NDR: Pacifier Weaning Torture

BunnyMendelbaum

Last night was the first night of pacifier weaning for my 2-year old daughter and it was torture. Pure torture. She is such a terrific girl and normally goes to sleep easily so this is killing me. It is totally my fault for letting it go this far. I should have done it over a year ago. UGH.

Right now she is trying to go down for her nap (her dad is doing it) and I'm on a conference call. It is awful. I'm trying not to cry.

Any parents gone thru this? Please tell me it get easy fast! 

WestwoodDriveMel

I'm just about to be right there with you.  DD is 2 and I know we need to take it away soon.  My older DD gave hers up at 18 months with no major problems, but this one is so much harder.  We tried with her just before she turned 2 and went for 3 days of terror and no sleep before I gave up and gave in.  She just was not ready and could not settle down to sleep without it.  Hoping it goes better this time, and I hope it goes better for you!

Jhawks482

My DS had his (for naps/nights only) until he turned 3. The months leading up to his 3rd birthday, we would tell him that he can't have it anymore and it needed to go in the trash. That day came, and he threw it in the trash with no problems- until nighttime and he wanted to go get it back. It took a good 3 nights of begging for it (even begging for his sisters!) until he didn't ask for it anymore. The first night was the hardest, he cried for some time. It will get better- give it a few days and she won't remember. Hang in there!

BunnyMendelbaum

THANK YOU! I really needed some encouragement ladies.

She only uses it at bed/naptime so that is good at least. I'm just afraid that is damaging her teeth/palette. My family has a history of gum issues and my mom has been on my case about it which is uncharacteristic of her. 

Thank god my husband got her to nap. She took a huge dump and then passed out, that might have been making her not sleep too.

I just have to remember my potty training success. The first two days were absolute HELL, but since then it has been amazingly easy. I'm hoping this goes that way. 

lovemymonkey

((((((((((BIG HUGS)))))))))))))

Thankfully, my daughter never got too attached to her pacifier and stopped using it on her own, but she has a stuffed bunny and a lovey blanket that she can't sleep without. I can't even imagine trying to put her to nap without them so I totally feel for you.

We used some CIO techniques to sleep train her so I know it's not easy hearing your child cry (or worse, scream for her paci), but hang in there. It'll get easier!!! It's so dependent on personality so I hope she hasn't got a real stubborn streak! And if she does... good luck!!! Be strong!!!

ericanandy

After one day of trying to cut it out cold turkey and it ending in 2 and a half hours of screaming straight and no nap I tried this:

 http://bye-bye-binky.com/

 

There was no fight from Drew at all. None. He'd look at it an say, it's broken momma, and then eventually fall asleep with no crying. 

SailorGray

Don't beat yourself up. DS1 still uses his 'gaga'.  My pedi, who also has 3 young boys, said that she did it by snippin off the tips of the paci. Each week she would snip more and eventually her LO was like, "What is this?" and didn't want it. She said it was awesome. We haven't tried it yet.

~NB~

I don't have kids, so bear with me... why do they have to be weaned off of their pacifiers by force/coersion? Won't they just eventually give it up on their own ANYWAY? I assume that at some point, they outgrow the urge.

I only remember FLIPPING OUT when my mother told me I was old enough to drink from a cup when I was like two years old. My bottle was such a source of comfort for me; I felt totally betrayed by my mother. I was too young to express or argue for myself, so it was a major tantrum. Extreme, I know....

BunnyMendelbaum

ericanandy: I have heard of that but wanted to try cold turkey first. Hmmm, if it doesn't work, that is what I'm going to do tonight. My sister did try it and it didn't work, her son just got pissed.

We used the baby whisperer methods with her since she was born and she is such as great sleeper. Beyond easy to put down to sleep now so I've just been so spoiled! 

BunnyMendelbaum

NB - I might have thought that pre-children too, but now I have realized that children have to be taught things and it rings true with my daughter.

Have you ever seen a kid at 6+ with a pacifier? I have. I'm not going to let her mess up her teeth/mouth/speech because I want to make her happy all the time. This is not force, this is learning and I am her teacher. Discipline to me is teaching, not punishment. Would I wait until she has the urge to do homework? The urge to stop hitting other kids? No. This is the same to me.

There is a reason that they don't make pacifiers labeled for over 18months. I only wish that I would have weaned her off the pacifier a year ago when it would have been easier.

If tonight is a big mess again, I'm going to do the bye-bye-binky (snip) method.

Thanks for the help ladies! 

ericanandy

Oh and we did it the week before Drew turned two, I was determined to not have a two year old with a bink. Plus it was one of those hideous huge soothies.

lovemymonkey

~NB~:

I only remember FLIPPING OUT when my mother told me I was old enough to drink from a cup when I was like two years old. My bottle was such a source of comfort for me; I felt totally betrayed by my mother. I was too young to express or argue for myself, so it was a major tantrum. Extreme, I know....

you remember this?!?  I don't have a single memory (other than photos) of anything before the age of 4. I need to wean my daughter off her bedtime bottle STAT.

MommyLiberty5013

I heard these pacifier weaning ideas somewhere...

Buy a little mail box. Decorate it - paint, glitter, feathers, etc. Tell your kid that Penelope the Pacifier Fairy collects pacificers for little babies that don't have any and that by putting your pacifiers in the mailbox, Penelope can come overnight and collect them.

Have child put pacifiers in mailbox. Overnight remove them and get rid of them. Repalce pacifiers in box with some fun little toys.

Another idea, if you know people who work in the LDR or post-partum part of a hospital, see if you can bring your child in with their old pacifiers and have a nurse meet you and "collect them" for all the little babies who need pacifiers. 

I think the genral idea is that older kids understand the idea of helping out others.

MirandaHobbes

You never know what'll click for a kid.. we waited until DS was 3.5.. terrible, I know! It wasn't affecting his teeth per our dentist. But you're right- a 6 year old would use a binky if he could! DS was going through a policeman phase and we told him that the policeman said he was too old for the binky. I was all set to take him to the police station and everything- but I didn't even have to. I reminded him for the week prior and then sent him off to Grandma's house (without the bink) He stayed with her a few nights and the distraction of being at Grandma's + the story worked. He asked a couple times for it but we held firm.. Good luck!

TootsieK

I need to wean my daughter off her bedtime bottle STAT.

 Have you tried watering down her milk/formula gradually until it's all water?