Please tell me how to get my 2 year old off the Passi!

[kep]

I know, it's sad, but my 2 year old son is still hooked on the binky. He only really uses it at night or on long car rides, but I am still *definately* ready for him to give it up. I'm really freaked out all of a sudden about his teeth, (even though they look fine), and how the heck did he get so big already? I kept saying we were going to give it up, but just never did it.

So, who here just went cold-turkey? Was there some kind of a process involved to make it less traumatic? I read elsewhere that after a couple days, all is well, but I have to say I'M a little nervous. Crazy, huh? Any help would be appreciated! :)

Thanks,
Kell
Mommy to my beautiful little boy, Luke (April 2003)

Completely obsessed with strollers, carseats, slings, basically all baby gear...

[Saartje]

I've never been there from the mom end, but I remember giving up my pacifier (I was four). I took it for the last time the night before my first day of kindergarten, because one of my siblings had told me that "kindergarteners aren't allowed to use pacifiers."

So... I'd suggest some kind of ceremony. At two, your son's probably old enough to understand such a thing; someone here posted about a friend having a baby, and convincing their toddler to give all their pacifiers to the new baby. Perhaps you could do something like that.

[funda62]

My dd was still on the emi (our word for it) at 2. However, by that age she was constantly loosing them, so I made a big deal of taking her to the store, letting her pick out a two pack and telling her it was the last two she could have. She lost one and when I gave her the second I reminded her that this was the last one and once she lost it that was it. A few days later we went out shopping and she laid it down at a store. Several stores later she missed it and asked me to get it. I told her no, that it was gone so it was time to say bye-bye to the emi. She didn't cry or fuss.

That said, she was emi obssessed for at least another year. She would watch babies using them with deep concentration. We went to Ikea once and she saw a toddler put his down and she immeadiately swooped it up, I stopped her just before she got it in her mouth. Even after she turned three she used to ask to have one whenever we went to a friend's house who had a young baby. Kind of sad, but I know it is better for her that I stopped it when I did.

Now that I am having another baby she is emi obssessed again and already had me buy one. LOL, this second kid will be harder to wean I'm sure because DD won't want me to!

[mattiew]

We would talk about how she could pick out something special when she got rid of paci. We'd also make visits to the toy store/toy department and look at things and again talk about picking out something special when she got rid of paci. She would tell she wasn't ready but we would bring it up every so often. On an overnight visit to my parents' house I forgot paci so she had to go without, we then decided to try not using it the next night (told her we couldn't find it), and the following morning I took her to the toy store. Once again we talked about getting something special if she gave it up; after a few minutes at the store she wanted to do it (we gave it to our cats - her idea). That said she still would ask for it occasionally and I would remind her we gave it to our cats. Getting her to nap and go to sleep at night is sooo much harder. Before we would put the paci in and out she would go....now she is awake a long time.

Good luck and don't stress too much...it will happen eventually!
Carrie

[Splash]

I might be a meanie, but everytime a foster child has come to our home... if the kid is over a year old (except once, but seeing as how his father had just beaten the crap out of him, I wasn't going to do it) and developmentally on track, the paci does NOT come with him/her. If the child is old enough to understand, I tell him/her that they aren't allowed in our house. If not, then nothing is said and it just vanishes. I have always gone cold turkey and never had the problems that plague people who try to "phase it out."
First night there is almost always screaming. Be prepared... it might take HOURS (do it on a Friday). But no matter how long the kid screams, do NOT give it back. The next night, there will probably be screaming as well, but for less time. By the third night he might protest a bit, but know it won't work. By the fourth night it should be over. I've never had a kid take more than 3-4 days to get over it.
Good luck!

[kensjen]

There have been several threads on this lately, if you do a search....

We did a cold turkey process, and it worked well. To be honest, I think it was harder for me than for him. And I also think that I liked him having it more than he really liked it (because it was so easy to get him to sleep!)

The first night was rough, he took a long time to get to sleep and was asking for it. I just kept telling him that it went bye-bye and comforting him, rocking him, whatever I could to get him to sleep on his own. He did have his blankie and I think he transferred some of that need for comfort to that. He did eventually fall asleep and slept through the night.

The second night he woke up in the middle of the night (and fell asleep easier than the night before), and we brought him into bed with us. He fell back asleep. That night wasn't too bad.

By the third night he had forgotten all about it. It was really pretty easy and painless, made me wish I had done it sooner. :)

The first night was very very hard, and if I hadn't thrown them away, DH would DEFINITELY have given in, but I remained as tough as I could....it was just hard to see him want it, and crying, etc. But really, after he fell asleep that first night (and I think it took a few hours), it was not too bad. I'm glad that I kept strong. hehe

Not everyone has had an easy experience with cold turkey, but I think it is the only way it would work for us. HTH!! Good luck!

[cmdunn1972]

LOL! I was thinking the same thing. Send the child to school with it. I bet in one day the child will be over it. ;)

My DS is only 4 moths old, so we haven't come to that point yet. However, since the child isn't really a habitual user, I wouldn't think that sucking the binky is all that harmful, even at age 2. (Of course, I'm no dentist.) Most kids (I would think) get over it on the 1st day of Kindergarten for the reason you just explained.

Funny how sometimes peer pressure can be a godsend, isn't it? :D

[JFC]

We also went cold-turkey. Honestly, it was sort of by accident - DH forgot to bring the binky upstairs and didn't feel like going down to get it. He managed to get DS to sleep (a bit more difficult than usual, but not near terrible). After that night, we just never let them reappear and it was never an issue at all.

However you do it, good luck!

[pixelprincess]

We went cold turkey and it was pretty hard. We have been paci-less for a few months now and it is the best thing we did!! We did it on a 3 day weekend so dh could get some sleep. It was rough going and it took DS almost 1.5 to 2 months to be adjusted.

ps. He was a binky addict and the thing drove me nuts as it would keep falling and I'd want to wash it.