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Any tips of getting rid of a DUMMY?

58 replies

ELMTREE · 28/09/2007 08:06

My dd is 2 and a half and always wants her dummy and her cuddle blanket. She has just started pre school, but thats another story. I would like to try and cut the dummy out or at least down but not sure how to go about doing it, as when i have in the past she has gone mental. How come when you watch supernanny most children will give them up no problems.

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littlerach · 28/09/2007 08:10

Dd2 gave uo herdummy jsy before her 3rd birthday.
But she has always only had it for sleeps, never when she is up and awake.
TBH, the anticipation of her giving it up was worse than when we did it.
She cried for about 5 mins, then went to sleep. She woke a couple of times in the night, but settled easily.
This also coincided with her stopping her day time sleeps though.

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hertsnessex · 28/09/2007 08:17

i took ds1's dummmy away at a yr, just never gave it back, not sure what to say at 2.5 as they are so much more aware. how about wrapping them up to give as a present to a baby - and getting her a big girls present? then you just have to be strong not to give them back. good luck

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InMyHumbleOpinion · 28/09/2007 08:20

Leave it in the bed. Pretend not to understand a word she says when she has it in her mouth. Wait until she's three and bribe her with monay.

Oh, and Elmtree? Supernanny is edited to make supernanny look good. Of course they won't show the trembling and hysterical week before they get to the happily not bothered stage.

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ELMTREE · 28/09/2007 12:25

It seems to be one thing after another at the moment thou. She is badly constipated and seeing a health visitor about it next tuesday, she just started pre-school and cried like mad when i leave her. I just dont know if another thing to get over will rock the boat.

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Hassled · 28/09/2007 12:28

I invented a rule whereby DS1 could have his dummy whenever he wanted but he had to be lying down in bed to have it - it was for resting/sleep only. He soon lost interest in it during the day but had it for ages at night - I think he was actually pushing Reception age. TBH I don't see that it's an issue at night - if it gives them comfort. why not?

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Moomin · 28/09/2007 12:30

I started the idea of giving the dummy up a few months before christmas when dd1 was just 2, She was only having it at night anyway but I said that father christmas would leave her a present if she leave her dummy for him because he needed it to give to younger children.

We practices not having it at night for a little while but she still had a few hanging about and she coped really well so on xmas eve i threw them all away and said that santa had left her a rocking horse in return for her dummy. She talked about it for a while after but didn't make a fuss.

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ConnorTraceptive · 28/09/2007 12:40

DS is same age and the over use of dummy crept in while I was in hospital [deflects blame onto dh] I do what humble opinion says and always use the can't understand what you are saying line.

We haven't gone totally cold turkey but I take it away at breakfast time and won't allow it during the day except at nap time. If he gets upset then I try to distract him with a favourite activity (usually hoovering

It sucks but you just have to be strict about it.

Not sure when we'll tackle bedtime use though

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LoveMyGirls · 28/09/2007 12:41

Ohh good thread am just doing this with dd2 will be back with a cuppa!

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law3 · 28/09/2007 12:49

Elmtree - how about just limiting the dummy, i think someone already suggested nap time and bed.

My ds2 sucked his thumb, couldnt take that away, also had blanket. He grew out of it. She is still only a baby bless, let her have her comfort, theres no rush, they grow up toooo fast.

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law3 · 28/09/2007 12:50

ps hi LMG hows it going?

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bubblagirl · 28/09/2007 12:56

my ds 2.5 only has dummy at night he gives it to me when i hand him his breakfast in the morning

i jst keep him occupied always carry one though in case he is tired as he settles with it or shopping when stropping out but as soon as were home it goes away again

when he is 3 the latest and more aware i will get him to choose a toy he really wants and we'll send the dummy off with dummy fairies and for being a big boy the fairies will leave him his toy thats how my friend done it

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HappyDaddy · 28/09/2007 12:57

Our dd dropped hers in Tesco one day. "it's gone, it's dirty now and there aren't anymore" she was told. Amazingly, she didn't kick up a fuss of go mental at all.

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fawkeoff · 28/09/2007 12:58

dont know if this will help you but it helped with both of my dc.when they hit about 8 months old i started to play the aeroplane dummy thing shoving it in their mouths....but when it was their turn to stick it in mine i just shook my head and made a bleurgh noise...after a few days they picked up on this then stopped having the dummy.

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LoveMyGirls · 28/09/2007 13:33

We are on day two of trying to lessen the use of a dummy as dd2 was becoming very dependant on it, wed am she broke the dummy she had with her while we were out so i wouldnt give it back said it was broken etc she screamed the rest of the time we were out then yesterday i didnt take one with me to do 2 school runs and she screamed throughout - highly embarrassing!! BUT today i said leave dummy in cot, dummy is for bedtimes now you are a big girl (will be 2 tomorrow) and she has asked for it a few times this morning but i've repeated dummy is in your cot for when you go to sleep and she hasn't cried, i've let her have it for her nap this afternoon so not sure what will happen when she gets up and has to leave it, she always wants it on school run - any tips on how to stop her crying for it (if she cries) i've tried taking toys instead but she throws them and has a massive tantrum

She has fractured her colar bone this week so Dp said he thinks we should leave the dummy thing while her shoulder hurts but I really think she is ready to give it up in the daytime, if i don't limit the time she has it she would have it in all day and she is getting very possesive over it every time she can't get her own way or falls over she wants it and screams and screams until she gets it, i think its best to nip it in the bud. Of course I have sympathy for the fact her shoulder hurts but i'm with her all day so can cuddle her for comfort.

With Dd1 we let her have it until her 4th birthday (not sure when she gave it up in the daytime but this was the bedtime dummy) she screamed to start with but we told her firmly no its gone and she never asked again.

(Hi law3, things are going well thanks, your advice on my thread was great btw in the end a firm NO has been doing me good, i think because i've got an 8yr old i sometimes (without realising) over complicate things when talking to the younger ones, i've had a really sore throat this week and have limited the words i'm using and have found saying a simple NO has helped, I have also been using time out for hitting, a wipe round the face and a firm NO with the spitting has been working so far, dd2 isn't copying as much either as she has quickly picked up on the fact there are consquences. Plus they are both now completely over chicken pox so that has helped!)

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law3 · 28/09/2007 13:58

LMG - glad to hear things have improved.

How about giving her something to eat on the school run instead of dummy, do you think that would keep her happy?

Poor little thing, collar bone is extremely painful, my nephew managed it on a skiing trip. just over chicken pox as well. Hope she feels better soon.

She is probably feeling a little fragile at the mo, might be a good idea to leave it for a week or so before starting.

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LoveMyGirls · 28/09/2007 14:10

I did think about that but during school run (i do 2) we're in n out the car 3 times so hardly able to be left to eat and then mindee would want he same and if i feed him between meals he doesnt eat his dinner so its tricky.

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law3 · 28/09/2007 14:21

LMG - how about a tape or cd for the car with nursery rhymes or something on it, (if you can handle it 3 times lol)to act as a distraction.

or game of how many blue cars, red cars, buses etc you can see.

Or a drink, instead of dummy

Just trying to think of alternative distractions you could use in the car.

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Beelliesebub · 28/09/2007 15:13

Divorce him.....

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LoveMyGirls · 28/09/2007 18:25

It didnt go too badly today, she has managed to go the entire day not having her dummy (apart from nap) when she woke up I said to leave it in the cot ready for bed she wasn't too happy about it but she didnt cry, then we had to get ready and do the school run but she took her drink with her and i put a dummy in my pocket just in case i decided enough was enough (which i know would have set me back but it made me feel more confident knowing it was there if i needed it iykwim)

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Merlin · 28/09/2007 18:43

Well, DS2 fell over in the garden and bashed his teeth and mouth and could only drink through a straw for a couple of days, let alone the dummy.

Bit drastic I know, but he hasn't bothered with it since

I think with DS1 we just gradually cut down the times he had, like only for sleeps.

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hellish · 28/09/2007 18:46

dd1 agreed to swap it for a Barbie scooter
it was hard at bedtime for a few weeks though

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MelbourneMum · 29/09/2007 03:24

do you think it effects their teeth at all? My ds2 (2 1/2) has always had a dummy for bedtime and his front teeth seem to protrude a little. It could just be his teeth but it has occurred to me that it could be the dummy? does anyone know if they can cause this?
Sorry to hijack, I'm really keen to wean him off it all together too.

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Susianna · 29/09/2007 07:50

Could someone tell me (genuine question!) why everyone is so keen to get rid of their lo's dummy? I am really surprised at it!

Sorry to intrude on the thread

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LieselVentouse · 29/09/2007 08:33

on xmas eve we got her to wrap them up so that santa could give them to the new babies. when i was having DD2 my neighbour got her 2 yr old to wrap them p and give them to my baby - with a note from the mummy saying "youve done me a huge favour please bin these"

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wildpatch · 29/09/2007 08:35

lose at a motorway service station.
then be unable to find any in any shops anywhere in the country.

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