How did you get your kid to ditch the binky?

I get what you’re saying about dentists sometimes making it sound like a ticking time bomb if your kid keeps the pacifier too long. I’ve been on the receiving end of those warnings, and honestly, it made me a nervous wreck. My daughter’s dentist kept bringing up “open bite” and “jaw development” until I was losing sleep over it. But then again, my own teeth were a mess as a kid and I never touched a pacifier - just genetics, like you said.

I do worry about the substitutes, though. When my youngest quit the binky (we did the gradual snip method too), she started chewing on her sleeves constantly. It drove me nuts because I was convinced she’d ruin her teeth some other way or end up with all her shirts destroyed. Did anyone else’s kid start biting or chewing things? I’m still not sure if that’s better or worse than the pacifier... Sometimes it feels like there’s no way to win with these habits.

That sleeve-chewing phase is so real - I remember my niece doing the same thing after she gave up her pacifier. It’s tough not to worry, especially when you hear all those warnings about teeth and jaw stuff. But honestly, most kids find some way to self-soothe, whether it’s a pacifier, thumb, or their shirt cuffs. I get why you’d feel stuck between two not-great choices, but I think these habits usually pass with time. Genetics definitely play a part too... sometimes we stress over things that just work themselves out.

But honestly, most kids find some way to self-soothe, whether it’s a pacifier, thumb, or their shirt cuffs.

This hits home - my youngest went from binky to chewing on her hoodie strings. I remember worrying about her teeth too, especially since I had braces as a kid. Our dentist just said, “Pick your battles,” and honestly, she outgrew the habit way before it did any damage. Sometimes it’s just a waiting game.

That “pick your battles” advice is spot on. I stressed way too much about my daughter sucking her thumb, especially after my own years in braces. I used to watch her and just imagine the dental bills piling up... but our dentist kept telling me most kids just stop on their own. In the end, she dropped the habit when she started kindergarten, probably because she didn’t want her friends to see.

I do wonder, though - did anyone else have a kid who switched from one comfort thing to another? Like, mine went from thumb to twirling her hair constantly. I almost missed the thumb-sucking days since at least that was quiet! Sometimes I think we worry more than we need to, but it’s tough not to when you’ve been through dental stuff yourself. Did your dentist ever suggest anything besides the “wait and see” approach?

My son was a hardcore binky kid, and when we finally got him to give it up (we did the “binky fairy” thing), he immediately started carrying around this old USB flash drive like it was a security blanket. He’d just fiddle with it constantly - clicking it open and closed, spinning it in his fingers. Honestly, I almost preferred the binky because at least it was quiet and didn’t end up in weird places like the washing machine. Our dentist mostly said to just let him grow out of these habits unless they were causing obvious issues. I did look into those thumb guards and bitter nail polishes, but in the end, time did the trick.

Our dentist mostly said to just let him grow out of these habits unless they were causing obvious issues.

I get where your dentist is coming from, but I’ve seen firsthand with my grandkids that sometimes these little habits stick around longer than you’d expect. My daughter actually stepped in a bit earlier when her son started chewing on random objects after the pacifier - she swapped in a soft chew toy (made for teething) and it helped redirect him. Not saying it’s always needed, but sometimes a gentle nudge can save some headaches later… and fewer trips fishing things out of the washing machine.

I actually see both sides here. Like you said,

sometimes these little habits stick around longer than you’d expect

I get where you’re coming from on the anxiety - my parents let me keep my thumb-sucking habit way too long, and I ended up with a pretty noticeable overbite. Didn’t think much of it as a kid, but years later, braces weren’t exactly a walk in the park (or cheap). I’ve seen friends’ kids do the “chew toy” swap and honestly, it seems to help some of them transition without as much drama. My cousin’s little one actually picked out her own “special” chew necklace and was totally into it for a while, then just kind of lost interest in both that and the pacifier.

I don’t think there’s one right answer - it probably depends on the kid. But yeah, if I could go back, I’d have tried something like that earlier. Saves a lot of hassle down the road, trust me.

I get the appeal of chew toys or necklaces, but honestly, for my daughter, those just became another crutch. She’d just switch from the pacifier to the necklace and drag that thing everywhere. What finally worked for us was a gradual “binky fairy” thing - leaving it under her pillow, making it kind of magical. Took a bit longer, but she didn’t latch onto a new habit, which I was worried about. Every kid’s different, but sometimes swapping one comfort for another just prolongs the process, at least in our case.

That’s interesting - did your daughter ever get attached to thumb-sucking or anything else after the binky fairy? I had a pacifier habit as a kid, and my mom swears I just switched to biting my blanket... which, looking back, probably didn’t help my teeth much. Curious if you noticed any changes in her teeth or bite after she stopped?

My daughter actually did start sucking her thumb for a bit after the binky fairy, which I was kinda worried about. She never really got into biting blankets or anything, but the thumb thing lasted a few months. Her dentist said her bite looked fine, but I still wonder if it set her back at all. Did your blanket biting actually mess up your teeth? I’ve always thought thumb or blanket habits were just as tricky as pacifiers, honestly.

I sucked my thumb for years after giving up the pacifier, and honestly, it did end up shifting my front teeth a bit. My dentist said it wasn’t terrible, but I needed braces later on and I always wondered if the thumb habit was part of that. My younger kid started chewing on his blanket edge when we took away his binky, but he dropped that after a few months. I agree - those habits can be just as tough to break as pacifiers and probably have similar risks for teeth. At least with a binky you can take it away, but thumbs and blankets are always right there. I wouldn’t stress too much if your dentist says her bite is fine now, but I get the worry. Dental bills aren’t cheap...

- Totally get the dental bill anxiety. Been there, paid that.
- My kid swapped the pacifier for chewing on random stuff too - TV remotes, his own sleeve, you name it. I think he just needed something to fiddle with.
- You’re right, thumbs and blankets are next-level hard to “lose.” At least a binky can mysteriously vanish (and yes, I did the “Binky Fairy” trick).
- Dentist said his bite was fine, but I still side-eye any new chewing habit. Feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, honestly.
- If only there was an app for this…

Feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, honestly.

That’s the most accurate description I’ve heard yet. I’ve had parents swear by the Binky Fairy, but then their kid just started gnawing on their shoelaces instead. It’s like, you solve one thing and something weirder pops up. I always wonder - are they actually soothing themselves, or just keeping us on our toes?

Totally relate to the whack-a-mole feeling. We tried the “cold turkey” method with our kid, but then he started chewing on the TV remote (which, honestly, is way pricier to replace than a binky). Sometimes I think they just find new ways to keep us guessing...

That remote story made me laugh - been there, honestly. When we swapped out the pacifier, my daughter went straight for her thumb, and I swear she became a little Houdini with finding stuff to chew. It’s wild how creative they get. The good news is, these phases do pass (even if it feels endless). Hang in there... you’re not alone in the whack-a-mole game.

- Been through the thumb phase too, and it was honestly way tougher than the pacifier for us. My son gave up his binky pretty easily, but then his fingers became the new obsession. At first, I worried he’d be stuck with that habit forever, but it faded out on its own after a few months.

- The creativity is wild, right? We tried hiding everything “chewable” and he still managed to find the one toy with a rubber ear left. Sometimes you just have to laugh at how resourceful they get.

- I get what you mean about feeling like it’ll never end. It feels endless when you’re in it, but looking back, these phases really do pass quicker than you think.

- One thing that helped us: we swapped the pacifier for a soft blanket that he could hold at bedtime. He still chewed it a bit at first (gross), but eventually just started snuggling with it instead.

- Not sure there’s a perfect method - what worked for my older kid totally flopped with my younger one. Some of the advice online just didn’t fit our family at all.

- I’d say don’t stress if your little Houdini keeps finding new comfort objects...it’s totally normal. They’re just figuring out how to self-soothe in their own way.

- If you’re losing patience (been there), cut yourself some slack. These tiny humans are persistent, but so are you.

Hang in there - the whack-a-mole game does slow down eventually. And hey, at least they keep things interesting...

- That “whack-a-mole” feeling is so real. It’s wild how kids just pivot from one self-soothing habit to another. I’ve seen so many families stress about the “right” way, but honestly, what works is usually whatever feels least stressful for everyone. You’re totally right - sometimes you just have to ride it out and trust that it’ll fade.

That’s exactly how it went for us - once we finally got rid of the binky, my son started twirling his hair instead. It does feel like you’re just swapping one thing for another, but honestly, I think that’s developmentally normal. I get why some folks want a “perfect” approach, but I’m convinced there isn’t one. The only thing that really mattered for us was not turning it into a battle. Stress just made everything worse. Sometimes patience is underrated, but it really worked out in the end.

Funny, I actually went the opposite route with my daughter. I was super worried about her teeth because, well, you hear all those stories about binkies messing with their bite or making teeth crooked. Maybe I overthought it (comes with being a little obsessed with smiles), but I was kind of strict about getting rid of it early. We did have a few rough nights - definitely not stress-free - but after a week or so, she didn’t really replace it with anything. No thumb sucking, no hair twirling, nothing.

I get that some kids just need a comfort thing and swapping one habit for another is normal, but sometimes if you rip off the Band-Aid fast, they move on quicker than you’d expect. It’s not for everyone, and I know some parents hate the drama of cold turkey, but for us, being a little more direct worked out. Maybe it’s just luck or personality, who knows? But I do think sometimes a little short-term stress beats months of drawn-out negotiations... especially when you’re worried about their teeth in the long run.