How did you get your kid to ditch the binky?

Our kid had a serious binky attachment, like, would’ve traded us for it if she could. We did the “binky fairy” thing and honestly, her teeth looked a little funky for a bit - tiny overbite - but it sorted itself out after a few months. Kids are wild.

We had a similar situation - my son was glued to his pacifier for way longer than I’d hoped. We tried the binky fairy thing too, but he wasn’t buying it, so we ended up just going cold turkey. The first couple nights were rough, but after that, he adjusted surprisingly fast. His teeth did shift back after a while, which our dentist said is pretty common if you catch it early. I totally get the worry about teeth, but kids’ mouths are more resilient than we think.

His teeth did shift back after a while, which our dentist said is pretty common if you catch it early.

Yeah, I can relate to that - our little one had a serious attachment to her pacifier too. We tried all the “gentle” tricks and honestly, none really worked until we just took it away. It felt harsh in the moment, but she bounced back faster than I expected. Her front teeth started looking better within a couple months, which was such a relief. Kids’ mouths really do seem to sort themselves out if you don’t wait too long.

We were in the same boat - our kid was basically glued to her binky for way longer than we planned. I kept reading about “gentle” methods too and honestly, none of them worked for us either. We finally just went cold turkey after a rough week where she kept tossing it out of her crib anyway. It felt like we were being mean at first, but she got over it surprisingly quickly.

Her teeth did look a bit off at first, which freaked me out. Our dentist said not to panic unless it dragged on for months. Sure enough, things shifted back after a while. Kids’ mouths are kind of magical that way... I guess the main thing is not to stress if you have to rip the bandaid off. It’s tough for a few days but then, poof, they move on (and so do their teeth).

We tried the “gentle” stuff too - cutting down binky time, talking it up, even a “binky fairy” (which my kid immediately called out as fake). Ended up with a dramatic trash-can ceremony and three nights of what I can only describe as toddler-level protest marches. But you’re right, she forgot about it way faster than I did. Her teeth looked weird for a bit, but all’s well now. Kids are basically made of rubber, I swear.

I get what you mean about kids bouncing back, but I’d be a little cautious about the “made of rubber” thing.

Her teeth looked weird for a bit, but all’s well now.

That’s interesting to hear about your nephew. I’ve actually been wondering if there’s a “right” age to step in about the binky, or if it’s just luck of the draw with how their teeth turn out. My daughter’s dentist mentioned that some shifting is normal and can correct itself, but then again, I know a friend’s little boy needed braces later on, and she always wondered if the pacifier was the reason.

I guess my main worry is missing that window where it’s still easy to change habits. We’re trying to limit binky time to just naps and bedtime, but honestly, sometimes it feels like picking battles... especially on tough days. I appreciate hearing that catching it early can help. Makes me feel a little less anxious about not being “perfect” with it every single day.

It really does seem like every kid is different, though. Some bounce back, others need some extra help. Thanks for sharing - it helps to know I’m not the only one second-guessing all this.

I guess my main worry is missing that window where it’s still easy to change habits. We’re trying to limit binky time to just naps and bedtime, but honestly, sometimes it feels like picking battles... especially on tough days.

I totally get the worry about missing that “window.” Honestly, though, I’m not convinced there’s a single magic age for every kid. My own kids ditched the pacifier at different times, and looking back, their teeth turned out fine - even the one who hung onto it longer than the dentist liked. I know there’s a lot of talk about pacifiers messing with teeth, but in my experience (and I’ve had my share of dental work over the years), genetics play a bigger role than we sometimes think. My grandkids - one used a binky for ages, the other never wanted one - both needed braces anyway, just like their parents did.

Limiting to naps and bedtime is already a win in my book. Some days you do what you have to do. If anything, I’d say don’t stress so much about being “perfect.” It’s easy to second-guess every little thing, but honestly, most kids’ teeth settle out just fine, especially if you keep up with regular checkups.

I hear you on the “window” thing - it’s so hard to know if you’re doing it “right.” Honestly, I’ve seen families who went cold turkey and others who just let the binky phase out naturally. Both seemed to work out. Did you ever try swapping it for a special toy or blanket? Sometimes that helped my youngest when we were in the thick of it. And yeah, limiting to naps and bedtime is honestly a huge step already... don’t sell yourself short.

We tried the “special blanket” thing, but my daughter just wasn’t that interested - she wanted her binky or nothing. I was honestly too nervous to go cold turkey, so we did the gradual approach, only at naps and bedtime. It took months. I worried she’d never let go. Did anyone else’s kid get super attached to a certain brand? We had to stick with the same one or she’d freak out... made me anxious about running out.

We had a similar brand loyalty thing with my son - he could spot a knockoff a mile away. I get the anxiety about running out. Honestly, I leaned toward cold turkey because I worried about his teeth, but gradual worked for us too, just took patience. Have you noticed any changes in her bite or teeth since cutting back? Sometimes that’s what pushed me to stick with it, even when it was tough.

Brand loyalty is such a real thing with pacifiers - my daughter wouldn’t touch anything but the “right” one, either. I get your concern about dental changes. I actually started seeing a slight anterior open bite after a year, which made me more committed to weaning. It wasn’t dramatic, but the dentist said early intervention helps. You’re definitely not alone in worrying about the teeth; it’s a legit push to stick with it, even when everyone’s miserable for a few days.

Pacifier drama is so real. My son was obsessed with a specific brand too - like, he’d do this little inspection and if it wasn’t “his” binky, he’d just drop it on the floor and look at me like I was nuts. I started noticing his front teeth weren’t lining up quite right around 18 months, which honestly freaked me out more than I expected. The dentist called it a mild open bite, and while she said it might resolve on its own, I couldn’t help but worry.

We did the “binky fairy” thing, but honestly, it didn’t work for us. He just cried for days and kept checking under his pillow like maybe there’d be a refund policy or something. What finally worked was snipping a tiny bit off the tip every few nights - he got less satisfaction from sucking and eventually lost interest. It took about two weeks of rough nights, but his teeth started shifting back not long after.

I always wonder if there’s a perfect way to do this or if it’s just about finding what your kid will tolerate. The dental stuff is what really pushed me over the edge though... those little changes can be sneaky.

Snipping the tip was our go-to too, and honestly, I was surprised how well it worked once we got over that initial resistance. The binky fairy didn’t do much for us either - my daughter just looked heartbroken every morning. I totally get the dental anxiety; those little changes in their teeth can sneak up on you. I found taking pictures every couple months helped me see any shifts, which made me feel a bit more in control. There’s definitely no “perfect” way... just whatever gets everyone through with the least drama, I guess.

Snipping the tip brought back memories for me - my granddaughter was so attached to her pacifier, it was practically glued to her hand. We tried the binky fairy too, but she wasn’t buying it. I do think the photos are a smart idea; wish I’d thought of that back then. What really got us through was just talking about “big kid teeth” and showing her old pictures of her aunts with their funny baby grins. It took time, but eventually she just lost interest. There’s no magic fix... just a lot of patience and maybe a bit of luck.

I get that patience is key, but I’m not convinced just waiting it out is always the best move. With my niece, her dentist was pretty firm about stopping the pacifier by age two because of how it can affect the bite. Did you ever worry about the dental impact while you waited? I feel like sometimes we underestimate how much those habits can mess with alignment... Maybe I’m just paranoid after needing braces myself.

I totally get where you’re coming from - I was pretty anxious about the dental stuff too, especially since my kiddo’s teeth were already looking a little wonky. Our dentist said the same thing about stopping by two, but honestly, we didn’t manage it until closer to three. What helped me worry less was checking in at each cleaning and seeing that her bite was still okay. We started by limiting the binky to naps and bedtime, then just bedtime, and eventually she lost interest. It wasn’t perfect, but her teeth seem fine so far. I think every kid’s mouth is different... but yeah, I definitely stressed about it more than she did!

We had a similar timeline - our son was really attached to his pacifier, and honestly, I felt a bit guilty about not cutting it off sooner. Our pediatrician kept gently reminding us about the dental stuff too, but it just felt like such a huge deal to take it away cold turkey. What finally worked for us was this sort of gradual “binky weaning” plan. First, we started only letting him have it in his crib, and if he wanted to leave his room with it, we’d remind him it had to stay behind. There were a few rough days where he’d get upset and ask for it constantly, but after about a week, he seemed to accept the new rule.

After that, we waited until he seemed less fixated on it - maybe two or three months later - and then we started talking about how big kids don’t need binkies at bedtime anymore. We hyped up the idea that his favorite stuffed animal would “take care of” the binky for him. He bought into that story way more than I expected. The first night without it was pretty rough (lots of tears), but by the third night he was over it.

I still worry sometimes about whether we waited too long or if there’s some hidden dental issue waiting to pop up, especially since his teeth looked a little crooked for a while. But his dentist hasn’t said anything concerning so far. I think you’re right - every kid’s mouth is different, and every family’s situation is too. For us, doing it gradually and making it feel like his choice (even if it wasn’t really) made the transition way less stressful than I’d built up in my head.

I do wonder sometimes if all the warnings about pacifiers are a little overblown? Or maybe I’m just rationalizing because we took our time with it... Either way, glad to hear other people didn’t hit that “by age two” mark exactly either. Makes me feel less alone in the slow lane.

We did the whole “binky fairy” thing with my daughter, and honestly, I was more nervous than she was. She was nearly three, which all the dental blogs say is “late,” but her teeth straightened out on their own after a couple months. Sometimes I think the dental panic around pacifiers is a bit much... unless your kid is using one into kindergarten, I wouldn’t stress. Kids’ mouths are wild - mine had an overbite as a toddler and now she’s got a movie-star grin.

Sometimes I think the dental panic around pacifiers is a bit much... unless your kid is using one into kindergarten, I wouldn’t stress.

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen plenty of kids with “binky teeth” that just sort themselves out once the pacifier goes away. Parents worry a lot, but honestly, those little jaws are pretty resilient. The binky fairy is such a cute idea, too - way better than the old “cold turkey” approach some folks try.