My son just turned three last month, any ideas on how to get him off the pacifier and the bottle?

Answer 1

When my son turned 3 we gave up the pacifier. I told him every day for a month before his birthday that when he was three he was a big boy, and big boys didn't use the pacies. On his birthday, we took all the pacifiers in the house, and we went to the garbage can and he threw them in. I then said to him, who's a big boy? He said, Me and no more pacie. He has never even asked for one again. As for the bottle, just stop giving it to him. Give him a sippy cup. Tell him that big boys use cups. He'll drink from it when he is thirsty enough.

Answer 2

i told my kids that the little mouse took it away for the other babies, because they were big boys and no longer needed it.

i hid all the pacifiers and the bottles and offered new and cooler big boy sippy cups. it was ok during the day but at night there was some complaints.... just stick to your guns and don't cave. after a few days they will be over it. maybe you can also offer a big boy blanket as support for bed time.

sorry but there is no easy way to do this, except if your son weans himself off naturally.

Answer 3

My son was older then 3 and was addicted to his pacifier. I spoke with a therapist who suggested that I ask him if he would throw his pacifier away if I bought him any toy, within reason, at the toy store. He said OK. We went to the toy store, he picked out a He-Man Sword. This shows you my age. The pacifier was gone! Good luck!

Answer 4

there is an old wise saying ' no child takes a bottle to kindergarten". unfortunately my child was 7 when i heard that. when my precious boy was 3 my childless sister insisted i take away his bottle, the only way he drank milk and the only thing that relaxed him and would help him sleep. i was intimidated and embarrassed by her insistence so i took it away. it was the biggest mistake i ever made in my whole life. he never took a nap again, became very upset, began biting his nails, would not drink any milk at all, and underwent an entire personality change. in short, my cautionary tale is to warn you that at 3 the child needs the comfort of what he already has. do NOT take it away. if you are going to a sitters or out in public, he is at an age where you can easily explain that here we cannot have the bottle, or pacifier, but when we get home or in the car or wherever you can have it back in our own home. there is not a person in the whole world who has the right to make you feel badly that you are helping your child with comfort and coping. my sister, now a registered nurse, says she should have never ever said that to me. the same goes with blankets, dollys, stuffed animals, ect ect. if i could turn back time that is the one thing in my whole life i wish i could change. i am sharing this with this board and with you. i vote he keeps his comfort things. i am not a doctor and frankly i dont give a hoot what all the wives tales in town say about bottles and pacifiers and the harm they do, the harm is in taking them away before the child is ready. i stand by this fiercely.

Answer 5

Give it to the "Binky Fairy"! [Binky=pacifier] Tie his pacifiers to a tree, and then tell him that you are giving them to the Binky Fairy for other little boys who need Binky's. Make sure he knows that he is getting something in return. Then at night, take the pacifiers and throw them out. Then leave a "big boy" present in the tree for him. You can do the same with the bottles, and in return for the bottles you can give him a "big boy" cup.

Answer 6

just throw them away!!!my son never used a pacifier at all, and we threw away his bottles on his first birthday. we had him toss them after he opened the gift with his new BIG BOY cups

Answer 7

You should probably just take it away and not let him use it. When I was little, I was totally addicted to the pacifier, and my mom was afraid that I would start sucking my thumb, so she took it away. I was really angry, but I never sucked my thumb, and eventually stopped whining about it.

Answer 8

We had one child who wouldn't give up the bottle. We bought her a Mickey Mouse mug with a hat on it and a curley straw for her to use at bedtime. There are many mugs like that. She enjoyed watching the milk come up and around thru the straw.

Answer 9

Well sweetie...the time has come. It's time for a "bye-bye-baba party" and a "bye-bye-pacie party". Sad, but true...it's time....actually it's past time. His little teeth will rot out of his head if you don't get rid of them soon. Also, his speech may suffer. So, make a day of it. And get rid of ALL of them. Don't be tempted to keep one around for "just bedtime" or an "emergency". Don't worry...he'll not starve or get dehydrated. Give him his milk or water in a sippy cup that he has to drink from, not suck on. And if he hasn't already been to the dentist for his first visit, call and schedule that appt. Good luck!

Answer 10

You could slowly start sabotaging the nipples. Make little holes until they just aren't usable any more.

Or, you could try to convince him to give them to a "needy" baby and get him some cool big boy cups. I know a mom that told her son Elmo's new sibling needed all the bottles and they "sent" them to Sesame Street.