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The struggle is real! If you are here for some helpful tips, then you’ve come to the right place.
Both my children used pacifiers from the first day that they were born. My son Nate weaned out of it at about two and he was one kid that loved his pacifier. One day he just woke up and that was it for his pacifier. He had no interest and it was smooth sailing from there. We didn’t had to use any of these techniques on him since he pretty much weaned himself out of it.
My 2 year old daughter Sophia however was the total opposite. She wasn’t as obsessed with her pacifier until she was a few weeks old. I remembered when we first tried to wean her out of it, she did amazing and that lasted for about three days of no interest and then something happened and I believed it was teething. She had a rough few days when her molars were coming in and wasn’t interested in food at all. I remembered she cried for her pacifier and that somehow hooked her back in. We tried quite a bit of things to get her off and that is why I wanted to share with some simple ideas.
Here are the tips that I found to be helpful on how to help your toddler give up their pacifier. Remember, this is not a one or three day process. Every child is different and the comfort it provides to each varies so be patient and remain consistent.
- Limit The Pacifier: We offered it during naps and bedtime only. This way he or she will have something to look forward to when it’s time to take a nap or bedtime. From our experience, our nighttime routine got a lot easier because as soon as she would get it, she was ready to call it a night. Sweet dreams!
- Create Excitement: The same excitement we created around potty training, is the same excitement we created when weaning her out of the pacifier. She was so proud to say that she’s a big girl.
- Distractions: There were times when you can tell she just wanted her comfort and before she gets the chance to get grouchy, we would distract her by asking if she would like to do some painting or making slime. Find things that she loves to do and that will keep her mind off the pacifier.
- Pacifier Fairy: Similar to the tooth fairy, the pacifier fairy works just as good. Make up a good story and convince them that it is time to give up their pacifiers and bottles.
- Holes: This might sound like a mean thing to do but poke tiny holes in the tip of the pacifier, cut the tip off, or size down so it’s no fun to suck anymore. They might just loose interest.
- Go Cold Turkey: Pick a day and tell your little one that after that day, that is it. This is a lot harder than you might think because they will cry for it and you will just have to stick to it. This has worked for so many mamas.
There you have it, try them all until you find what works for you and your child. Don’t forget that this it is a habit and it can be broken however you need to be consistent and don’t forget to give lots of hugs and kisses in the process. It work wonders.