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Tips for getting rid of the dummy!

10 replies

jakethepeg · 04/04/2008 20:52

My son is almost 4 and its time to get rid of the beloved dummy! He only has it in the house and only towards the end of the day when he is tired and wants the comfort of stroking his blanket and having a suck of his dummy. He goes to bed with it but never has it in long.

So, how on earth do I get rid of it! He loves it! I don't mind the blanket, he's had that since he was in an incubator at birth, but the dummy has to go.

Has anyone got any good stories/tales of how to get rid of it, dummy fairy or something? Its nearly his 4th birthday, should we coincide that with the dummy fairy saying its time to give the dummy to a baby? Or should we make it a separate thing to his birthday?

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Thanks

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hecate · 04/04/2008 20:57

DS1 was obsessed with the bloody things. He used to carry about half a dozen at all times. He'd whip other kids out of their mouths . Nothing on earth could persuade him to part with them. One day, I decided enough was enough and I threw them all away. He screamed his fecking head off. He didn't sleep the first night. Second night he grizzled for ages but slept in the end. Third night he went off no problems. Within a week, he'd stopped looking for them. He's now 8 and it's ancient history and I don't think he holds it against me.

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jakethepeg · 04/04/2008 21:00

Gosh hecate you are brave!!

I have managed to stop him taking it out of the house but only as he only has the one and has had since a baby(its a tiny size one, looks ridiculous in his big mouth) so he doesn't want to lose it!

He is so dramatic at the best of times, I am dreading getting rid of it but with him being nearly 4 and understanding things I thought a story might work better?

One thing is certain - its going in the bottom of the dustbin, I am not keeping it as I know I will give in if he wails all night!!!!

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specialmagiclady · 04/04/2008 21:04

We are going to post our to my brother's baby when he/she's born.

We have talked about giving it up at Easter, after his 3rd birthday etc but I've always chickened out. hopefully, DN will be born when we're safely ensconsed at home, rather than on the road...

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myermay · 04/04/2008 21:04

Message withdrawn

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hecate · 05/04/2008 08:03

Oh it was loud, but by that time we were almost totally desensitised to the screaming thrashing tantrums (he's autistic) so we didn't care. And I've never heard anyone say their life was affected by having their dummy taken off them when they were a kid, so it was short term pain for long term gain. (I was begining to think he'd be carrying dummies round into his 40's! )

I hope you don't think I'm an evil mother

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Hassled · 05/04/2008 08:21

I've never seen the issue with dummies at night - if it gives them comfort, why not? When DS1 was 3 I said he could have the dummy whenever he wanted but he had to be lying down in his bed - it became strictly a night-time thing. He was certainly still using them at night when he started in Reception - but quickly dropped them himself after that.

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seeker · 05/04/2008 08:28

Why not say it's for in bed only? My ds's used to vanish in the morning and reappear like magic under his pillow at bed time. It was anice little bed time ritual that he stopped by himself when he was about four and a half.

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Wendyjayb · 05/04/2008 10:57

Ds still has he's at 2.5 and i want to get rid of it by xmas.
We explained that only babies have dummys and he now gets a bit embarresed and says the same when people are around so it's starting to sink in

He's just such a good sleeper i'm hoping it doesn;t change things

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seeker · 05/04/2008 15:21

Why do you want to et rid of it, Wendy?

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jakethepeg · 07/04/2008 09:51

Thanks everyone.

I don't have a problem with him having it to get off to sleep, he goes to bed well and is asleep in minutes and doesn't bother about it in the night so I guess I could be more strict and make it stay in the bedroom rather than just get rid of it altogether.

It bugs me when he has it in a morning (when we are not at work or nursery) and is watching TV for a bit and has it in then. I have to distract him then whip it away so he forgets about it. He doesn't take it out of the house now and I think he will drop it himself when he gets to school.

I am going to start him out of nappies tonight (another thread on another board about this!!) so will leave the dummy for now, don't want too many changes for him! I will definitely start making him leave it in his room during the day though.

Cheers!