Getting Rid of the Pacifier

by Teresa McEntire | More from this Blogger

14 Jul 2006 07:59 AM

Every parent knows that at some point they will have to wean their child away from the pacifier. After all it wouldn't do for your five year old to be sucking on a binkie at kindergarten. But the process of weaning can be difficult, although as one parent pointed out, it is easier than weaning a child from sucking their thumb. You can throw a pacifier away but you can't cut off your child's thumb.

The entire premise of using a pacifier raises some debate among parents and was recently addressed in the baby blog. I personally never used pacifiers. I had planned to with my last child. But every time I would put it in the baby's mouth my eighteen month old, who had never used a pacifier, would steal it and pop it in her own mouth. So I never used binkies. But if you were one of those parents who did choose to use a pacifier then at some point your going to have to get rid of it.

Once your child begins talking it is time to get rid of the pacifier. You don't want your child limiting their speech or trying to talk around a binkie in their mouth. They are old enough to understand throwing it away and to deal with the loss.

Just like with the bottle or breast feeding the best way is to wean your child from the pacifier. The pacifier is something that is not only a habit but comforting to children. They will most likely cry frequently if it is taken away suddenly. So start by limiting the use of the binkie.

My sister, whose daughter loved her pacifier, started my only allowing the binkie while her daughter was in her crib. If Hannah wanted the binkie during the day she had to get in her crib. This would only last a minute or two before Hannah would want out. So the binkie was only really used at nap and bedtime. Then wean the use of the binkie down to bedtime.

You will also want to explain to your child that she is a big girl now and so she doesn't need a pacifier because they are only for babies. Help your child by giving them a stuffed animal or blanket that they can use for security in place of the pacifier.

The next step you can take is to cut the nipple off of the binkie. You can still allow your child to have it at night. But this will break the sucking habit since they will not be able to suck the binkie like they used to.

Then when you are ready help her take the binkies and through them all in the garbage can. This is often best done on garbage day so your child knows that the garbage truck took them away.

Learn more about Teresa McEntire

Teresa McEntire grew up in Utah the oldest of four children. She currently lives in Kuna, Idaho, near Boise. She and her husband Gene have been married for almost ten years.

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Christina Huffman (1406) 14 Jul 2006 08:04 AM

I'm going through this now. We have narrowed it down to nap and bedtime at this point. I have heard that cutting the nipple is a choking hazard, so I haven't tried that. All in all, breaking this habit will be easier then breaking my 5YO thumb sucking habit.

70hradaymom (18) 22 Jan 2007 08:30 AM

I have a 3 1/2 YO son he's the most persistant child you'll ever meet and with no help my husband is no help at all is though is our son is not his responibilty he's my son because i'm his mother so I work from home all night and are with my son all day homeschooling any suggestions on help for his persistants and I thank you for listening?

kdietrich (5) 30 Nov 2007 09:07 AM

I have a 2 year old girl, who is, or was very attached to her binky. yesterday I noticed a hole in it so I told her we had to throw it away, she was sad, which made me sad, of course. I told her the hole in it would make her sick. Why would you recommend cutting a hole in the nipple, they could swallow a piece of the rubber. Last night she did o.k. without it, she cried a couple of times, I just told her it would be fine, and that she's getting to be such a big girl. When she wake up I'll give her High Five and praise her alot, you know they love it when you do that!! Good Luck to all the rest of you that are dealing with the binky delema too!!

charlton23 (5) 06 Dec 2007 08:33 PM

I have a 3 yr old and I have felt so awful about making her get rid of her nook. Finally i decided we needed to get it done. So, I made a box and cut a hole in it like a piggy bank. I cut out circles that had the days of the week on it. Each day she goes without her nook she gets to put that day of the week in her "piggy bank". When the days are all gone she get to go to the store and pick out a special toy. After she earns 3 special gifts, we put her nook in the box and send it to another (pretend) child that need a nook. oh to get the toy all the nights have to be in a row. This was the only thing i could think of that would have her involvment to get rid of her own nook. I feel like she will have a sense of pride and accomplishment when she is done. So far it is working well.