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At what age should children be encouraged to "give up" a pacifier?

Did you need to encourage your child to give up their pacifier?  What worked for you and your child?

Under 2 years (65.3%)

2-3 years (19.8%)

3-5 years (2.4%)

6+ years (0.0%)

Age doesn't matter - the child should give up a pacifier when she/he is ready (4.5%)

N/A - Babies should never be given pacifiers in the first place (7.8%)

At what age should children be encouraged to
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32
  • haccoun1967 By haccoun1967
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    My son never liked the pacifier, thank goodness. He crammed a few fingers in his mouth when he was really young (4-7 months old) to soothe himself but gave that up quickly. Personally, I don't like seeing a 2 or 3 year old walking around with one. I feel it's the parents way of "shutting them up", not for the kid's benefit....

  • laurakromer1 By laurakromer1
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    I don't think children should use a pacifier in the first place.

  • kidzpta By kidzpta
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    My baby was premature and did not have a strong suck so my doctor said to encourage him to use a pacifier. it helped a lot, but it was awful to break him of the habit, he was 3 before we got it away from him for good. So sometimes pacifiers are necessary.

  • tabby24cat By tabby24cat
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    Children need to learn self soothing techniques and pacifiers impede that process

  • UPSyours2 By UPSyours2
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    Wanna laugh! My friend's baby decision was to give her binky to my puppy I think she was about 16 months old! She picked it up & carried it around but don't take it awsy

  • Britnev By Britnev
    on Mar 12, 2011  

    Having worked many years in a chidren's nursery I saw so many parents who used the pacifier as a tool to train the child rather than something the child actually needed. If I heard "stop crying and you will get your pacy" one more time!! Used in the right way there is nothing wrong with the pacifier but any child still relying on it past the age of 2 - please!!

  • zoeis26 By zoeis26
    on Mar 13, 2011  

    My daughter took a passy until her third birthday but we only used it at night. . . when she was 14 months we tried to take it away and she cried for a solid week. . .we finally decided to give it back, but only at night or naps. on her 3rd birthday we had a ceremony and we threw them away because she was a big girl now. She never asked for it again. My son however was a bottle baby and hated the passy because nothing came out, lol

  • danar63 By danar63
    on Mar 13, 2011  

    I never used them, I always heard they messed up your teeth. But to me seeing a child who is two or three ( even older) with a bottle or a pacifier suck in their mouth is just plain unhealthy.

  • Jusamom By Jusamom
    on Mar 13, 2011  

    Both of my kids currently have Pacifiers and I kinda regret it but then i dont because i would have been out sleep when they were born. I do because my 5 yr old is having a really hard time letting go. I also have a 2 yr old that takes them as well but hes not near as attached but the 5 yr old gets jealous if he cant have one and he does. SO i dont really know.

  • boozjhi By boozjhi
    on Mar 13, 2011  

    I said between 2-3yrs old. My son had his pacifier until almost 3, then we weened him off of it. His teeth were fine, although some kids might have problems with their teeth.