When our children are born, many of us introduced the pacifier or binky, babies almost immediately. Sure, there are many great things that a pacifier can do for our child during the beginning stages, such as encouraging self soothing or fulfilling their natural suck reflex needs, but there are also downsides. If you are a breast feeding mom, allowing your child a binky or pacifier can cause issues in latching. Sucking a pacifier is different than latching onto a breast for feeding which can be difficult for your child to transition back and forth. One of the most important things to know, is once your child hits 2 years old, continuing to use a pacifier can start to shift their teeth, causing an overbite, which can worsen overtime. There is no right or wrong answer to whether you should introduce your child 
to a pacifier or not, but it is important to know the ups and downs when making your decision.
Time to break away from the binky!
If your child uses a pacifier, breaking them from it can be a challenge. It may be difficult for them to fall asleep without it, or to find other ways to soothe themselves throughout the day. At Paradigm Care and Enrichment Center we are working to encourage children to give up their binky or pacifier! Be sure to stay tuned for more information regarding the Pacifier Tree at our Waterford, Michigan childcare location. In the mean time, here are a few tips on attempting to ween your child off of their pacifier in just 3 days:
Day 1) Talk to your child about being older. Let them know that as they get older it is time to do thinks like older kids, this involves giving up their pacifier. Tell them that in 3 days it is time to say bye bye to the binky. It is important to prepare them rather than just taking it away. Try to keep your conversation to 30 seconds or less to keep their attention. If they seem sad, let them know that you understand that they dont want to do it, and move on.
Day 2) Repeat the conversation with your child, only this time say “tomorrow”. Once again understand their feelings and move on. Try to have the conversation more than one time througout the day.
Day 3) Let your child know that it is day 3 and it is time to get rid of their pacifier. Make it fun, try to plan a scavenger hunt to find their pacifiers. Once you have collected them, do not give them back. They may throw a fit, but studies show that children get over giving up a pacifier in 48 hours.
Remember that every child is different. It may be harder for some to give up their pacifiers than others. We can’t wait to see how many pacifiers our Waterford kids can fill the tree with!
Contact us for more information regarding our upcoming Pacifier Tree.
