What do you think of 2 - 3 year olds with dummies?

[Pixienott0005]

Trying hard to scrap my sons dummy but it is proving very difficult. I often feel because he's tall for his age that people must think it's ridiculous he has one. It's just for nap times and bed time.

Also any tips?

[luckiestgirl]

Does he nap in the pram? Who sees him with it?

Why shouldn't he have it? Has the dentist said it's affecting his teeth?

[DocMcFanjo]

I think you do what you have to do. If it's only for sleep that's not so bad.

How old is he? Could you get the dummy fairy to pay a visit and leave him a big boy present in its place? It'd need talking up for a few days...

[guiltynetter]

if it's just for bedtime and naptime then I doubt many people see him with it in anyway?

my DD is nearly 2 she'd have the dummy in all day every day if she could. I hate it and feel quite embarrassed about it but it's only really me that sees it as she only has it for sleep too (or if she's super upset)

I'm hoping to get rid at Christmas by giving it to Father Christmas...it worked perfectly for my friend so I'll try the same.

[Kim82]

I don't see the problem with them. My dd is almost two and has hers when sleeping and when in the car. I'm happy for her to keep it for another year or so yet and will take it away when she understands better and I can explain about the dummy fairy.

[situatedknowledge]

The Last Noo Noo
Little Princess I want my dummy

and probably a couple more. We got there in the end.

[Buttons23]

I do realise it's hard to get a child off their dummy, my son was really attached to his dummy. A lot of people told us to wait until he understood and we could do the dummy fairy or something but to be honest I thought it was too long and my son would be too old. We thought it would be horrendous when we scooped all his dummies up and chucked them in the bin, but actually 2-3 bad nights and bingo he has never asked for it again. We thought it would be much worse. He was a couple of months shy of 2 when we got rid of them cold turkey.

[maybebabybee]

I would think it was none of my business

[crankyblob]

I wouldn't judge.

I do think it is harder to remove it the older they get though as they are less distracted. I have 5 DC and the harder 2 were the eldest as I waited the longest. It still only took about 3 nights though of going cold turkey!

The youngest 3 were removed early and took 24 hours to forget all about it.

[minipie]

Don't have a problem if it's just sleep times

If it's all day I wonder if it might be affecting their speech

[oddsockfairy]

My nearly two year old DD would have hers in all day (if I let her) until recently - we've started making a big thing about putting it in her (or my) pocket which she accepts quite happily as she loves pockets...

Nap time at nursery they dont have one, but when she is with me she does, and for bedtimes and 90% of in the car or when she is especially upset.

I will try the dummy fairy/Father Christmas idea once she is old enough to understand but at the moment am just trying to minimise her dummy use as far as possible without creating tantrums.

I wouldn't judge anyone else though as I have a deep dark secret... I had my dummy (at night) until aged 7!! I also have nice straight teeth and speak properly....but I am def not condoning my mother's obviously questionable ability to say no to me. But she did have 4 DCs under 5 at one point so I was bound to be forgotten as the eldest!

[babyblabber]

Google bye bye binky.

It's how I got rid of my kids' soothers (they were 22 months & 2 years 2 months). They were both still attached to the stump by the end of it so we did the soother fairy then.

Both of mine were total addicts and I would have thought it was going to be way harder to get rid of them but it was totally fine.

[juneau]

DS1 had a dummy until his 3rd birthday, when we told him that the new babies needed them and so poof! the fairies took them and they all disappeared. We built up to it and got him on board, and while I was bricking myself that he'd have a complete melt-down it actually went fine. We told him how proud we were of him for being a big boy and not needing them any more and actually compared with DS2 who, aged five, still sucks his fingers, the dummies were surprisingly easy to ditch.

[PerspicaciaTick]

As long as it isn't getting in the way of his learning to talk, it isn't a problem. But if it is in a lot of the time and he is trying to talk through it (and not making the proper mouth shapes as a result) or doesn't bother talking if he can get away with body language, then it would be a good idea to try and limit it to bedtimes.

[AnyFucker]

Nothing.

My dd had hers for naps and bed until she was 4.

My son wouldn't bloody have one

[Thisismyfirsttime]

I'm worried about this myself because DD is just 2 and if anything wants her dummy more now because she snuggles under a blanket in front of the telly with it and if she's in her pram and wants to walk when she can't she'll stop raging if I give her it. (I have one in the pram because she naps regularly in there.) I'm going with it for now because when she's a bit older she can walk more so won't need it to stop her going apeshit but I do think people are judging!

[MeLittleDuckie]

Pre-having kids I'd have been all 'I won't give a dummy to my kids, we'll just do without and we won't have to go through giving it up'.

Now, I'd see your kid contently sucking on their dummy and I'd be totally jealous, as mine is currently teething like mad and is refusing his So that's my karma for being judgy I suppose! Here's to another sleepless night...

[crankyblob]

Op I just remembered why I took my youngest Dummy off of him. He was biting the teat of his dummy and bottle and one day he bit the teat straight off and nearly choked on it. He was about 12 months.

So would definitely say to be vigilante if having a dummy when they are older if they can potentially bite it other than that I see no problem with it if it comforts them.

[Dinoraptor449]

I won't say get rid of them because my 3 and 4 year olds still have them, so I would say leave it until he grows out of it. They do love dummies and I don't have the strength to take tham away, and what is the harm in waiting.

[EquinoxBloom]

No one would know if it was just for naps and sleep though?

DD got rid of hers at 3, but it was only ever used for sleep.

I see kids coming in and out of nursery with dummies in and I do judge

[LittleNelle]

If it's just in bed then who cares?