Today was a difficult napping day. Normally, Connor's like clockwork, but he took an hour nap this morning and then didn't nap again until 3:30pm. That one was for about 1 hour.
He normally does 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. 9:30am, and 1:30 respectively.

So...today, he seemed to want his pacifier ALL the time because he was so tired and grumpy but refused to sleep. He even wanted it in his bath...which was quite weird.

We're trying to get rid of the pacifier except during sleep times but yesterday was not a fun day in Target without it. He screamed in and out of the aisles...ugh. I wanted to cry.

When did you "pull the plug", so to speak? How did you do it?

By Vicki on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 08:11 pm:

Well, dd was older than she should have been. She was about 2 and a half when we got rid of it. But, from about the age of 1, it was kept in her bed and only used at bed/nap times and in the car. I didn't let her have it all day long or walk around with it in her mouth. LOL I guess that is how I told myself that it was ok. LOL

So anyway, by that age she already knew about the tooth fairy. So I told her there was a binky fairy. I got brand new, very sharp scissors and every night cut off about a 1/8 inch of the end of the nipple. We left it on the living room coffee table and in the morning, it was gone and some money was there. She of course still had part of the binky in her bed that she sucked on. It took a few nights, but it eventually got to the point where so much was gone, she couldn't hold it in her mouth anymore. That night we left the actual binky for the binky fairy and she left about 10.00 for that. So the next day, we took all of her money and went to the store to buy a new toy for her to sleep with instead of the binky. She was all jazzed about it and picked out a new soft baby doll! That night, it was murder! She cried and cried for her binky and wanted to take the doll back and buy binkies instead. LOL I so almost caved in and gave her one. Just about the time I thought I couldn't take it anymore, she fell asleep!! The next night she cried for about 5 minutes and that was it!!! Never asked again and slept with her baby!!

By Tink on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 10:28 pm:

Bella was about 18 months and she'd never been allowed to have it anywhere but in her crib. We'd always had two or three in there with her and one hidden away for those middle of the night wake-ups when I didn't want to crawl under her crib, looking for her usuals. We talked about no more binkies for several days, then we went on a binky hunt (she remembered my back-up and told me to get it!)and put them in a box for a new baby because she was a big girl and could sleep without them now. The first couple of sleeptimes (naps and bedtime) were pretty tough but it didn't last more than two days and she was fine after that. That is when she found a babydoll to really get attached to. I think she just needed some kind of lovey.

By Crystal915 on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 - 11:12 pm:

We pulled the plug at 10 months. Shane was more "addicted" than Maddie, and kept sucking holes in his. Finally, after he sucked through the last one (that he had snagged from his sister, incidentally) I said "no more!" It was a couple nights (I'd say 3 is the magic number) of fussing and crying, but he got over it. Good luck!!

By Kaye on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 08:07 am:

With my dd she was about 18 months, she was chewing holes in hers so we just tossed them as she ruined them and when they were gone they were just gone. I made her trash them each time, it wasn't really a big deal. My middle kid was closer to a year, I don't rememeber to much about it. My littest was 6 months, he never liked it so much. BUT I will say that the upside of having a paci when they are toddling is LESS goes in the mouths. Most kids won't drop the paci for dirt..LOL. My youngest was SOO oral and by age 3 we talked about getting him a new paci (still do actually in 2nd grade..lol).

By Beth on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 08:19 am:

I also only allowed it at bedtimes from the get go. It worked for me. My ds was the only one that took one. This sounds awful but he got hand foot and mouth when he was about 2 and he could not use the pacifier. We just didn't give it back to him after that. I wouldn't wish that on any one though he was very sick. But it was a very easy way to get rid of it.

By Mrsheidi on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 08:50 am:

Thanks, ladies!! I think I might try the cutting of the pacifier when he's ready. Scott wants to go cold turkey...but, then again, he's not here all day.
I'll let you know how it goes...I might wait until he's a few months older. But, for now, I'll just keep them in his crib and cut out the public pacifier.
*Heaven help me!!* LOL

By Amecmom on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 09:00 am:

Randy liked to hold his pacifier at bedtime more than suck on it, but he would suck on one if it was there. At that time he got into Thomas the Train. I asked him if he would like to take Thomas to bed and he said yes. I told him he couldn't have Thomas and the pacifier and he chose Thomas. That first nap was great. After that it deteriorated. The third night, he cried for his pacifiers. I finally told him that I threw them away because he didn't need them anymore. He let out the most horrible sound. I felt awful, but did not cave in. He never asked for them again and seemed fine by it. He had Thomas to repalce them and eventually stopped going to be with his trains, too.
I know it was the hardest thing, but the best decision. His teeth, which were pushed out went right into place (like he'd gotten braces) and his speech improved dramatically!
Just stick to it. It will get worse before it gets better.
Ame

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 09:21 am:

We took the paci away at 6mths during any other time than sleeping. It has not left her crib since then. She uses it for sleep and takes them out herself when I pick her up because we've taught her that they don't leave the crib. It was easy for her. She really likes her paci, but it's not a necessity for her outside of nighttime. We're getting ready to take it away at sleep times next week (after our vacation LOL). I don't think she will like it much for a couple of days, but I don't think it will be too big of a deal for her. She has several other comfort items in her bed that hopefully she will use more without her paci.

By Boxzgrl on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 11:09 am:

I took Kaitlyn's away at exactly 17 months and 1 day old (lol). I took it away cold turkey and she never looked back. She was a lot like Connor and wanted it all the time. She could never even nap without it. I thought I would die trying but it turned out to be so easy. I was determined that she wouldn't have it by 18 months old.

By Boxzgrl on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 11:11 am:

Also forgot to add, when I took it away I cut a little hole at the tip of all of the pacifiers and still left them laying around. She tried sucking them and noticed the hole. She told me "Uh oh" and after one day of holy pacifiers, she was no longer interested. It's hard for them to suck it with a hole at the tip. I got the idea from parents.com

By Pamt on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 12:56 pm:

My kids were never allowed to have them anywhere but bed and I pulled the plug at 6-8 months. It's easier when they get moving and they don't notice it as much. I think cold turkey is the best method myself. It is usually only 2-3 hard days at the most and then it's all a distant memory. The longer you wait though the harder it will get.

By Mrsheidi on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 02:34 pm:

I think he's teething bad lately too. He's not napping like he should and when I gave him some frozen french toast (cinnamon), he gnawed on those like crazy.
i think he just wants something in his mouth. I'm the same way with gum.

Any teething techniques? I'm in a fog as I type this...my sinuses are going nuts and with his teething/not napping...it's killing me!

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - 02:38 pm:

I have to tell you when Natalie was cutting her front teeth she gnawed on a stainless steel pan lid for days! Funniest thing! Drool would just be pouring down that thing. It felt good to her from some reason.

I also agree about going cold turkey with the paci. That's what we will do and we also went cold turkey with the bottles and it was a BREEZE. She just never saw a bottle again and that was the end of it.

Boxz...I might try your hole in the end of the paci trick!

By Annie2 on Friday, September 2, 2005 - 08:21 pm:

My kids would teethe on a frozen icepop; the kind wrapped in plastic. Some have square edges so you may want to trim them a bit.
They also liked those big, frozen pretzels.

By Andi on Sunday, September 4, 2005 - 10:16 pm:

When we took the Paci away from DS we let him cut it. I think he was almost 2 we talked about it and told him when you wake up tomorrow there will be no more Paci.

He woke up and cut the nipple off. Cried for his nap and at bed time then it was all over. NEver cried about it again.

Obviousley since he was almost 2 you can see I was in no rush to take it from him. I always made him take it out if he wanted to talk and he could only have it at home or in the car.

I'm sure I will do the same with Tay.