How did you train your kid to live without a soother/pacifier?

For my 22 mo GD it is called FuFu! And it is security and comfort to a child. They outgrow it on their own, but you can make it happen sooner if you just don't make it the MAIN thing in their life. Nap and bed time - that is fine, gives them a bit of security they need to fall asleep. But during the day, keep it out of sight. IF they don't see it, they won't remember it and won't want it. My GD can go all day without it and wants it a nap time nad bed time, but then spits it out nearly the minute she falls asleep. i have kept it out of sight and she couldn't care less. If I leave it lay where she can see it, she will have it all day... just because. Out of sight, out of mind - works like a charm

Hey there! I have to admit, I haven't had to wean my son yet..(who is a complete binki boy) considering he's only 1, but I know it's comming! However, I have babysat and worked in the daycare scene for years now and have seen parents attempt this a few different ways. One, to just go cold turkey. From my experience, this seems to be the hardest. Another is to create a "good bye binki" scenario..like tying the binki/soothie to balloons and setting the "free" outside telling your child that they are big kids now and they are sending the binkis away to get used by babies that need them. This way child gets to physically say goodbye to being a baby. The most effective I've seen is limiting the use of the pacifier. Let the child have it in the car or to go to sleep but when playing let them put in on a shelf..where they can see it but tell them they don't "need" it when playing, in the store, or going into school (daycare). This can give them the confidence to know that moms not punishing them by taking it away, but that they don't need it at that time. I think this also helps to ease them into not needing it at all. Hope my rambling helps some!!

I haven't had proper experience with getting my son to stop wanting his dummy, because he refused to have it after 4 months old....... which was good for us all. I have experience with trying to get him off his bottle though, which is simular, but usually harder in most children. Why don't you try giving her a blanket or a soft toy to cuddle when she is tired and ready for her nap. It may help her go to sleep that way instead of the dummy. You could try giving her some juice or warm milk before when shes tired because that helped my son get to sleep from 4 months old and he still has whole milk or juice before he goes to bed now. ~Joeys wife

My son never reallyed used one, I recall the odd few times while he was teething but more times he'd spit it out. Suggestions I have read about are giving lollypops or some other sort of thing to replace the need to use the pacifier. I know some pacifiers are designed to put off the use of them, by going throw stages and has it progress they go smaller until there a simple lolly pop. I wouldn't know for sure. ~Joey

Cold turkey really is the best way. But don't bother unless you are prepared to stick it out. Taking it and then giving it back will make it harder the next time. Just do it. Give her something else to comfort herself with, like a stuffed animal, and she will be fine. She will probably surprise you with how quickly she gets over it.

Only my youngest used a pacifier, but she had intestinal surgery 6 hours after she was born so she didn't take any food by mouth till she was almost 2 months old. A baby will lose the sucking reflex if you do not give them a pacifier. We called it the plug! Thats what it looked like. When Elizabeth was about 18 months old, I looked at her and said that plug looks nasty sticking out of your mouth and she agreed and we threw them all away. We had already tossed all of the bottles months before when I caught her unscrewing the top and drinking straight out of the bottle. We called her the lush!!

My first one took a pacifier for 2 months when he needed to sleep (soon after I stopped nursing). When he was 10 months, I just stopped - cold turkey! And he was fine. My second one is 13 months and I started a pacifier when he was 10 months. It's very hard to get him off it. I am weaning him off now (the doctor said it's better than sucking his thumb but it's not good for his teeth). It's been two days. He's been crying and I gave it to him only in the night. During the day, he cried (a little bit) himself to sleep with a little music. It's the same today..though the crying was a little less. I've noticed that kids are different. My son easily adjusted to new situations and everything was easy with him. But the younger one takes a little while to adjust to new things and so I realized that I have to work harder to change a habit. But one thing's for sure...the earlier you start, the better.