How did you get your kid to ditch the binky?

Man, the binky fairy was a total flop at our house too. My son just side-eyed us and kept on with his paci like nothing happened. Eventually, he just got bored of it, kind of like you said. Honestly, I think we stress way more than they do. If they're not bringing it to college, we're good, right?

Honestly, I think we stress way more than they do. If they're not bringing it to college, we're good, right?

That’s pretty much where I landed too. We tried a few “methods” - cutting the tip off, talking up the binky fairy, even hiding them for a day or two. My kid just got creative and found the spares, or honestly, just melted down until we caved. Eventually, we let it go and, like you said, he lost interest on his own.

I get why people want to have a plan, but I think it’s more about us feeling in control than them actually needing a big intervention. If you’re worried about teeth or speech, maybe just check in with your pediatrician or dentist, but in most cases, it really does seem to work itself out. I’ve never seen a teenager with a pacifier, so... that’s comforting, right? Sometimes letting them move at their own pace is less stressful for everyone.

Honestly, I think you nailed it. Most of the time, the stress is on us, not them. We tried a few “systems” too, and my kid just outsmarted every one. I remember thinking, is this really worth the nightly drama? Eventually, we just stopped making a big deal and - surprise - she dropped it when she was ready.

I get the concern about teeth or speech, but our dentist said as long as you’re not seeing obvious issues or still using it at 4 or 5, it’s usually fine. Kids do outgrow these things, even if it feels endless in the moment.

It’s easy to feel like you need a plan for everything, but sometimes letting go works better than any “method.” You’re doing fine - sometimes it’s just about picking your battles.

Man, “systems” are a joke in my house too. We tried the sticker charts, the “binky fairy,” even tried cutting a tiny hole in the pacifier so it wasn’t as satisfying - my son just looked at it, shrugged, and grabbed a backup he’d hidden somewhere. It honestly started to feel like he was running a black market for pacis out of his bedroom.

I totally get the stress. After a while we just gave up and stopped talking about it, and you know what? He randomly handed it to me one day and said he was done. No drama. Just… done. I swear, sometimes they just need to do it on their own timeline, no matter how many Pinterest-worthy plans we try.

I will say, I was a little more freaked about the teeth thing, but our dentist said pretty much what yours did. If it’s not causing issues and they’re not heading to kindergarten with it, it’s probably fine. Kids are weirdly good at letting go when we least expect it.

It honestly started to feel like he was running a black market for pacis out of his bedroom.

Ha! That made me laugh - my kid was basically the same, except she’d stash hers in places I didn’t even know existed. We tried every “system” too, and she just outsmarted us at every turn. I stressed about her teeth as well, but our dentist wasn’t worried either. Did you notice any changes in his bite or teeth while he was still using it? I feel like mine had a slight gap that closed up after she quit... but maybe I’m just imagining things.

My son had a little gap too, right between his front teeth. I remember panicking about it and asking the dentist at every checkup. She said it was super common with pacifier use and not to worry unless it stuck around after he stopped. Sure enough, once he finally gave up the binky (took forever), the gap closed on its own over a few months. Kids’ mouths are wild - sometimes I think they bounce back from just about anything.

That sounds so familiar. My daughter had the same little gap and I remember stressing about it, too. Our dentist basically gave me the same advice - don’t panic unless it’s still there after the pacifier is gone. It’s wild how quickly those gaps can close up once the binky’s out of the picture. Kids’ mouths really do seem to fix themselves a lot of the time. I wish I’d worried less, honestly.

Kids’ mouths really do seem to fix themselves a lot of the time. I wish I’d worried less, honestly.

I relate to that - our pediatrician was pretty adamant that unless the habit goes on for years, most of these dental gaps are transient. Still, I couldn’t help but monitor every little change. Out of curiosity, did your dentist mention whether thumb-sucking has a similar impact compared to pacifiers? I’ve read some studies suggesting the pressure dynamics are slightly different, but I’m not sure how much it matters in practice.

I’ve obsessed over this too - my son switched from pacifier to thumb around 18 months, and I swear I panicked more about the thumb. Our dentist made it sound like thumb-sucking could be trickier, since kids can keep doing it way longer and you can’t take a thumb away. But then she also said most mild changes reverse if the habit stops early enough. Still, I catch myself googling “permanent overbite from thumb-sucking” at 2am... It’s so hard not to worry, even if the pros say it’ll probably work out.

I get it - my daughter was a hardcore thumb-sucker, and honestly, I worried way more than when she had the pacifier. Our dentist said the same thing: thumbs are trickier because you can’t just “lose” them. Did you ever try those bitter nail polishes? We did, but she still managed to suck her thumb through it half the time... In our case, she finally stopped around age four and her teeth shifted back on their own. I still stress about it sometimes, but I think most kids outgrow it before it really messes with their bite.

I totally relate to the stress over thumb-sucking - my niece was the same way, and those bitter polishes barely slowed her down. It’s wild how some kids just decide to stop on their own timeline. I worried about her teeth too, but her dentist said as long as it’s gone by age five or so, most dental changes are temporary. Still, it’s tough not to overthink it when you see their bite shifting...

Honestly, I think the stress over thumb-sucking and pacifiers gets downplayed sometimes. Sure, a lot of kids just quit on their own, but when you’re watching their teeth start to shift or the roof of their mouth change shape, it’s hard not to worry. I’ve seen parents get told “don’t sweat it, they’ll stop when they’re ready,” but that doesn’t help when you’re staring at a crossbite or noticing speech issues creeping in.

My oldest was glued to her binky, and the dentist gave me the “before five” reassurance too. But at her four-year checkup, her front teeth were starting to tip forward, and I just felt like waiting it out was a gamble. We tried the bitter nail stuff - total fail. She actually licked it off and asked for more. What finally worked for us was a sticker chart and, I’ll admit, a little bribery. Every night she went without the binky, she got a sticker, and after a week, she picked out a toy. It wasn’t instant - there were some rough nights - but the positive reinforcement made a difference.

I know some people say the dental changes are usually temporary if you stop early enough, but “usually” isn’t always comforting. I’ve seen a couple kids in my family need early orthodontics because their thumb-sucking stuck around too long. I get that you can’t force them to quit cold turkey, but I also don’t buy that you should just leave it completely up to chance. A little gentle intervention doesn’t hurt.

At the end of the day, I’d rather deal with a few tantrums now than shell out for braces or speech therapy later. Just my two cents.

I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s one thing to hear “they’ll grow out of it,” but when you’re the one actually watching their teeth move, it’s a different story. I felt the same way with my son - he was obsessed with his pacifier, and every time I mentioned it, people would just shrug it off. But like you said, those “temporary” changes don’t always look so temporary in the moment.

We tried a bunch of stuff too - the bitter stuff was a bust for us as well (he just made faces and kept going). What finally did it was swapping out the pacifier for a “big kid” bedtime routine: new pillow, special blanket, and a book he picked out. It was rough for about a week - lots of whining and some tears - but after that, he kind of forgot about it.

I know some folks say it’s not a big deal, but I’d rather be proactive too. Gentle nudges feel better than waiting and hoping for the best. You’re definitely not alone in worrying about this stuff.

It’s such a relief to hear I’m not the only one who gets anxious about this stuff. I remember staring at my daughter’s front teeth, convinced they were shifting, and just feeling helpless. People kept telling me, “Don’t worry, she’ll stop when she’s ready,” but that didn’t exactly calm my nerves. We also tried the bitter stuff - total fail. What finally helped was letting her trade her pacifier for a stuffed animal she picked out herself. There were definitely some rough nights, but it did get easier. You’re not overthinking it - those little changes can feel huge when you’re in the thick of it.

- Totally get that anxious feeling, especially when it comes to teeth. I kept checking my son’s mouth too, half expecting to see instant damage from the binky.
- We tried the “bitter” stuff too… he actually seemed to like the taste? Go figure.
- What finally worked for us: we made a little ceremony where he “gave” his pacifier to the baby birds outside. He was really into birds at the time, so it felt special for him.
- The first couple nights were rough - lots of tears and second guessing - but after about a week, it was like he barely remembered it.
- Looking back, I probably stressed more than I needed to. But honestly, those tiny changes feel huge when you’re living them.

I get where you’re coming from, but I actually couldn’t bring myself to do the “ceremony” thing. I worried it might make my daughter feel like she was losing something important without really understanding why. We ended up doing a super gradual approach - cutting down use to just naps, then just bedtime, and only after she seemed okay with that did we try stopping completely. It dragged out the process, honestly, but I felt better knowing she had time to adjust. Maybe it’s just my own anxiety talking, but I always second guess if I’m rushing her too much.

That’s exactly how we did it, too. I just couldn’t handle the idea of a big “goodbye” moment - it felt too final and honestly, I was worried it’d backfire. We took months, shaving off one use at a time. I still wonder if we dragged it out too long, but she barely noticed when it was finally gone. Guess slow and steady worked for us, even if my nerves were shot the whole time.

I get the slow approach, but honestly, I went cold turkey with my son after our dentist flagged some early tooth alignment issues. It was rough for a few days, but the quick switch seemed to help his teeth bounce back faster. Sometimes ripping off the band-aid works, even if it's intense for a bit.

Ha, I remember when my granddaughter was glued to her binky like it was a winning lottery ticket. Her folks tried the slow fade, but she caught on and just hid extras around the house - like some kind of toddler squirrel. Eventually, they did the cold turkey thing too. There was a lot of dramatic wailing (from both kid and parents), but after about a week, she forgot all about it. I guess sometimes you just gotta brace yourself for a few rough nights and hope your nerves hold up... or invest in earplugs.

That “toddler squirrel” image made me laugh - seen it firsthand with my nephew. His parents tried to swap the binky for a stuffed animal, thinking he’d go for the trade, but he was not having it. Funny thing is, as a dental person, I always cringe a bit at prolonged pacifier use, but honestly, it’s tough in real life. Did you notice any changes in her teeth or bite after she gave it up? Sometimes you see a little overbite that just sorts itself out.