Okay, so I know that the likelihood of them still holding on to these things at age 18 is slim to none, but at this stage it seems we'll never rid our house of these demons.
So when is the right to time to shoo away the old dependables?
First, the bottle. Bottle weaning actually starts at about 6 months of age when you introduce your little one to the sippy cup. Between 8-10 months, substitute the sippy cup with formula (or breast milk) in place of a bottle feeding. Gradually decrease the number of bottles your child receives each day. Many experts recommend completely weaning babies from the bottle by age one. However, it is not uncommon for children, and parents, to rely on bottles until a few months later. Bedtime bottles are, by far, the hardest to give up. First try giving your baby a bottle with water at bedtime, and then switch to a sippy cup with water. The same applies to weaning your baby from the middle of the night feedings; water in a bottle, first, and then switch to a sippy cup with water. Remember, milk on baby's teeth overnight will eventually cause cavities!
Next, the pacifier. I swore I would NOT have a child still sucking on one of those silly things after the age of one...oh what a foolish young mother was I! My daughter could speak in complete sentences at age 2, but no one could understand her because she had to talk around her pacifier! The first step in eliminating the pacifier is to restrict it to bedtime and naps only. Next, pick a date, like the third birthday. There are two ways to go; have your child turn in the pacifier for a 'big kid' item or just go cold turkey. We tried the first way, it didn't work, so the pacifiers were all mysteriously "lost." Cold turkey worked fine after about 3 days (and 3 long nights), but it was done and over with. Never EVER cut a pacifier! An old wives tale was that if you cut the end off of the pacifier the child will not want it anymore. The reality is that cutting a pacifier causes a huge choking hazard! Also, don't be surprised if after months (or years) of no pacifier your child suddenly can't live without one when a younger sibling starts to use one. Never fear! Give them a pacifier for a few days if you'd like; they get pretty grossed out by it and generally don't want it at all after the first two minutes!
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