Am I Going the Right Way About This?

I had the SAME exact experience with my 2 year old. (He is 2 1/2 now but at 2 we took it away and said it was "all gone" bc he understood that term, (after I found out he was not using it at daycare either, and we were only using it for sleeping) He asked for it a few times here and there for 2 or 3 days, we just said it was all gone and that was it and he stopped asking. Amazingly we also have a 1 year old who was sucking on one right next to him but we just said it was not his, his was all gone and that was the baby's and he was OK with that. (Now at 2 1/2 he has adopted a spiderman blanket to sleep with but he does not carry it around otherwise.)
hope this helps! I work full time too and my boys are 31 mo and 17 mo! so it is pretty nutty over here too! :)

A friend of mines son did the same thing and she did just what you did. He was perfectly fine after losing it. Your child should be too. If by some odd chance he does break down tell him that the pacifier fairy "yes like the tooth fairy" took it and she is going to give him something in return. maybe give him a dollar for him to find under his pillow or hiding somewhere or a little toy with a tag from the pacifier fairey. My other friend took her 2 year old daughter who was VERY attatched to her passy outside with a helium balloon. Together they tied the pacifier to the balloon with a little note to the "pacifier fairy" and let it go. She was so excited that the next morning the "pacifier fairey left her a little dolly on the couch with a note that said the thank you for the pacifier Holly (the little girl of course) I am sure there is another baby in Heaven that will enjoy it and care for it as much as you did. and she was SOOOO excited. GOOD LUCK I hope it all works out!!

Hi,
I have a little girl who has just turned 3, and she did the same thing when she was 2 1/2. We did it a little differently. We came home one day and there was a little bunny in our yard. The bunny would just show up for like 2 months. One day I said to me daughter, "Why don't you give your pacifier's to the baby bunny. She was all about it! So, we gathered them all up and I put them in a box and placed them on the front porch. That was it! She also only wanted it very little, usually at bedtime. She asked for it a few times and then that was it! I couldn't believe how easy it was to get rid of the pacifier.

So, we broke my son when he fell and split his lip, the sucking was preventing the bleeding from stopping. He also didn't use it at daycare. We did have the awful night of screaming and fighting, but after that nothing really at all. That is until we went on vacation to the beach for the weekend...he was out of sorts, between playing so hard, eating off of his schedule and sleeping in the same room as us...he freaked. Finally one night after over an hour of him screaming and crying, I gave the paci to him, I couldn't handle it. He fell asleep and the paci fell out, since he wasn't used to sucking it while he slept, and we didn't hear about it again. Then he got sick, he got some milk that can't digest and had an AWFUL stomach ache...I gave it back until the medicine kicked in, never asked for it again. So if you're lucky, you'll never hear about it again, but if you do, it probably would be fine to give it for a short bit to relieve a bad situation and then it will be gone again. (we did all of this within the first month), it's been months now and it's gone, no asking or anything. Best of luck and just enjoy you missed that awful night where at least I cried almost as much as him.

My daughter was a little younger if I recall correctly. She was talking some but not enough to ask for her passie. We only gave her the passie when we put her to bed and one night I layed her down in bed, I think she was expecting me to put it in her mouth, and told her there would be no more passie. I gave her a kiss and started walking out of the room fully expecting a melt down. To my suprise she was fine and went right to sleep! I never had any issues with her wanting it back or not going to sleep without it. She did have her blankie so maybe that gave her enough security.

With your child being older I'm not sure how he might react later. Probably if something really upsets him he might ask for it but you might be suprised. I have baby number two that I guess I will try the same tactic but I think this one is going to be harder since he loves to put things in his mouth. My first whose 3 now didn't like things in her mouth so much.

I kind of wonder if doing it cold turkey is the better way to go rather than talking alot about getting rid of it. Then the child has time to think too much about it and become more resistant to the idea. Kind of like telling them that they are going to get a shot when they go to the doctors ahead of time...they have too much time to get all worked up about it.
Good luck!

We cut my daughter off cold turkey and she was pretty much fine. She was a few days shy of 14 months old and I was debating whether or not to start weaning her off of it. She only used it during naps and bedtime, so really only a soothing method to fall asleep. But she had gotten a very bad head cold and couldn't breathe out of her nose at all. So she was trying to sleep holding it in her mouth. Well, I just took it away that night. She was so tired from being sick that she didn't miss it. The next 3 days she fussed for a little when I lay her down for her naps, but I started playing a Baby Einstein Lullaby cd to get her to sleep and that worked wonders. It is a very soothing and calming cd, and that kinda took the place of the binky. And once she was used to not having the pacifier at all, we stopped the cd and everything has been hunky dory ever since!

That's how I broke my daughter of it. It has been almost 2 years now. She cried for hers, but it took about 3 nights of her wanting it and then she got over it completely!

I had a similar situation with my daughter. And she REALLY loved her pacifier. But I told her it was gone (i forgot it at granma's, and didn't want to deal with another one), she kept asking and I kept the response the same. She didn't have a melt down. We just went one to other new things, like her big girl cup. Your on the right track. Just keep encouraging him and telling him the pacifier is gone. You might have a melt down but I don't think by his initial reaction it should be bad or long.

My name is A. and I have a 28 month old little girl and I understand what your saying. My boyfriend just threw hers away and I was more stressed about it then she was. She asked about it for about 3 days and that was it she slept fine no fits or anything. I was surprised but had no problems with it so maybe he will be the same. Good Luck but I'm sure it will be fine.

sounds like he's all done with it. when my son was 18 mos, we took his away. he cried maybe one time but they forget. the younger they are when it's gone the shorter their memory. so just stick to your guns. you're doing fine.

Sounds like your son doesnt need it or want or anymore....good job!! You did everything right....relax :)

It looks like everything is great. I think most parents go wrong with they give their children reasons why they need them. Sick, sad, tired or what not When you start that you are giving the ammo. This information transfers to other areas. When you teach them you have CHOSEN to take it away you are giving yourself a fight. But how you did it was great. I also tell parents to decide what your doing and just do it. Don't back down or give yourselves OUTS becuase when you give yourself an out your giving the children a ammo to use against you. If you let them have it when they are tired and they way you know is becuase they cry more... than when they REALLY want it they will just make sure they cry more... They learn quickly...lol Good job.

My daughter went cold turkey at 2. It went great! The first night there were a few tears, but she didn't cry herself to sleep. I had cut the end off of the binky while she wasn't looking. We then told her that because she is a big girl, it popped. She would ask for it every now and then. We would just remind her that it popped, she would say ok and everything was fine. My bet is that your son may ask every now and then, but I'm sure you don't need to worry about a meltdown. Congrats on getting through another part of growing up! :-)

First, I agree, you do need a vacation. Second, you never know that may be all you have to deal with. My son, who is now 15, threw his pacifier out a car window from his car seat. In his mind, it flew away. He was satisfied with that and never asked for it again. If your son has a melt down, don't offer something to replace it remind him what a big boy he is for not needing his pacifier anymore and remind him of how long he has been without it.