Getting Rid of the Binkie

Hi A.,

I'm in the same boat, my daughter is 21 months and really loves her binkie at naps and bedtime. However, yesterday I noticed now that she's talking - she's talking "around" her binkie, and that was it. I decided I have to put a stop to this now, I can't wait till she's older and try and reason with her then, I need to do it now when it may only be a few nights of crying, I don't want it to affect her speech and her teeth later. My son who is 6 sucked his thumb until he was 5 and still at night I catch him doing it when he's asleep and isn't aware. Unfortunately for him he's going to have an appliance put in next week, getting rid of the thumb seems a lot harder then the binkie.

Orthodontist say get rid of it earlier then later. As for my daughter, she did pretty good yesterday for her nap and last night she only woke up once, but who knows what tonight holds...?

Good luck to you!!

When my daughter was 18 months I just went cold turkey and threw them all away. She cried really hard and long the first night - then shorter the next night. Within a week she was back to normal. The important part was, when we took away the binki, we gave her a stuffed animal. Like one poster said, she started to LOVE that thing.

She wasn't really old enough to understand the binki fairy or anything else like that. So I didn't know what else to do.

Now I have 19 month old twins who are still addicted. I've been a wimp about taking it away because I don't want to deal with two babies crying. I need to do it soon!

Hi A.! A hug from mama usually is enough. For a kid to be able to pacify him/herself is good, but give her an alternative such as a favorite toy, book, or a doll. The baby will soon forget about the binkie and transfer her attention into something else soon enough. When she's tired, sing to her and have her close her eyes with a fuzzy blanket or stuffed bear. :)

I hate to say it but my daughter was 3.2 years old when we finally got her to give up the binkie. She was so attached to it - even at the end when we would only let her have it in bed. We had a close friend who had a new little baby - and we asked her if she would share her binkies with this new little baby. She actually got quite enthusiastic about it! We bagged them up in a ziplock to deliver to the new baby. My friend, was also in on the plan and I had purchased ahead of time a doll that my daughter really wanted. I gave the doll to my friend ahead of time, so my friend could have her new baby give the doll to my daughter as a "thank you" for sharing her binkies with her. I was most worried about bedtime that night. My daughter snuggled down with her new doll and didn't bring up the binkie and went off to sleep rather peacefully. It worked for us...maybe will help you!?!

Wait a couple more months until you can reason with her. Then have a going away party for her binkey and a welcome party for the new "Big Girl"

It's definitely tougher on you. I let my daughter keep hers until my son was 16 months. They are 15 months apart. Every time I tried to get rid of hers she would grab his. It literally took 2 days of crying and that was they end of it. You have to be prepared for those 2 nights. You'll be so glad when it's done. My daughter has an overbite and my son does not. The dentist said we got rid of my sons at the right time. Good luck!

Reward her for giving it up like a "Big Girl". My daughter was the Binki Queen! She would sleep w/3! 1 in each hand & 1 in her mouth, so she was equiped for any nap & the night! When she needed to give it up we gave it to the "Binki Fairy". I let her wrap them up, she used all my bows & tons of stickers, she had a blast & the gift was "beautiful"! We sat it outside the door & before she went to bed the door bell "Magigically" rang & there was a beautiful wrapped gift for a "Big Girl". She got her first big stuffed animal & now at age 6 she's the Stuffed Animal Queen!

Hi, A.!

I just got my 3 YEAR OLD to give his up!!!!! I know that sounds ridiculous, but when he was 2 I gave birth to his special needs brother, after losing his twin, and then found out I had stage 3 breast cancer. So even our doctor said to let him be with it.

I used bribes, to be honest. We would promise him his favorite things, like going to Fo Fo Figgley, and the park, and tell him that only big boys who didn't sleep with their binky could do these things. Then for the next couple of nights, I slept on the floor in his room, and when he'd wake up crying for it, I'd comfort him, and lull him back to sleep with talk about doing all the things he loves. By the third night, he was fine.

Good luck!

C.

take it away!!

BUT let her have it if she really wants it
its no benefit upsetting her if shes tired or unwell and wants some comfort

do try delay tactics first though
say ''in a moment'' - or distract her with another thing
and give it just for a short while
if SHE persists

good luck!

Q - why ever should it be hard for YOU though?

We told our son that we were going to give it to someone who needed it more. He seems ok with it...he was 2 1/2 when we finsihed the task!

Hi A.. My advice would be to not cold turky but wean her off it. Only when she is in the crib give it to her at first, if it's during the day she wants it then put her in the crib first. Then she'll learn only at nap and bed time she'll get it, then make it down to night time only. After a while, cut it out completely. She might cry for it at first, but be tough and remember, consitency is everything. Good luck and you'll do fine!

You're right, I think it is harder on the parent than the child.

I kept putting it off, and finally took it away when my daughter turned 2. First, I cut the tip off of all of her binkies to show her they were broken. She tried sucking on them in the morning and realized they didn't work. I told her to help me put them in a little baggie.

We then took the baggie down to a local toy store, and I let her pick something out. She handed the baggie to the clerk (I asked the clerk ahead of time), and she traded those binkies for a new toy that she now sleeps with.

I have to tell you, my daughter LOVED her binkies. She would sleep with 4 or 5 at a time. She never had a lovey, she just had her binkies.