The dummy is no more !!! (or

[NomDePlume]

Well, last night we said goodbye to the dummy forever. DD is 4 on Tuesday (go on, I dare you ) and was a night-time dummy fiend (had it in the day too, up to around 18mo).

Whenever we'd broached the subject of the 'dummy fairy' before she'd literally start shaking and panicking (not trying it on) because she honestly believed that she wouldn't be able to sleep without the dummy and it freaked her out on a major scale.

I've been telling DD for the last month or so that we'd be having a visit from the fairy very soon, as big girls like her don't have dodies. So DH and I decided to do it this weekend. Told DD that the dummy fairy would leave her something extra special for being such a big, brave girl. DD was actually v excited and was (amazingly) hugely keen to put her dummies on the mantlepiece (dummy fairy collection point) asap.

DH and I had been mulling over the idea of getting DD a small pet for a while (we already have a cat, but he's not particularly interested in her, he prefers adults). We decided on a hamster, and felt that combining it with the dummy fairy was the best idea all round. So we went to the pet shop yesterday and DD chose her new pet - a very sweet female Syrian called Hattie. The present/reward had to be something massive like a hamster, a toy (of whatever sort) wouldn't have been enough to distract/persuade her from the dummy. We told her that the dummy fairy had said that she was grown up enough to look after her own pet now.

She was/is thrilled with Hattie, and last night went to bed without any fuss (utterly miraculous) and fell asleep pretty much immediately (as usual). She did wake up at about 2am panicking and sobbing, great heaving sobs, begging me to give her a dummy (guaranteed to make you feel crap). Eventually calmed her down (after about 40 mins) and she nodded off again. Went very well considering.

The only thing I will say is MAKE SURE you destroy the dummies immediately after the kids have gone to bed to stop you caving in when they beg ! We cut the teats off ours.

Blimey that was long , sorry !

[NomDePlume]

Eh ? What happened to the other half of the thread title ? It should read

The dummy is no more !!! (or "Hope for those with dummy addicts")

[sassy]

Well done - we went through this with our dd1 a few months ago .She was about 3y4 at the time.

Not nice, but so worth it.

Good luck with Hattie!

(Have you seen my post on your sassy jeans thread BTW?

[schneebly]

Well done to you and your DD! We did a similar thing recently with DS - told him that you have to give your dummies to the fairy before your 3rd birthday (was Fri) and you will get lots of extra presents (we also took away DS2's - he is 19 months but not as attached as DS1) There was a little bit of whingeing for 2 nights (about 15 mins) and then he hasn't mentioned it since! I don't even think DS2 really noticed! I was amazed as I though it would be a nightmare but it went soo well! You feel quite proud of them for being so brave and grown-up about it!

[hulababy]

Well done to your DD - what a big girl!

[NomDePlume]

(I have seen it but was afraid to post more incase I put my other foot in it )

We were going to do it a few months ago, but we were moving house and I felt the move would be enough of a disruption and she'd need everything else aside fromt he house to be normal so that she could settle in quickly and with the minimum of fuss.

TBH, I'm glad we didn't do it any sooner, I have to say. I think DD was getting ready to do it anyway, she prob would have done it within a few months, but I wanted her to be used to being without it when she starts school in Sept. If we hadn't done it now, then it prob would've been Christmas before we could try it again, to give her a chance to settle at school.

[NomDePlume]

Thanks all . I did feel quite soppy about her being so mature about it, she was very attached to the dummy.

[CheesyFeet]

DD is a dummy at night fiend too! She's only 2.1 so there's plenty of time yet!

Well done NdP's dd

[matnanplus]

Well done NDP's DD and glad that Hattie has settled in well, tho kitty might become an attachment near by

[sleepysooz]

Hia! I have twins dd/ds 2.8 and they never got attached to anything, then as my ds was nearly 2 he started twiddling my dh ear then mine, now he won't go to sleep without an 'EAR'

Normal kids have dummies, soft toy, comfort blanket or thum etc, no not mine an 'EAR'

Goodness knows how we are going to rid of this! unless we can find a toy monkey, with realistic ears! HELP!!!!!!!

[ja9]

another night time dummy fiend here

(ds,, not me that is)

well well done to your dd.