Getting rid if the nightime pacifier...anyone not go cold turkey?

[nofeea]

I was hoping that if I waited until she was 3, DD would be more ammenable to bargaining or making an exchange of some sort, but she repeatedly tells me that she is 'still a little girl' and still needs the paci to sleep. I know it is time to get rid of it. (More so since she has been waking at night and calling me in to locate the missplaced paci!).

I am DREADING the hysteria that I know will occur when I take it away. It is definitely her most loved possession. She never became attached to any other lovey or stuffed animal. Just the paci. I have suggested replacing it with toys, stuffed animals, anything I could think of!

Should I do it now anyway or hope that in another couple of months she'll be more willing? Is there anyone who was smore successful after waiting it out?? Any new ideas would be very welcome...

Thanks

[Lynnie]

just want to warn you that she may discover her thumb. DS did. He is 3 1/2, and loves his thumb now that the paci is out of the picture for the most part. I wish I had ideas for you - (and me!)

[almostamom]

I have not BTDT yet, but this is what worked for my sister. She trimmed the tip of the paci and my newphews both gave it up easily after that (according to her) because it was broken. I think I remember that she did a tooth fairy type of deal also (under the pillow with the binky) and they had a surprise when they woke up.

I agree with Lynnie about the watching out for the thumb. A friend of mine took the binky away at 1 year and her daughter sucked her thumb until she was six. And, darn it, you can't ever take that thumb away!

HTH,
~Linda~
DS 11/9/04

[Lynnie]

...sucked her thumb until she was SIX ???? oh no...... better start really saving for braces.

[connors_mom]

We have not been there yet, but I remember another thread on this board regarding the topic that mentioned the MAM story to help kick the habit. Here is the link:
http://www.mambaby.com/websystem301/site/index.php?articleid=186&nodeid=284#5

Hope that helps! We need to get rid of our paci soon, but with baby #2 almost here, I have the feeling he will just steal hers! I guess we will try in 6 months or so...

Lisa

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[nofeea]

Nice story, but at 3, I don't think she'll really believe that the pacifier has a 'mummmy'. (And do I really want her to believe that?) Maybe it's worth a shot.....

[psophia17]

My brother sucked his thumb until he was 8, and had a method where he held his blankie in his thumb hand with the satin border part wrapped up around his index finger...and only one corner would do.

He gave up his thumb after he donated his blanket to some orphaned kittens in the haybarn. Once the blanket was gone, the thumb just didn't taste the same, I guess :P

[Momof3Labs]

We got DS down from 4 pacis to 1 at bedtime recently. He was willing to trade all but one for Hot Wheels. Since he wasn't ready to give up the last one, I didn't push it. He has enough going on in his life without me taking away something that is so important to him! Honestly, I'd give it a little more time - if she's insisting that she's not ready, she probably isn't. I know that I wouldn't want my most precious possession just taken away from me!

[tarahsolazy]

Well, we're not at the real binky-discouraging stage yet, my guy is just 20 months. However, we do clip it to his PJs at night with a binky leash, and he is very aware of where it is. Clipping to your DD's PJs at night could cut down on her need for your assistance in locating it. I'm too lazy to go cold turkey, I plan to just let my kid have his at night until he doesn't want it anymore, unless the dentist disagrees. I realize that's not a popular opinion, though.

[Sheila]

This is what worked for us. My daughter had a bad cold (the kind where her nose was all stuffed up) just before she turned 3. She was old enough to understand when I told her that she could not sleep with her pacifier that night because she needed to breathe out of her mouth.

Up til that point, she'd had it every night. She was not thrilled about going w/o it that first night, but it was a necessity. After that, it actually was very easy to just never bring it back again. I just reminded her that she did just fine without it the night before (and that she really was too old for it). I think she may have asked for it once or twice, but that was it! The end of a habit that I had worried about for months!

Things have a way of falling into place somehow, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Good luck!

Sheila
________
New mexico dispensaries (http://newmexico.dispensaries.org/)

[nofeea]

Wow...I guess now I don't have to dread the next cold she brings home from nursery school! :) That actually seems like the kind of thing that might work... (not that I'm going to infect her on purpose...!)
Thanks!

[kristenk]

Tarah - I'm intrigued by the idea of using a binky clip at night. I thought about it awhile ago but decided that it would be uncomfortable for DD. What kind of clip do you use and how do you attach it? I was amazed when we were traveling and she slept better in her pack & play than in her crib at home b/c the binky couldn't escape from the p&p. A clip would be even better, though...

[nov04]

That's how we got rid of it at 6m. She never missed it after refusing it during her stuffy nose stage. We didn't plan it that way, we were fine if she kept it for a while.

[tarahsolazy]

I use the regular Mam clips, and I made some from ribbon and suspender clips that I got at the fabric store. We use binky clips all the time when he has a binky. Trying to get rid of it in the day, but if he's got it, its usually attached.

[VenusElon]

My son still slept with 3 pacifiers on his 3rd birthday. We went to visit my parents in NC for his birthday and to go to Day Out with Thomas. I had not unpacked the pacis and told him they got left in NC. He did not nap that first day-he searched his room and every place in the house he had kept pacis (so clean up real well ahead of time if you use this strategy). That night he was exhausted and after about 20 minutes of searching and me explaining and a few minutes of crying he fell asleep without them. For two days he insisted on juice instead, but then gave that up as well. Best of luck to you-I know it's a hard decision to make.

Venus

[nicurn96]

I just got my 2.5 year old to give up hers. She slept with two and we took those last 2 pacis to Build-a-bear and she got to pick out a Teddy bear to put them in. She was excited and nervous but understood that she can still sleep with her pacis they are just inside her "paci-bear" instead of her mouth. You can actually "feel" the pacis. They put one in its foot and one in its tummy. She also got to pick out 2 outfits for her bear. We had a pretty good luck with this. Once she asked me to get them out of the bear but I showed her the seam where they sewed up the bear and told her they were stuck. She was a little more whiney about bedtime but nothing horrible. I showed her how to feel her pacis and she went to bed squeezing her "paci-bear." It has now been almost 2 weeks and she only talks about her pacis in reference to them being inside her bear, she hasn't asked for them at all.

Lisa
Mommy to Lydia~5/13/2003
Grant Robert arriving around 12/12/2005- Induction 11/28/2005!