We gave a deadline of 3 years old and warned them about it. We were super nervous because they loved the paci but, in the end, it was no big deal. One of those surprising moments where we were worried and it ended up being easy.

He would probably want to kick my butt for putting this out on the internet - but one of my twins (5 yrs old) still uses a paci to fall asleep each night.

His teeth are completely fine, because it falls out of his mouth pretty much the moment he falls asleep, so there’s next to no impact on his teeth. Knowing this, I went from actively trying to discourage him from using them, to being pretty much at ease with it.

It works as part of our nighttime routine, and aside from some gentle teasing by his twin, it’s never been a problem.

Don’t stress about it OP. She’ll be fine.

Our dentist and pediatrician told us by 3....ours only used it at sleep time but when new baby arrived and she was stressed out she started wanting it all of the time. Her teeth were noticeably forward and my husband was very distressed by her pacifier mouth and wanted to take it away then...I refused as she ( and i) were going through stress of entire life bring different with new baby. I bought paciifers aren't forever book and she loved the book, asked older colder cousins what they did with they did to sleep without theirs, and read the section on back about a pacifier fairy where you turn your pacifiers in for a special treat /celebration. She was very excited and asked all her cousins to join but I dreaded it as she's a horrible sleeper already and I didn't want sleep to be worse without it... I told her for months it would be after we go to the beach ( she turns 3 in July). She started biting holes in all of her pacifiers and 2 or so weeks ago she stopped asking for them and they all laid under her bed.. I have no idea how but she stopped fully on her own once all of the ones in her room had holes.

Yesterday we had paci fairy ceremony with her cousins and threw them all away and she got a stuffed animal and ice cream and all is okay. I'm super glad she had maturity of age to understand and do it on her own.

So give it time and invest in the book... if yours doesn't chew holes themselves then you can create holes for them eventually

Mine are teens now but the two who were pack addicts used them until 4/5. The one that didn’t want a pack never used it and never wanted it.
I remember with my oldest falling for this “you must take it away at age 2” BS and we then spent months in a revolving door of vomiting because she just put her fingers or other objects into her mouth. at least the pacifiers were clean. She did need braces but not due to the pacifiers. She just had a really small palate and crooked teeth. Her brother that used the pacifiers even longer did not need braces. The braces thing is almost all predetermined at birth.

Cut the tip of the pacifier and tell her it's broken. This works.

I do. It understand taking away a toddler’s comfort thing. Just let her have it. Everyone gets braces anyway.

Cold turkey. Just disappear them from the house.

Do they use pacifiers at daycare.

Anonymous wrote:This is OP. Thanks very much everybody! This makes me feel better. I think this is a tough age to take it away as it's hard to explain it to her.

Yes exactly. I’m the pp that just posted and it was much better when my kids were older and could really understand.

Both my kids also used their pacis for sleep until 4-5. Yes that is late, we had our reasons that I don’t feel the need to delve into for dcum but I don’t regret it at all. It allowed my kids to nap through age 4 (not every day but both would nap some days even at age 4), have comfort etc. and then they both dropped it and it was a forgotten item when they were actually developmentally ready. Both their teeth moved back no problem. Our dentist personally says this: in an ideal world would no kid suck their thumb or use a paci? Sure. But his own kid sucked his thumb til 5 and is fine. And in the real world there are kids that need sucking for comfort. He said try to reduce it where you can and if your kid can tolerate it stop it but as long as it’s removed before the big teeth start to come in usually the teeth move back into place.

I decided to prioritize the comfort over what felt like a small risk with teeth since most kids get braces anyway. Give yourself through 2 and maybe try at 3.

We dropped the pacifier with one kid and moved the other one out of the crib and all at the same time! Talk about bad timing - it was nuts and all my fault. For my pacifier kid (maybe age 2 1/2), we promised a toy he really wanted and had a ceremony throwing the pacifier away. I still remember his words,”Bye, bye binky.”

French kids regularly use their pacifiers until 5yo. My dc never liked them but I really wouldn't sweat this.

Anonymous wrote:Cold turkey and buckle up for a hard couple days. It was the same for both my girls. I took their pacis at about 20 months. After the first couple days, they never asked again.

To add to this, it was hard for us to limit the use of the paci to sleep/car/whatever. My girls wanted it every moment they could, and it was too much drama to decrease use. Much easier to go cold turkey. I’m glad we did it before 2. They talked so much more without it and I loved seeing their smiles more.

Cold turkey and buckle up for a hard couple days. It was the same for both my girls. I took their pacis at about 20 months. After the first couple days, they never asked again.

My kid never used a pacifier, so feel free to take my advice with a grain of salt. But my kid is 20 months and the developmental leaps have been huge. You might find in a few months she is more willing to give it up. Do a slow wean or try offering substitutes, but don’t sweat it too much yet.

If not, I recently saw a reel of a kid who put it inside a build a bear. You get a pay your age one during their birthday month so you could start talking it up the months and weeks before if she understands.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pacifier was my DD's comfort object. I just let her use it until she gave it up on her own at 5. We had some rules along the way as she got older---only at home, and then only when she was in her room. I know people will disagree with me, but I didn't see any harm in letting her use it for the long term.

This is not a good idea.

It’s ok. It really is. Don’t take away the thing your child needs to self soothe.

If they require a pacifier to sleep or be calm then they can’t self soothe.

Allow your child to have what safely gives them comfort, be it a blanket, a stuffed toy, a pacifier, or a thumb.