Pacifier-free Toddlers

Creative Ways to Break the Binky Habit

By Shannon McKelden

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Pacifier Free There comes a time in every child's life when it's time to give up the pacifier. As with most "milestones," the time to stop using the binky depends a lot upon the child. Some children outgrow the pacifier on their own; others need a little encouragement. So how can parents help the transition be a little less traumatic?

"In the best of circumstances, your child will tell you when he or she is ready," says Dr. Joanne Baum, therapist and author of Got the Baby Where's the Manual?!? (Mountainside Press, 2007). "She'll start using it less, he'll start forgetting where he put it, and you can begin to use those times to talk about how great it is that she can go longer without it."


	Dr. Baum suggests working with your child to develop a plan to get rid of the pacifier.

Dr. Baum suggests working with your child to develop a plan to get rid of the pacifier. "When it's a partnership rather than a parent deciding when is 'the appropriate time,' it works out better for everyone," she says.

Margarita Miranda-Abate of Westfield, N.J., wanted her son to be done with the binky by age 3. So she got started early to avoid having to go cold turkey. When her son turned 2, she informed him it was time to say "bye-bye" to his binkys.

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Pacifier-free Toddlers

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anonymous says

June 8, 2009

Great post! Regarding the binky, my friend absolutly raved about the cut method, and the psychology behind it. She emailed me a link to a site that has a free publication (supported by advertisements). Very cool stuff, worked like a charm for me as well; wouldn't do it any other way. The link is www.bye-bye-binky.com for anyone who is interrested. If you do, let me know your thoughts… Bella

Chrystal says

October 15, 2008

I don't know what to do. I have four children ages 18, 12, 8, and my only daughter who just turned 2. My boys took pacifiers, but I don't remember having to worry about breaking them from it. My daughter doesn't take her binky all day while at daycare because my provider started removing it early on. However when we pick her up from daycare, it is sing song all night long for the binky. "I binky ..." I managed to not give it to her from 5-8 but couldn't handle the whining saga of "I binky ..." anymore. Any thoughts?

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