Taking toddlers dummy away

[denimjacket]

Yesterday I decided my almost 3yo wasn't getting his dummy anymore. I was getting concerned about his teeth and the fact he wanted it more and more during waking hours.
I just said I couldn't find it.
He went to sleep ok last night, nap today and bed tonight. Just extra cuddles.
He has asked for it several times and I feel so guilty when I say I don't know where it is as he keeps suggesting where it might be and going to look for it
I feel like I should have made up a better story about where it was but it's too late to do that now and I'm not sure what story he'd accept tbh.

How long til he stops asking for it?

If he's already going to sleep without it and being ok with that then he will have forgotten in a day or two.

Get him a new teddy to sleep with and tell him mummy's sorry she "couldn't find it" so she got you this new bear to keep you company in bed instead?

After unsuccessful attempts to take the dummy away we did the dummy fairy. Fairy came and took it and left a small toy. Bit like tooth fairy theory.
We explained beforehand the dummy fairy was coming.
Worked a treat, no asking for dummy at all.

Dummy fairy came to ours too. In exchange for a toy. No issues other than asking for it a few times first day without it.

I think a new toy is a good idea. He has a teddy and a comforter that he sleeps with anyway but he'd probably love a new toy car or train.

I think after getting rid of it yesterday its too late to introduce something like the dummy fairy. Tbh he's very stubborn and I suspect he'd have just said no if I asked him to give it to the dummy fairy.

Just feel sad for him when he's looking for it and worried I've scarred him for life () by not preparing him for its loss.

We used the 'go without for a week and you can pick a toy'! They were very excited to go to Smyths and pick something out. Kept asking me every night, if it had been 7days yet!!
They were 2 and 3, and we've never looked back 👍

Good luck!

We did the dummy fairy, he never asked for his dummies and he was very reliant on them, so I’d been dreading it! He’s 4.5 now and he found one the other day down the back of a drawer and stuck it in! I took it off him and cut the end off and chucked it into the bin, and he didn’t turn a hair.

He went for a nap today for MIL, I'm amazed. He's doing so well without it.
We had bought him a new play house which is being built on Thursday so he's having a lovely treat this week anyway.