Breaking the Binky Habit

For my kids' pacifiers, I simply snipped the tip with scissors just a little bit. The hole in the rubber eliminated the suction and essentially ruined it. It was "broken." They each cried at first, but it was easy to provide distractions for the day. Bedtime was a little harder for that first night, but that was all. Since they could clearly see that it was "broken," they got over it very quickly. It wasn't a problem for more than a day.
Leanne

Cut a slit in the top of it. She won't be able to suck on it like she usually does and she will lose interest in it.

when my daughter was 3 we went to my grandparents in florida and the aligator ate it. i stood firm and never gave it back to her.

If you mailed it, had the fairy take it and a few other things, how did she get it back? I don't mean that to be rude, just curious? I would let her pick out a new stuffed animal to sleep with but don't give in and let her have the binkie back. You might have rough nights at first but it won't last long, it's for her own good.

if you are having a hard time sticking with whatever you choose. Then get rid of it for real and don't go buy anymore! if there are no binky's in the house then there is not another option.

one thing to do is wait until she is 4. start talking about it now. "when you are 4 you are too big to have a binky" throw them away when she is 4. Really talk it up for the next month. we just did that with our 4 year old who sucked on her blanket. Worked great. i cut the corner off of her blanket that she sucked on and she hasn't looked back.

I'm HEAR you on this. My daughter is 2.5 and she has it only at night. I made her give it up at 2, but then she got really sick and so I got her another one to help her sleep. So, now she has it again. My goal is for her to give it up at 3. I KNOW she can sleep without it because when I check on her, it is out of her mouth most of the time anyway. Ugh.

Good luck! I too like the Toys R Us story....
-L.

Cut a little slit in the top of her binkies and tell her they are broken.

Cut the top off of it tonight while she is sleeping in the morning tell her it is broken and do not replace it.. Ever!

she will break the habit when she is ready, this helps her feel secure. breaking it on your terms and not hers could create other situations

Our children never were binky kids, but one friend "lost" all of the binkies except for one and then tied that one to a doorknob in the house. If her children wanted to use the binky they had to go stand at the door. Didn't take too long for her children to realize they rather be some where else than at the door sucking on the binky.

Our 3rd child was REALLY addicted to the binky. When she was 2yrs we had a new baby, so we put off taking it away. So at 3yrs she put the binkys under the christmas tree for "santa to take to the baby elves", this was her own idea. by the begining of May she was not sleeping very well, bedtime was a mess (had never been before), was not eating at all, was irritable, angry, had lost 3-5lbs! We were very confused at what to do: After asking if she had had a major trauma, her ped. suggested giving the binky back. She was sleeping through the night again, started eating well immediatly, and had gained the weight back in 3 weeks! At her 4yrs check up the ped. told her that the binky was affecting her teeth (her bite was not closing properly) and that she had to give it up. That night we went cold turkey, she only asked for it once and slept through the night, 2nd night went to bed fine w/o asking for it, but woke up @ 2am and wanted "2slucks, I only need 2slucks mommy". That was the last time she used one (that was in Feb.)! And her 2 yr old brother still has his, the 1st time she gave it up she would steal his all the time, the 2nd time she was more mature and had no problem w/ him having it. The 2nd time around was way easier!! Now she is so proud that her teeth are fitting together, she will even tell a stranger in the store (I think she feels impowered, because of what SHE did her teeth are the way they should be).

We thought we were going to need a 12 step program for the binky!! She really was addicted, one of our friends called it her crack!
Hope his helps! Our 1st 2 children gave up the binky so easy around 15 months and 26 months! It took me a long time to remember each child is different and has different needs! Good luck! She won't go to college w/ a binky!
:)S.

Cut a little off the top and let her show you it is broken and then let her throw it in the trash. ;) I like the toys R us option too, thats cute!

It doesn't matter what suggestion you use if you are going to give it back. You have to decide that you are really ready to take it away and deal with all the crying. Because you've given in numerous times, it is going to be ten times harder. Been there, done that with twins! ; )

Pick your plan, get rid of ALL of them and just know that it is going to be rough at first. She will be fine after a few days.

We just did this yesterday. My DD just turned 3 and we had her put her binkies into a Build A Bear. It was pretty rough last night but naptime today was easier. The main thing is that you can't give in. My DD has talked a few times about getting her binkies back out, but I think she's too little to do that. If you think your daughter might actually be able to get them out, I don't know if it would work for you. We still have binkies around the house for our little one but they're not hers and she knows she can't have them.

Hahahaha! I've never heard of mailing binkies away...I thought that was funny. What I did do for my 14 yr old son when he was 2 1/2 was to tie them to a bunch of helium balloons and sent them to heaven for the baby angels (you can make up your own story). They were gone and never came back. I think whatever finale you want to give them is fine as long as they don't come back. Stick to your story and let your child get used to it. I'm heading for the balloon store next week. Time to donate binkies to the baby angels again! this time they are from my 2 1/2 year old DD. Wish me luck!!! I'm kind of a push over with this one =S

A neighbor told me that she took her little on to Toys R Us and let her pick something out. Her hubby went up to the cashier while the mom and girl were shopping and told her what to do. When the Mom and Daughter went up to the register, the cashier told her the price of her new toy would be "One binky". The girl had to decide whether to choose her new treasure or her binky, handed the binky over and that was the end of it!

I say this every time I see a post with this question, but why are we trying to force our children to give something that obviously gives them comfort? There are no medical threats, and no pyschological damage by keeping it until they are ready. Why force them? It's a tough world and they need all the comfort they can get.