18 month old wants dummy more than ever...help!

[Heatherbell1978]

DS1 has used a dummy since he was about 6 wks. I was one of those 'I'll never use a dummy' people until I had a baby of course....it was a godsend when he was little and wanting to latch 24/7 and then became a great sleep prop. We managed for a long time with it just being for naps and then he started teething and it was the only thing that soothed him. He's still teething....but the molars now...and he also knows how to ask for the dummy so it's constant. I genuinely think it's still linked to teething as he'll ask for it while shoving his finger in his mouth. But he asks all the time.....I wouldn't mind if I thought he would get over it at some point soon. We'd hoped 18 months would be the point we'd stop it but if it helps his teething I don't want to yet...but also don't want to feed his obsession with it and make giving it up worse!! Thoughts?

[ODog]

I'm in a really similar position minus the teething. DS is 20mo and has turned into a total dummy monster since he started talking and could ask for it.

Distraction has worked well for us. Pulling sit faces when he asks for it makes him laugh and then I cannot ally get him involved in something else. Also giving it to him when he is genuinely tired (ie just before naps and just before bed) so he knows if he needs it he can have it.

It's such a tough one though.

[LittleBearPad]

Give it to him whilst he's teething if it makes him happy. Once the molars are through then start limiting it a bit more. Maybe only when napping, sleeping or in car seat/buggy. Then naps/bed time only. He'll grow out it. Then the dummy fairy can come.

DD was a total dummy monster. We kind of moved through the above, ranked about the dummy fairy. Then one night she announced the dummy fairy was coming. Ignored her dummy, loved her my little pony present the best day abd hasn't asked for a dummy once since. I was stunned.

[Pippidoeswhatshewants]

He's still very little and finds it comforting - why not?
The Easter bunny took dcs dummies when they were 2.9-ish without much fuss, dummies were limited to bedtime from around 2.

[VagueIdeas]

Don't sweat it. Just let him have it

He needs it at the moment (and so do you I'm sure!).

With my dummy-loving DD, I managed to get to the stage where she only had it at night, at around 2.5. Then at 3 I realised she was never asking for it (but we were giving it anyway!) and so we stopped. Easy!

But I never fretted about dummies, was never anti-dummy, and didn't give a rat's arse about what people thought about my child having a dummy.

[Waypasttethersend]

Meh sort it out when he's 2.

3 DDs all dummy and boob fiends, all perfect talkers with no teeth issues. They aren't old enough to understand dummy "rules" at 18m. Start setting dummy only at bed after two when you feel you can explain then dummy gets dumped entirely at 4/before school.