All my kids have LOVED their pacifier (or “binky” as we tend to call it) from day one. I know some moms out there who avoid the binky all together just because they don’t want to deal with taking it away. But, the binky has been a sanity-saver for me, not to mention a soothing comfort item for my babies. It’s totally worth any troubles of taking it away. Although, I’ve not actually had much trouble. I have 7 children, and this little trick has worked like a charm for every one of them. It really is the easiest way to get rid of toddler’s pacifier. And, when I say “easy,” it’s not just the “getting rid of” it part that’s easy, it’s also the after-the-fact part that isn’t that bad, either. It’s always been a pretty easy, painless experience.
The EASIEST Way to Get Rid of Toddler’s Pacifier
Before I get right to it, I just wanted to share a few thoughts, if you’re still trying to consider whether or not you will give your baby a pacifier, at all. They’re a little random, but hopefully they give you some insight as to what will work for your situation.
If You’re Trying to Decide Whether You Should Give Your New Baby a Pacifier:
- Obviously, if I’ve given them to all 7 of my babies, I’m a big fan. Both my husband and I have 6 siblings (7 kids in both of our families!), so we have a TON of nieces and nephews. I can tell you, from knowing lots of moms and babies, that when one of the babes just “won’t take” a pacifier, both mom and baby seem a little more stressed. The moms will often say that they really wish their baby would take it. Obviously, that’s not a hard and fast rule, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that. So, if your baby WILL take it, I personally suggest it. But, you can do what you want and everything will be just fine, either way.
- It’s true that AT FIRST, a pacifier can be a pain in the butt. New babies can’t keep it in their mouth for very long, before it falls out and irritates them, until you put it back in again. That’s just one of the reasons, I keep my babies in my room, in a bassinet by my bed, until they’re 4 months old (here’s the other reason.) But, even with all of the reinserting… you will still get more sleep. The baby is itching for some sort of comfort, whether it’s the pacifier, breast, or bottle, and if they’re happy with a pacifier and mom can get a few more minutes of sleep (happier mom!) then why not?! Anyway, eventually your baby will get better at keeping the binky in and the constant reinserting will fade.
- Breastfeeding or bottle feeding is not always doable, at the drop of a hat. Sometimes you’re driving in the car, at the grocery store, or whatever, and your little one needs to wait just a few more minutes. The binky, my friends. It offers you those few extra minutes you need to get yourself settled into a baby feeding situation.
- It’s easier to get rid of a pacifier than a thumb!
Some Thoughts on Introducing the Pacifier to Babies:
- I’ve heard some people say to not give a baby a binky for at least a couple weeks after they’re born, so it doesn’t mess us their breast/bottle feeding. But other people will say it’s fine to do it earlier, once they’ve figured out how to latch on to the breast or bottle. In my experience, it’s been fine. My babies have always had their first binky in the hospital, probably around the 3rd day, after we’ve got breastfeeding going. But again, just do what you feel is right for you and your baby.
- With that said, I usually introduce several different styles of pacifiers to my babies. They usually have a preference on shape and texture. However, despite always introducing a few options, all 7 of my babies have favored the NUK. So, if you’re baby isn’t loving the pacifier you give them, try another one. If they still don’t like it, see if they go for it in a couple weeks. This is all assuming you’re interested in having your baby use a pacifier. Needless to say, sometimes you’re just going to be out of luck. Not all babies will take it.
The Biggest Pacifier Concern (Besides Having to Take It Away):
But, but, but….what about your child’s teeth getting all gnarly and messed up from sucking on a binky??
Don’t worry, my friend. I’m sure there is some kid out there SOMEWHERE that is an exception to the rule, but The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has said that after the age of 4, to start “discouraging” the habit. Although, most children stop these habits on their own, before that.
So, it will be okay. Truly, I think most of the problem lies in the embarrassment a mother feels thinking her child is “too old” for the binky. And, ya know what? I can actually relate to that feeling. But, here’s how it works in my house…the moment you’ve all been waiting for… getting your toddler to stop using the binky.
Getting Rid of the Pacifier, Cold Turkey:
Not only has this worked for all 7 of my kids, but I’ve shared this trick for getting rid of the pacifier for years and lots of my friend’s have had success too. They can’t believe how easy it is!
- Baby is born… mom gives them a pacifier.
- Baby loves the pacifier. Both mom and baby sleep more and stress less.
- Baby gets a little older, mom gives the baby their pacifier whenever they want it.
- Baby becomes a toddler (age 2) and STILL likes the pacifier. Mom doesn’t worry.
- Mom patiently waits until the toddler understands and communicates well (just about 3 years old, based on experience.)
- At that point, mom buys the toddler an exciting toy… something she knows they will REALLY want.
- Mom asks toddler if they want the super fabulous toy. Toddler squeals, “Yes!”
- Mom replies, “Okay, you can have it after you throw all of your pacifiers in the outside garbage can.”
- Toddler quickly searches the house for EVERY pacifier.
- Mom takes toddler outside and the toddler uses THEIR hands to throw EVERY pacifier in the garbage.
- Mom squeals in delight and gives the toddler their new and exciting toy.
- The garbage man comes and takes the garbage to the dump. The pacifiers are gone forever.
- At bedtime, the toddler acts uncomfortable and asks for their pacifier.
- Mom reminds toddler that he/she threw their pacifiers in the garbage. They’re gone. “But, isn’t this new toy awesome?!”
- For the next year, toddler will remind mom that the pacifiers are in the garbage. The end.
The 3 Most Important Things to Get This Trick to Be Successful:
- Wait until your child is ready! If you jump the gun and try to do it before they can completely comprehend the situation, it’s not going to go smoothly. With my kids, I really have found the magic age to be after 2.5 years old, but before 3… somewhere in there. At that point, they really seem to understand the “trade” that is happening and that their pacifiers are actually gone and unattainable.
- Not only do they need to understand what’s happening, but it needs to be THEIR CHOICE. If it’s you that throws their pacifiers away, they’re just going to be upset with you. But when they know it was their doing, it seems to cut down on the fussing afterwards.
- Do not keep any pacifiers on reserve. This has to be an all or nothing thing. Be strong!! The easiest way to not give in to any fussing and guilty feelings is if the pacifiers are actually out of the house. And, if they were old enough for the trade, accepted it, did the action of trashing them on their own, you aren’t even part of the issue. It was something they did and they’ll be fine with it so much sooner than if you were the one that did it. Just remind them of their great prize and let it go.
A Few Tips on Stopping Toddler from Sucking Their Thumb:
- Don’t demean them and call them a “baby”. It will likely make it worse since they suck their thumb for comfort. I would need some comfort if my mom was calling me a baby! Do everything you can to let it be THEIR idea, something that THEY want to do for themselves.
- Try to distract them with something else when they suck their thumb. It can help lessen the frequency and aid in breaking the habit.
- Maybe reward them with something they will love if you see them not sucking for 10 days straight. When you see them, it starts over. That will motivate them to at least TRY to lessen the sucking, especially if they get a say in what the reward is!
- My friend’s son has had a hard time sucking his thumb. He’s 8 years old. She was totally able to break the habit, with his support, by using Mavala Stop, painted on his thumb nail. It only took a week of using it, after all those years!
- I’ve read that it’s a great idea to take your 3 year old (and older) into the dentist and have the dentist explain how and why thumb sucking is bad for their mouth. Pediatricians can also talk to them about it, because it can affect more than just their teeth and jawline (for example, speech.)
If you liked these tips to stop using pacifier & thumb sucking, check out:
- 5 Diaper Changing Baby Hacks Every Parent Should Know
- Awesome Baby Boy Gift Ideas
- 54 Gift Ideas for Babies and Toddlers
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How do you take away the thumb? Zach has sucked it since he was in the womb and now he’s 5!
My soon to be 6 yr. old sucks her thumb. I hate it! Tried everything to get her to stop. Luckily her teeth are fine. She only sucks at night.
Paci’s really are SOOOOO much easier to get rid of!
I posts like this are why I adore you gals so much! THANKS!!!
Thumbs are why I gave my babies binkies from the start since they both sucked their thumbs in utero. You can take away a binky, but not a thumb.
I used the Binky Fairy to take the binkies away. I told my FOUR and two year-old that the hospital ran out of binkies for the new babies and they needed some more fast! If they left all their binkies out for the fairy to take to the new babies, she would leave them fun new toys to play with.
I had friends who were upset that I “lied” to my kids to get the binkies away. WHATEVER. It would have been easier if my four year-old didn’t want what the two year-old had which was a huge problem. The fairy was more for my little guy to give his up so my older girl would stop using one too. The fairy came, left toys, end of binkies, no crying or trauma.
I think thats a good idea to get them off of the pacifier. If people lie about santa, the tooth fairy or the easter bunny, why can’t you not lie to them about the pacifier fairy lol
I really am going to try this…my boy is 3.5 and has been sucking on the same old gross binki for 1.5 yrs now. I have been waiting for it to break but this binki WILL NOT DIE!!!
Perfectly timed post! Thank you sooooo much!
I’m all about the Binky Fairy, Natalie…if that’s what works!
Don’t we “lie” about Santa, The Easter Bunny, Lephrechauns, The Tooth Fairy?
Roberta & Mom’s Place…
See the update on the blog post about thumb sucking…
my two older kids both took a binky and gave it up on their own around 6 months. but my youngest, i begged & pleaded with her to take one, to the point where i even tried to get her to suck her thumb. she just didn’t like it, it wasn’t the same as the boob i suppose, i know they’re nice but come on! so i was the human binky- day & night. boy did it suck, literally. for 13 months i was her binky, i’m so grateful to finally be done with that!
Who told you I needed this post? Ryan just started sleeping through the night – he’s done it for 3 weeks now. For the last 2 nights, however, he started waking up every 30-45 minutes, and the only thing that would get him back to sleep was his binki! I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. Actually, yesterday afternoon I did. I decided it was time to take it away – so he went down for a nap without it. Needless to say, he did not get a nap. All he did was cry for an hour straight – and so did I 🙂 After rethinking things a little, I decided that he’s probably a little young to be so mean. Last night, I put him down without the binki (only cuz he didn’t seem to need it) and he slept through the night again! So perhaps something else was going on those 2 nights – a stuffy nose, or something. I guess I’ll keep with the binki for now, and hope he doesn’t start that waking up game again! Thanks for the reassurance!
It has been so long since I had to worry about Binkis! My kids always were done with them by the time they hit 6 months, so I had it pretty easy.
I felt so stressed out about the binki because of all those “expert moms” that think they can tell you when your baby should be done with the binky. I agree, you have to do it when they are ready and when you are ready and when they can communicate. Kam was 2 1/2 when we took it away. She had three, she threw one in the garbage and the other two we told her Swiper (from Dora) took them and she seemed to be ok with that. There are many more important things to stress about then the da!# binky and feeling quilty for our kids having it! I wish I would have learned that earlier on 🙂
Love it. I had to do it before the baby came, so it was around 2 1/2 years for Bailey. I just clipped it a little and she knew it was broken. She slept with it in her crib for months before she was ready to throw it away. I made sure she did it on her own time. Then when Ellie got here and B wanted her binki, I just reminder her that it broke and she threw it away. It was great!
Great post…. My boys both were thumb suckers, because I didn’t want to be looking for pacis all night.
They both stopped when they were ready, and my older son needed braces, but that was due to genetics. My younger one didn’t have any dental problems at all.
My sis is 8 and she still sucks her thumb!!!! ahhh!!
This was an awesome post! I have been trying EVERYTHING to get the binkie from my 3 year old daughter.. I tried this 3 days ago & boom.. it worked.. she got a little fussy at bed time but I reminded her SHE threw them away and got a great new toy & that was that! She has been binkie free for 3 days now & hasn’t really asked for it either!! YAY! Thank you for your help!!
I’m about to be a first time Mommy, but I was one of those kids that had a pacifier way too long and sucked my thumb. My parents said they couldn’t take my pacifier away cause I always used to hide one away and sneak it out at night time or would throw an epic fit. So I had a pacifier til I was 8! The only reason it stopped was because my front teeth fell out and my parents and dentist told me I would have bugs bunny teeth, and even then my parents had to throw it out , I couldn’t. Even then though I conciously sucked my my thumb til I was 11, we used the nasty nail polish and chili powder to deter me. After that my mom says she would come to check on me and would see me sucking my thumb in my sleep til I was 13 or so I had no idea I was doing it. I stopped eventually but YES start at 3!! It gets harder the older the child is. For both of you! lol
I think I am in love with your articles. Our household has one four year old thumbsucker that never took a paci or thumb until age 2. Mommy Had another baby and insert thumb into our lives. I will try the dentist and pray!
Thanks, Marlina! My friend actually just bought this stuff on Amazon for thumb sucking. It tastes really bad. After 2 weeks, her 8 year old FINALLY stopped sucking his thumb. It’s called Mavala Stop.
thank you for this laugh!!!!
Ha, you bet! I forgot about this old post. 🙂
I think this is brilliant. My son is just over 2 years old and I bought a toy school bus (his favorite thing in the world) and planned to use it for your technique. He saw another kid playing with a toy school bus and commented on it, so I told him someday when he was ready to be all done with his paci he could have a school bus. I thought he’d ignore it, like he does when I say someday he’ll use the potty, but he understood right away and wanted to make the trade. I explained it a number of ways and reminded him that it would be all gone and not there for night night — I was afraid he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. But when we got home he went right up to his bed, grabbed his pacifier, and threw it in the garbage. He’s mentioned it once or twice since then but then remembers that he has his bus now instead. I’m amazed. Thanks so much!
Yay, that’s awesome! It’s almost funny how simple it is. 🙂 Thanks for coming by, Amy!
My daughter sucked her thumb until she was 10 and the only thing that stopped her was when the orthodontist made a “claw” and inserted in in the roof of her mouth. We bought thumb guards (she got around them- even when I zip tied them on), I duct taped socks to her hands (she chewed through the sock), I put a jalapeno pepper on her thumb (blistered- BAD idea, and she would still suck her thumb), tried the finger polish stiff (didn’t faze her). Her mouth was so messed up that she could put her thumb in her mouth with her teeth closed! We started working on it when she turned two. My younger kids, thankfully, were not thumb suckers. Taking away a pacifier is so much easier!
Love it. I had to do it before the baby came, so it was around 2 1/2 years for Bailey. I just clipped it a little and she knew it was broken. She slept with it in her crib for months before she was ready to throw it away. I made sure she did it on her own time. Then when Ellie got here and B wanted her binki, I just reminder her that it broke and she threw it away. It was great!