Weaning your baby or toddler off the pacifier may not be as easy as it seems. A child who is so attached to his pacifier will rant and rave for it, for hours. Here are some tips and tricks to help your child get over the pacifier.
Cold Turkey
Going cold turkey may sound very ruthless. You have to expect a lot of crying if you decide to use this strategy. Parents will have to stay strong and true to their decision of not giving the pacifier. You must not give in! Give the child a few days to about two weeks to adjust without them.
Dip In Coffee
Make the pacifier undesirable. My parents tried this on me when I was young. They made a cup of strong, black coffee and dipped my pacifier in it. They left the dark-tinged pacifier for me to find. When I put it in my mouth, I spit it out immediately because of the strong taste. Apparently I did not want it anymore. They tried it on my sister but coffee did not work, so they used some other stronger stuff so that my sister would reject her pacifier. Try out something bitter but harmless to the child.
Feed a Muffin After Milk
I tried this method on my daughter. Since we often give milk to her before her nap and going to bed at night, we decided to change the routine a bit. We gave her a small muffin or biscuits to eat after her milk. The act of chewing is similar to the sucking of the pacifier, making her drowsy. Make sure you brush her teeth as soon as she gets drowsy and ready for bed.
Cut the Pacifier
This method seems to work miraculously for some parents. Cut a tiny piece off the end of the pacifier and tell your child that it doesn't work anymore. They may not want it anymore after discovering that it is “spoilt”. Some children may be comforted with the pacifier physically in the mouth, but not having to suck them. For these kids, gradually cut more tiny pieces off the pacifier until there is nothing left for them to hold in the mouth.A variation of the above method would be to poke a tiny hole at the end of the pacifier. Having pacifiers that does not work anymore may frustrate the kids and soon they will let it go.
Prepare The Child For The Big Day
Choose a big day such as their birthday to prepare your child to give up the pacifier. Some parents tell their children that their pacifiers will not work anymore after their 3rd birthday. Then they use strategy #4 above on the night of their birthday. It may work as it is a special day for them.Donate The Pacifier
If your child is old enough, you may want to cultivate the habit of donating baby items to other needy children. One of the items could be their pacifiers. But be sure to remove the pacifier before sending the donated items away.Lose The Pacifier
Hide the pacifier so that the child could not find them. When they ask for it, go on a pacifier hunt to look for it. At times, you may let the child find it. But other times, you may hide it in a place he will not look such as the dustbin. Since it has gone missing, the child may give it up.Read A Book
There is a book that is recommended for those who want to tell their children some “tale” about giving up the pacifier. It is entitled The Binky Ba-ba Fairy by Heather Knickerbocker-Silva. The fairy in the story gives the pacifiers to other babies who need them. Maybe you could read this and combine with strategy #7 above.Trade It For a Toy
Bribery may not always work. But if you have read the book in #8 with your child, you may want to reward your child for giving his pacifier up. You may want your child to put his pacifier under the pillow and it will be replaced with a toy he always wanted the next morning.Let The Child Give It Up
If you let the child be part of the decision, he may be more receptive to giving up his pacifier. For instance, you may help your child to decide to give up his pacifier. When he agrees, get him to throw it in the bin. When he asks for it later, remind him that he has thrown it away or make up something about the garbage man has given it away to other babies or something. Gross but it might just work!
Well, getting rid of pacifiers will not be easy. Armed with all these strategies, one of them or a creative combination of these might work for you and your child. Try them!
