When do you take the pacifier away?

amy919 · Apr 24, 2007

So the bottle question got me thinking about this one, too. What age do you take the pacifier away?

Kaylie had her nonny until she was 3. After 18 months, it was only allowed at home. After 2, it was only allowed at night. When she turned 2, we gave her a pretty box, put it on her bureau and called it the "nonny box". She took it out at night when she went to bed and put it back in the box in the morning. Around 2 1/2, she started chewing on them. Once they got a hole in them, I made her throw them away and stopped buying them. She finally got down to the last one and when she chewed through that one, that was it. She was almost 3 at that point.

I plan on doing the same thing with Teagan.

Both my pediatrician and dentist have told me repeatedly that there are no dental issues with using the pacifier, but I have heard conflicting stories. I've never taken the time to do any research on it, so I can't really say if I agree that there are or are not any dental issues associated with it.

Just wondering when most people take them away.

Amy

Jewels · Apr 24, 2007

My DS throw his away one day at nap time at about 16months and didn't ask for it til a week later, by then I thought forget it if he can go a week without wanting his Suz then he doesn't need it anymore. I hadn't planned on taking it away that early, I didn't think it was going to be easy because he loved that thing. My goal was to be done with it by around 2ish.

TXDani · Apr 24, 2007

I take them away between 10-12 months. The kids go cold turkey and don't seem to mind. I plan on doing the same with Griffin.

broken4u05 · Apr 24, 2007

12 months for me. Maybe bedtime till 18 months than nothing after that. I hate the things

Melizerd · Apr 24, 2007

Our dentist and pedi told us the same thing as yours.

I wouldn't worry too much if they're only using it at night for awhile.

amy919 · Apr 24, 2007

broken4u05 said:
12 months for me. Maybe bedtime till 18 months than nothing after that. I hate the things

I hated them, too - until I had kids! Now I love them and there are times I'd like to hand Kaylie one!

Laurenc0101 · Apr 24, 2007

Brayden is 14 months and still has his. He uses it mostly at naptime and bedtime, but he does still want it from time to time during the day. I always take it from him when he is trying to talk or tell me something. I don't want him getting use to talking with it in his mouth.

Lauren

broken4u05 · Apr 24, 2007

amy919 said:
I hated them, too - until I had kids! Now I love them and there are times I'd like to hand Kaylie one!

O for some kids they are a lifesaver. I might not have kids but i have taken care of many kids. And for the kids that need them that is fine but i hate having to take it everywhere and all of that. So again some kids need them i just do not like them.

stayinhomewithmy6 · Apr 24, 2007

X gave his up at 8 mos without a problem at all. Actually, I took it away and he never even seemed to notice! But, R didn't give her's up until 3 and then we threw her a big party (her 'No more Nuker' party!). E still has his, but he talks about having a party like J did, so I don't think he'll have his as long as she did. It's just not really a big deal to me, so I don't think it's worth a battle. They really only use it at naptime/bedtime/in the car (sometimes) after about 1 yr, or when they're really upset about something I'll let them have it...

Mom2nj · Apr 24, 2007

I took DD's away shortly after the age of 2, by then she only had it for naps and bedtime, she was so easy going that she didn't even really care. I took DS' away at 18 months, when I took it away we were only trying to limit it to nap and bedtime and he wasn't having anything to do with that. He was down right mad, so I decided if he is going to throw that big of a tantrum it was gone for good. He only threw that one big fit and that was that...

I dont' see any problem with them for nap,bed times and car trips past a certain age (differs from family to family), it's the kids that have them in
24/7. This weekend, we went to the park and there were 2 kids, unsupervised on top of it, but the kid was clearly 2 1/2 to 3 with the thing in his mouth, trying to play and talk to his sister... Drove me nuts.

Suzibeck · Apr 24, 2007

With my oldest, I took the paci away at 7 months, at 10 months she started sucking her thumb and continued that until age 9 with buck teeth as a result. Mavala Stop finally stopped the thumb sucking then; we had tried a lot of other things to stop it before this time.

With my second, she had it for bedtime only after 6 months. I planned to take it away completely at 2, but our GI doc told me not to because it helped with her reflux. At 2 1/2 she started waking in the night and couldn't find it so she would wake me to find it for her. I took it away then and after 2 days she was fine.

My third did not like the paci, she preferred her first two fingers. I broke her of the finger sucking habit at the same time I broke her sister of the thumb habit, by using Mavala Stop. She was almost 3 at that time.

I don't think paci's hurt anything, except maybe speech development. Not sure about that, but it sure is hard to understand kids when they talk around them!

ThreeBeans · Apr 24, 2007

At this point I don't believe in taking a comfort item away from a baby. My kids will choose when they don't want their binkies anymore

Chameleon · Apr 24, 2007

Neither of mine really took them. Dallas took it for a few months and then that was it. Lexi never took one at all. I don't mind a child having one at all. There were times I wish mine would take them. Oh well. I think that a child should wean from them theirselves. But I think they should be limited to sleep past a certain age.

scatterbunny · Apr 24, 2007

I used my binky until I was 4-5. I clearly remember making up a star chart for myself to use to break the habit.

My family tried to break the habit for me around age 3, I'd say--because I remember them throwing the binky out in the backyard and telling me the bugs were all over it now, so I couldn't have it anymore. Since I still had it at 4-5, we know how well that technique worked.

Hayley used her binky until 3ish. We didn't try to take it away, we just put it up on top of the entertainment center during the day, somewhere out of sight, and if she obviously needed it we gave it to her, but tried to keep her busy, not thinking about it. She eventually would go all day without it, and then overnight.

I think it's mean to just take something away like that. It's their security and comfort!

stayinhomewithmy6 · Apr 24, 2007

scatterbunny said:
I think it's mean to just take something away like that. It's their security and comfort!

:yeahthat:
My kids still all have their blankies, too, even my 5 yr old... I won't ever be taking those away!

rlsadc · Apr 24, 2007

i agree, no cold turkey quitting. i feel like it should be a gradual process. either way, once the binky can be chewed off, i would be actively trying to wean them from their binky, only because of the choking hazard...

good thing aleah hated them lol :thumbsup:

scatterbunny · Apr 24, 2007

Re: choking hazards. I don't know about that. I was a binky CHEWER. I loved gnawing and chewing on it. Mine were completely flattened.

They never came apart!

Mom2nj · Apr 24, 2007

While I took the binks away from them, I agree, I will never take the blankies away from them. DD has 4 of them ranging from large to small, all the same that Grandma made, she only had 3, but she took of DS's since he doesn't use it. DS has 2, one was supposed to be a spare because they were bought from a store... DD sometimes takes hers to school in her backpack with the rule to not take it out till home or in the car.

Suzibeck · Apr 24, 2007

Ah yes, my kiddo's do have loveys! They can keep those as long as they want. But I do draw the line at searching high and low for them at bedtime. If you want your lovey in bed with you, you need to make sure it is in bed at bedtime! I'm such a mean mom!

rlsadc · Apr 24, 2007

scatterbunny said:
Re: choking hazards. I don't know about that. I was a binky CHEWER. I loved gnawing and chewing on it. Mine were completely flattened. They never came apart!

just something i heard..lol...like i said, i have no firsthand experience

When do you take the pacifier away?

New member

Senior Community Member

Senior Community Member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

Member

Active member

New member

New member

New member

Senior Community Member

Senior Community Member

New member

Member

Active member

Senior Community Member

Car-Seat.Org Facebook Group

Sponsors

Forum statistics