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Original poster

To expect my child to believe in the ‘dummy fairy’

78 replies

Fevs · 01/08/2018 22:46

My child has loved his dummy for 3.5 years. Over the past year we’ve managed to reduce his usage to night time sleep only but we think enough is enough and the dummy has to go!
I’ve asked various friends and a popular technique to get rid is the dummy fairy. So for the past couple of weeks we’ve built this up and tonight all of his dummy’s were put in a sock (apart from the one in his mouth) for the dummy fairy to collect (she’s going to grab the one from his mouth too). In return she’s going to leave him a toy.

I think he gets it. He seems to nod and agree but whether he still understands tomorrow night is beyond me.
Did anyone else do this and it be a success?
If so was it immediate or did it take time?
And most importantly.... did it affect their sleep?
No going back now...... Hmm

OP posts:
missmapp · 01/08/2018 22:49

We got rid of dummies at about 3. Didn't do the dummy fairy, just went cold turkey. The first night was hard but then got wasier. You MUST throw out all the dummies (even the secret, emergency, stash) to make sure you don't succumb at 3am . If you stay from you will be fine.
Good luck !

missmapp · 01/08/2018 22:50

Wasier ! Easier - honest !

Dauphinois · 01/08/2018 22:52

Yes, it worked for Dd at 3.5yrs.

She struggled to settle on the first night and I had to stay in her room until she was asleep, but she slept through and never looked back after that.

Good luck!

peoplearemean · 01/08/2018 22:54

Didn't do the dummy fairy (though my parents did for me), instead we posted them to the new babies at the hospital - that way they were out of the house! Worked.

Redland12 · 01/08/2018 22:54

Shouldn’t of started off with them in the first place! They make a child look ridiculous with it stuck in their mouth. Slows their speech too. What point do they serve? Horrible things.

peoplearemean · 01/08/2018 22:55

Ps I think if they are old enough to converse about it it sinks in, good luck!

peoplearemean · 01/08/2018 22:55

@Redland12 that wasn't the question was it. Helpful.

BuntyII · 01/08/2018 22:56

@Redland12 they reduce the risk of SIDS and provide comfort to babies who enjoy sucking.

tiggerbounce77 · 01/08/2018 22:56

Dummy fairy worked for us, don't forget the fairy glitter sprinkled around the toy the fairy has left

Redland12 · 01/08/2018 22:58

Peoplearemen. I know it wasn’t but I hate the things. Makes a child look stupid, sucking on nothing!

SneakyGremlins · 01/08/2018 23:00

Sucking a thumb is also sucking on "Nothing" Confused is that also stupid?

Shutityoutart · 01/08/2018 23:00

The Easter bunny took my 3 year olds. He was only just 3 so the bunny took it for all the baby bunnies, and left him a note and a golden chocolate bunny.
He fully understood and never asked for it again

Original poster
Fevs · 01/08/2018 23:01

Thanks everyone (apart from Redland12) ! Will be interesting to see how it goes... I agree I definitely need to throw them all out as there really is no return now. Fingers crossed he doesn’t miss it too much. But I’m 100% sure he will.... haha

@Redland12 like I said in my original post, he only uses it at night so if that stops him from speaking at that point then perfect!

Initially we used it because he was a tiny baby who needed soothing and he found great comfort in it. Like anything babies can become attached to things.
It massively helped with his sleep, he has always gone down at 7 and is up at 7 and is one of the most talkative children you will ever meet!

As with anything parenting related, each to their own, my original post was ‘am I attempting to get rid in the right way’, not ‘please let me explain why he has it’.
But thanks! Grin

OP posts:
KipperTheFrog · 01/08/2018 23:01

Dummy fairy worked for DD1. She struggled to settle that night but after that was fine. She still t sold about giving her dummies to the dummy fairy 2 years later!

arethereanyleftatall · 01/08/2018 23:02

After all the comfort my 2 dds derived from their dummies, I couldn't believe how easy it was to take them away. I think we did one fairy, and the other one we just lost them. Took one night of tears. Next night nothing.

Anotherdayanotherdollar · 01/08/2018 23:03

Redland non-nutritive sucking can relieve pain and also comforts babies. Research shows that babies who suck dummies have a reduced risk of SIDS.
My oldest child had a dummy. He also has a very advanced vocabulary and clear speech. He was able to have proper conversations with people at a year and a half.
Your post doesn't help anyone.

Original poster
Fevs · 01/08/2018 23:03

@tiggerbounce77 oh noooo... can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Anywhere I can pick glitter up now.......? Haha
God I need to up my creativeness with this sort of stuff!

OP posts:
SunflowerJo08 · 01/08/2018 23:04

We moved house at the exact time where DS really did not need his dummy anymore, he was a similar age and it was starting to affect his teeth, arching them. He only had it at the start of the night and I took it out as soon as he was asleep.

we left it behind for the "new children" and at the new house we discovered that the "old children" from that house had left behind a lovely new teddy to cuddle at night. He really got this.

If he's accepted the idea, just go for it. It takes 3 nights of a consistent new routine for a child to come round to the new ways. If the fairy could leave behind a new teddy to cuddle, that would go a long way to starting a new comfort routine.

mamabear2010 · 01/08/2018 23:04

Did the dummy with my daughter worked a treat , poor son had second child syndrome and just got His took off him
Can I just say daughter talked early and is still chatting .son delayed speech dummy had nothing to do with it as both only had for nap and bed times

Scrolblewomp · 01/08/2018 23:04

Shouldn’t of started off with them in the first place! They make a child look ridiculous with it stuck in their mouth. Slows their speech too. What point do they serve? Horrible things.

They are actually recommended for premature babies to help develop the suck reflex.

Fiveletters · 01/08/2018 23:05

We had one horrible night of sobbing at bedtime. But we stuck to it and she never mentioned them again.
Good luck.

Joinourclub · 01/08/2018 23:06

Redland12 those of us who find that the dummy provides the wonderful gift of sleep, really don’t care how the children look or what you think.

Shutityoutart · 01/08/2018 23:06

redland there is no such thing as a stupid child.

Bouledeneige · 01/08/2018 23:06

Hate dummies - never used them. Because they stop children learning to comfort and settle themselves and then weaning them off them involves this amount of trouble. Like getting off crack. Avoid at all costs new parents!

sirmione16 · 01/08/2018 23:07

@Fevs icing sugar or a powder of some sort in a place where the dummies were if no time to get glitter :) easy enough to clean up too