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Dummys.............

7 replies

red37 · 30/05/2006 06:51

What age should I try and get ds off his dummy, he is nearly 8 months.
Any advice and tips?
TIA

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eidsvold · 30/05/2006 06:52

my dd2 is 18 months and she still has her dummy just for getting off to sleep - no plans to take it from her any time soon.

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threebob · 30/05/2006 07:06

How attached is he? Will it mean you get less sleep? Really there is no right time, and it depends a lot on how much you are prepared to put up with from a baby who really isn't old enough to understand.

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sugarfree · 30/05/2006 08:10

We 'lost' ours last Thursday night.I had 2 in the cupboard but I thought I'd see how Ds3 reacted before I got one out.
Amazingly he was totally fine.This is a child who previously had to be held down to have it removed after naps and in the morning.To say I'm shocked that it's gone would be a real understatement.
He's mentioned it a few times and I've just said "Oh,dee dee is lost isn't he?I wonder where he went?"and he's agreed and carried on.
I had absolutely no plans to stop it for now because we've just started potty training and dropped naps,as well as moving to a bed in his own room.That was more than enough to be going on with.
Ds3 is 2.7 and I agree with threebob,there is no particular time.You have 2 choices really,do it now and put up with the upset and distresstil he 'forgets' or wait til he's older and you can reason with him.If you keep it for naps and bedtimes,then no one would really know he'sgot one outside the family,if that bothers you.

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FlameBoo · 30/05/2006 08:13

DD was about 2 1/2 - we waited until then so that she could understand about the dummy fairies swiping her dummies and giving her a present in exchange. She was only allowed it for sleepy time and poorly by that age.

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Pattilou · 30/05/2006 15:35

We didn't manage to wean DS2 off till he was 3. Worst part was him waking in the night looking for it (he'd sleep surrounded by about 10 to increase his chances of finding one!). In the end the dentist said it was pushing his teeth out. I asked the dentist to tell DS this himself, and then we put the whole lot in the bin that day. One horrific night, then ok after that.

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lua · 30/05/2006 16:24

I suppose the sooner the better, because they get less attched. But would agree with others that if it means stress, it doesn't need to be accomplished.

Why don't you just try loosing it and see what happens? If it goes well, than there you go. is done!

If it looks like it would be trouble, you can distract shortly and then find it.

FWIW, with DD we got her to use only to sleep. Then, only if she woke up in the middle of the night. One day we just didn't give her, and she did cry a storm. After that she never asked for it again.

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red37 · 03/06/2006 19:39

Thanks everyone, I am reducing it to bedtimes and his nap at the mo. I had a real battle with dd, she was 3 when she came off dummy, she was due to go to pre-school in the Sept and they wouldn't allow dummys there.
I would like to get ds2 off his by the time he is 1. Fingers crossed, I will spend the next few months slowly weaning him off it.
Thanks