I’m definitely team pacifier for many reasons, but I always dread when it’s time to break the habit. Loss of sleep and cranky days are the reason I gave my kiddos a pacifier from the beginning. However, we used a solid method for breaking the pacifier habit with both kiddos, and it worked well, even though they used a pacifier for different reasons and at different ages.
So here’s what worked — I cut the tip off the pacifier in stages. But it’s not that simple. There’s strategy involved. First, I made sure to do this when the weather was nice. It’s a lot easier to distract a kid from a tantrum when you can go outside and look for ladybugs, than when you’re stuck in the house for winter. I also tried this when I knew we would be busy. With BeBe, her cousins were visiting from out of town, so we were already off schedule and constantly doing activities. With our little guy, I started on Friday and jammed packed our weekend. No lazy days in the house! I also made sure to do a clean sweep of the house so my kiddos wouldn’t find a hidden pacifier tucked in the cushions, and thwart my master plan. And we avoided the pacifier aisle at the store.
On the first day, I only nipped the pacifier on the end. Then without saying a word, I handed the pacifier to them when they asked for it. When they popped it into their mouth, the kiddos both had the same reaction. They laughed and ran to show me the “broken” part of the pacifier. They didn’t cry because they could still use it, kind of. When they showed me their broken pacifier, I would tell them it got too old and the dishwasher broke it. Then each morning, I would sneak away and trim the pacifier back a little more, and keep telling them the pacifier was just getting old. I did this for about five days, until it was down to the nub.
When the plastic nub was gone, both my kiddos carried the pacifier handle around for a week. They chewed on the handle at times, especially if they were tired, but I think they were just used to carrying it around. When the kiddos understood they couldn’t suck on it anymore, they laid it down on the table to play, but I didn’t throw it the trash yet. If they could see it, and have access to the pacifier, then they didn’t cry. About a week later, they stopped carrying around the plastic handle of the pacifier and forgot about it. I threw the handle in the trash, and we were done. With both kiddos, it only took two weeks to break the habit with no crying or loss of sleep.
Every once in while our little guy will ask for his pacifier, and we just remind him it broke in the dishwasher, and ask him which toy he wants. He grabs a toy and we move on. I should add that my kiddos were restricted to using the pacifier for sleep, naps, doctor visits and the occasional snuggle on the couch, but still, it’s hard habit to break. So only about two weeks, and we were pacifier free. Now on to the next stage!
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I love this! Def my style to avoid full on confrontation haha.
With DD1 we got SO “lucky”. She was so sick and her throat hurt so bad with each swallow that she was rejected the paci herself; so after she got better we just kept it away and that was it!
nectarine / 2047 posts
How old were your kiddos when you started the process? DS is 18 months and just uses it for sleeping and sometimes in the car. He doesn’t use one at daycare bc it’s not allowed in his room and he sleeps fine without it, so I know he can do it. I’m still hesitant to take it away completely though!
guest
What would be your suggestion for at Daycare. There are other kids there that do use a pacifier but he knows they are not his and even gives the kids their pacifiers. My son is 21 months and we are due with another baby at the end of September so I’d like to start weaning him off of the pacifier so that when the baby comes he doesn’t think he can use the babies pacifier. I’m already planning on trying to use a different brand for the new baby too. Thanks!
pomelo / 5084 posts
I am also interested in ways to break the habit probably in the next six months (DS is 18 months) but I dont know about intentionally lying to him….
blogger / cherry / 174 posts
@snowjewelz: We tried the Pacifier Fairy technique with my daughter and it was an epic fail. So this worked way better.
@peaches1038: BeBe was 3, and our little guy had just turned 2.
@wrkbrk: I’ve already crossed the bridge of telling white lies. We live by a bakery, and I have to tell our little guy its closed when we walk by, or screams for a cookie. He’s too little to understand he can’t have cookies everyday. I figure this is the same category, and it works for us.
@Molly – Ask the daycare teachers if they might be onboard with letting your LO carry the paci as it’s being cut back. Maybe other kids have tried it there already too.
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
@wrkbrk: I feel like that can easily be avoided by simply saying it’s broken. You don’t have to say it’s because it’s old or that the dishwasher did it. Just say it’s broken. In fact, my oldest daughters pacifier did genuinely break on it’s own. I told her that was disappointing but she’s a big girl so we weren’t buying new ones and she accepted that and threw it away on her own.
pomelo / 5084 posts
@Mrs. Sunshine: Agree. I think saying it’s broken and/or that’s for little babies sounds good. Now will it work? No idea. Haha.
hostess / cantaloupe / 6486 posts
@wrkbrk: that’s the terrifying part about it! Lol I hope it will work for DD2 like it did DD1 but who knows?!?