What age did you ditch the dummy?

[Tinks15]

My DD is 17 months just wondered when to start thinking about getting rid. Thanks!

[PeggyMitchell123]

He was around 18 months. I know some people do dummy fairy and what not but we just gathered them all up and put them straight in bin. Little bit of crying at bedtime but a couple of days later he stopped asking for it and forgot all about it. I thought we would really struggle as well because he was quite attached to his dummy.

[BugPlaster]

When you see an opportunity that suits your family.
For us, DD was 3yo, had been v attached to it so we waited until we could reason with her so her choice was involved. DS didn't have it til 9months but was getting more and more attached so bought him a toy and he put dummy in bin at 2y4m. He asked for it for a while but we distracted him. Trouble is he is an early riser and has been waking even earlier ever since.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I let Dd grow out of it which was around 4.5.
It honestly didn't bother me as I sucked my thumb until much later

[BobbieDog]

Dd grew out of it. She started refusing it at bedtime and during the day just after her 2nd birthday so i just threw them in the bin after a week of her not wanting a dummy. She never asked for them and she was really attached to a dummy

[smEGGnogg]

Oh about 2 or 3 with all of mine.

There will come a time when they start leaving it alone a bit more, when they are playing hard and concentrating and you notice that it's become redundant.
That's the best time to make it 'disappear' during the day for example. Then just use for settling down and nap time. Then just bed time. At that point we simply took them away. They hardly noticed.

[Lovelybangers]

Ooh about 3.5-4 years old. I can't really remember now but he was very attached to his dummies

His friend at nursery 'recycled' his so we did the same. Apologies to the bottle bank people...

DS is now 18 and his teeth are perfect.

[Looneytune253]

Defo the sooner the better (after 6 months) I got rid at 9m for my eldest and was just a cpl of rough nights and we were done. With youngest we decided to do it at 5months. Was a little early though as she turned into a finger sucker. Do it now but don't go back!!

[Chelazla]

My daughter is 4 and obsessed. We limit it strictly to bed time and she likes it that much she will sometimes take herself to bed just to have it. It has absolutely got to go I know but keep putting it off. She is in every other way really grown up!

[addstudentdinners2]

My ds is only 9.5 months but I won't be taking it away til he is ready. It's his comfort.

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

Ds is 3 and still has it for naps, and for the 30 mins quiet time between dinner and bath time. Ideally I probably would have got rid by now but he won't be napping for much longer so I can't be bothered to have the drama until they stop. When they do, the dummy will go.

My mum is about him still having it but I don't really see the big deal. I am very strict about him not having it outside of nap or prior to bedtime though, given his age.

[Passmethecrisps]

3.5 this easter.Dd was extremely attached to hers so it took a great deal of planning and prep. We went for dummy fairy.

In some respects I wish we had got rid earlier but then it gave her comfort so there was no harm really

[OvariesForgotHerPassword]

Between 18 months and 2. It wasn't deliberate, we went on holiday and forgot them. When we came back she wasn't bothered so we chucked. I would have been happy for her to have them for as long as she needed really.

[llangennith]

Wait till DD gives it up herself. Why the urgency?

[confusedandemployed]

3y6m. She just gave up. Was extremely attached prior to this. It turned out to be by far the most minor milestone to navigate.

[xyzandabc]

Dd1 - 16 months.
Dd2 was a thumb sucker, so no dummy
Dd1 - 7 months as he was waking up every 45 mins through the night and unable to put it back in himself.

Just went cold turkey for both of them.

[MistressMerryWeather]

Both DS's stopped when they turned 3.

Thankfully they were both 'ready' so it didn't stress them out.

Does she have it during the day?

[Tinks15]

I limit the dummy throughout the day she doesnt tend to be too bothered about it really unless she is tired or unwell. She has it of a night but she always wakes in the night if it falls out, her sleeping is & always has been atrocious but thats another story!

[FinnegansCake]

My DGD was very attached to her dummy until 2.5 (we used to call her "Simpson" because she constantly sucked on it like the cartoon baby). My DD explained to her that she would only allow her to have it in bed. She accepted the restriction, but would put herself to bed for a quick suck on it if she was upset. Two months on, she only has it at nap time and bedtime, and spits it out when asleep whereas before she used to suck it for a good part of the night.
Unfortunately her teeth look very slightly prominent from all the hard sucking.

[uhoh2016]

Ds is 22m he still has a dummy but mainly at night. He has it in the day if he's having a sleep or is ill or upset. I always take it away if he's playing. My older ds never liked the car so he had it then too, I figured it was safer for me to drive with him quiet with a dummy In rather than trying to concentrate whilst he's kicking off in the car seat. Younger dc never bothered about having a dummy in the car. Just do what feels right for you and your child.

[Soubriquet]

3.5 ish

We got rid of it on Mother's Day but her behaviour changed drastically

She became very anxious and tearful

So we gave it back for a few more weeks and then tried again. 2nd time worked and she hasn't had it since

[MrsMac1397]

We just got rid of my DD1 dummy, she turned 2 a few days before Christmas. Santa took them and left her toys. We had tears the first night and a few requests for it on Christmas Day but since then she's accepted it quite well.

I have them hidden in case it didn't work but think I'll throw them away now I know she can cope without.

[MrBear]

DD1 6months
DD2 2 years
DS1 (another relationship) never had a dummy. Odd thing was he did that "dummy mime" thing in his sleep unless he was 3 or 4

Short answer - when they dont seem too attached to it. If your worried I'd start to try to reduce their attachment , rather than going cold turkey ...

[BotBotticelli]

DS1:

3.11yo - he only had it at night and one night called me upstairs and just said "mummy I don't need dummy anymore, I am a big boy now" sniff!!!

DS2:
4mo, because the little sod was waking every 45 mins at night when it fell out his mouth and he couldn't find it again..! He quickly got attached to a cuddly bunny instead and now sucks it's (stinky) ears to get to sleep. Sigh. But at least he can find it in the cot himself!

[Mum2jenny]

No dummy, but thumb sucking instead. Not sure if it was better or worse than a dummy.