We've talked to lots of different people about when to get rid of the binky. The majority seem to think around 15 months is best and Max just turned 15 months a few days ago. We're going away this weekend but when we come back we are going to try to get rid of it. Any suggestions??? He only takes it during naps and nighttime (and usually just to fall asleep) so we will probably start with naps first. Do I just let him cry it out? He already has a blanket and a stuffed bear that he falls asleep with so I can't replace the binky with something else soothing. Is it like potty training where I should try to wait until he's ready? I don't want him to get any more attached to it. Is there any sign that he's ready? Should I stop trying if he screams for a really long time or has major meltdowns or something? One of the main reasons I want to start now is that a dentist friend said it's better to get rid of the binky now rather than later.
My biggest fear is the middle of the night after a nightmare or while he's teething. It seems very soothing to him and calms him right down. What do I do then? He doesn't seem to be teething too bad right now so this may be a good time.
8 years ago
11 comments:
I was going to tell what I think but then I remembered that noone really wants to know what I think. Good luck! Love ya!
unlike malissa, pretty much everyone wants to hear what i have to say {wink, wink}...not really, but since you asked...here are the foolproof instructions for getting rid of the binky:
step 1: throw all binkies into the garbage.
step 2: go about your normal life...even if normal life includes a little crying at bedtime.
good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Yup... I agree with what Erin said. Just get rid of all the pacifiers! Easier said than done, but hopefully he will use the other things (blanket and bear) to soothe himself. I don't believe that they ever really show that they are ready to get rid of a pacifier, so you just have to get rid of them. 15 months is a great age, that is the age I get rid of the pacifiers at my child care center and it seems to work great!
There is my two-cents, good luck!
My friend did this thing where she snipped off the end of the binky...then let her little boy find it. When he tried to suck on it, it felt weird and he didn't like it. She told him, "Oh no, the binky is broken!" He caught on pretty quick. WHenever he tried to suck on it, he'd be reminded that it was "broken" and it wasn't fun anymore. I think they had one tantrum over it total, and then he moved on. I'd get it taken away soon so he doesn't try and share the new baby's later on! Hopefully he'll have forgotten about it by then.
I think it will be easier than you think... Just take the binki away and he will forget all about it until baby #2 arrives :)
neither of our girls took the pacifier, so i don't have any personal experience, and i certainly don't envy your upcoming one. =)
anyway, i did read somewhere (and it's quite the coincidence that you're going on vacation), one mom said her family went on vacation and when they got back she threw the pacifiers out and told her daughter that they must have left them in the hotel. they simply got "lost." i don't know if at 15 months he'd be ready for that conceptually. i don't know how old that lady's daughter was.
just in case...i sucked my thumb until i was about eight and my oral health is just fine. that was when i decided i was just too old, after my parents tried every trick in the book. =) hope it doesn't come to that for your boy. not every late paci-/finger-sucker quitter is as lucky to have their dentition come out unscathed. good luck!!
Ethan had his pacifier until he was 3 1/2. That's way too long. He finally traded it in for a new train he wanted.
Jason decided we were getting rid of Colin's at 15 or 16 months. I wanted no part of it, so Jason had to do it all himself...he threw most of them away and hid one in case it was too much, then he dealt with a day or two of crying at nap/bed time. I was willing to let him do it but was not supportive and even accused him of completely ruining Colin's ability to nap (which he regained easily once he learned to sleep without the pacifier). Now? It's GREAT and I'm so thankful he was the stronger parent. It can be tough to go through, but you won't regret it a few months from now.
I agree that the best way to handle it is to just throw them all away (or hide them completely out of sight), then tell him they're all gone, and go about your life as usual. Either that or send Max to Jason...he's not swayed by the sad, heartbroken, pitiful cries of our adorable little boys.
Oh, and Ethan's teeth are perfectly straight and Colin's are really crooked, so I don't know that it really makes a difference, for what it's worth.
Good luck!!
you might have already completed the task, but just in case I'll let you know what we did. We did the snip method. I started by snipping just the tip and then little by little it was pretty much gone. My boy willingly threw them away, and said pac was broken. We had no problems at nap/bedtime. It was a lot easier than i thought it would be. Good luck!
You may have already done it. Jocelynn didn't take a pacifier so I'm not much help. All of my sister's kids had them till their second birthday. She snipped the end they would say it broke and went about life. She said there was crying for a couple days. Good luck!
My sister did the trade-in method. Her kids got to pick a toy they really wanted and they "paid" the cashier with their binky!
Another sister just threw them out and dealt with it. The crying didn't last too long if I remember right.
I'll have to remember these things in a couple years and then I can share from experience.
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