkey is the best way. She will miss it for a few days but this to will pass. If you want to make it fun for her tie the pacifier to a balloon and send up into heaven and tell her it's for a new baby that will be born soon.

Answer 5

When my son oldest son was 2 years old he had to give it up cold turkey cause he threw it out the car window and we didn't stop and get it that last time. He wines around for a few weeks and forgot about ever having it.

Answer 6

My son was 10 months old when I took his pacifier away from him. Cold turkey is the best because it's kind of like those Pull-ups, why put a "different" kind of diaper on them and say, "no-no". Too confusing. Just take it away and don't substitute anything for it. Be firm, don't give in, or you'll never get rid of it.

Answer 7

With my son I waited a watched for him to drop it on the floor and we he did I said "Oops it's dirty, we have to throw it away" and I made him throw it in the trash. He asked for it later that night and I reminded him how he threw it away and he didn't say much more about it. It went on for a few days with him asking about it but there were no crying fits for it.

He was a little younger though but you could try it and it might still work.

Answer 8

This worked for us:

1. we keep pacifier put up except for naps & bedtime
2. after a couple of weeks we narrowed it down to just bedtime
3. then after a couple more weeks we kept it away forever

Make sure you hide it out of her site, if he doesn't see it, she'll forget about it.

Answer 9

Well I know this sounds weird.. but I said to my daughter that we would have to give up her favorite thing, and she did not like it one bit. So then at night when she was asleep i painted her pacifiers with nail polish. The next morning she hated the things and never wanted one again. Seemed to work, even though it seems odd. Well thats what I did!

Answer 10

Cold turkey is the best way especially at this age, she is old enough to understand....tell her that they are for babies and that she is a big girl.