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Tips on getting your child to stop using a pacifier
Shelley Borle
There is a quote that I love from Dave Green, a philosopher friend of mine which is 'Use what you need to use until you no longer need to use it.' Your child needed a pacifier when they were younger and now they are older they may not need it anymore. However, letting go may take a bit of persuading.
Limit the time you allow your child to use a pacifier.
Use it only for sleep time and comfort until about 12 months old and then plan to give it up.
Never use punishment or humiliation to force your child to give up using a pacifier.
Involve your child in the decision to stop using it by giving him the choice of throwing it away, putting it away or leaving it under the pillow for the 'tooth fairy'.
Start a reward chart to mark your child's progress.
Praise your child when your child has given up the pacifier and tell her you are proud that she is growing up.
Allow your child to express his feelings and if your child is upset or angry, give him special cuddles to help him cope.
If your child asks for the pacifier again (and she probably will), don't give in. Remind her that the pacifier is gone and that she is grown up now.
If you think about something that you are very attached to and the loss assoicated with letting that thing go then you will have some idea of the attachment children feel towards their pacifier. Do it at your own pace and you'll soon struggle to remember how attached they used to be.
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