I can sympathize with your struggle. I have a four year old I recently went through this with. This is what I did that worked....(as I chuckle a little under my breath.)
I showed her pictures online of people with protruding teeth (buck teeth basically.) Her teeth were already sticking out pretty far and the binky was totally affecting her bite. I did this for a few days, casually when we were on the computer together. I would tell her that she may also have similar problems with her teeth if she doesn't stop the binky like mommy and her dentist have asked her to do. This really made her understand the possible consequences.
Step two was I let her pick out a "prize" anything she wanted within reason.She picked out something she had been wanting for a long time! I sat it up high on top of a cabinet within sight, but not reachable. I told her when she was a big girl and threw away her binkies, she would earn this very special prize. It didn't take long before I was videotaping her throwing all of her binkies in the trash! LOL. She finally did it, and she never has asked for one again! That was about 6 months ago...
Good luck with everything! (By the way her teeth went back VERY quickly) and she has a normal bite now! Yay.
Apr 04, 2010 Rating
re: pacifiers by: Codi Preston Dunn
Awwww...I feel sorry for your 4 year old, I really really do. It's not really THAT big a deal if your child has a pacifier. Try to use an orthodontically correct pacifier. The damage that will be done to his teeth is actually not that much. It's more damaging to suck on your thumb than on your passy. I call them bippies or soothers.
Anyway, here's the thing, I am 33 years old chronologically, but I also suffer from Autism, and although I am quite articulate, at the same time, in many ways, at least emotionally and socially, I act like a 4 1/2 to 5 year old.
Sometimes I don't even notice when I am acting like one. Not that it's all bad - 4 year olds are very kind, loving, nonjudgemental, nonracist, understanding, and some are actually quite sharing. Most of my friends are preschoolers, toddlers, or elderly people over age 50-55.
I have very few friends my age. I enjoy children's TV shows, like Teletubbies, Barney, Care Bears, Wimzie's House, Arthur, and so forth. I have always LOVED Teletubbies from day one. My point is, guess what? I STILL HAVE A PACIFIER MYSELF!! Actually I have several! I have used a pacifier for decades, on and off, and took it to college with me. All I can say is that I have tried to quit myself more than 3 times, and every time I tried, I went back to sucking the bippy like a pacifier junkie who had fallen off the wagon!! LOL. So, I feel very sorry for your 4 year old, but let him keep it. I'm sure he will throw it away when he is ready. I've seen 4 year olds in supermarkets with passies.
Also, you are a very nice parent to take his feelings into consideration. Of course, I'm not surprised since you are from Georgia. Southerners are so understanding and nice to me, I guess it's southern hospitality! I'm from San Jose, California, but I am moving to western North Carolina in a very short time. The people there are so nice to me.
Take care.
Warm regards Preston (soon to move to Cullowhee, North Carolina)
