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Original poster

Getting rid of dummy

11 replies

Kione · 23/09/2012 10:23

I have a nearly 3 yo daughter and she used a dummy and a conforter to sleep. She is quite good at leaving it in bed in the morning, but she asks for them when she is tired and deffinitly when she goes to bed and I am a bit anxious about getting rid of it... because she just loves them.

She has been potty trained this summer and was thinking of getting rid of dummy ant Christmas. But had so many advice on methods that I am not sure which one to use? I have 3 in mind and would love to know your experiences and ideas in chich to use:

Dummy Fairy/Santa: was thinking of putting all the dummies (she has 4) in a pretty gift bag and hang it on the tree at Christmas Eve and she'll wake up to some cool present that she likes. I had in mind some baby perfume or nail paints as she loves it when I use those and always wants some. To be honest I love the idea of this one.

Making a cut to dummies, with a knife so when she sucks on the they go flat and she will not like them. My friend said this happened to her by accident and her son just got rid of them.

Growin "hairs". I know! another friend swears by it, her mum sew some threads on every dummy and they told him it had grown hair and he didn't want to go near them. She says they used it in all kids in her family but to me sounds scary for DD??

I would love to read your ideas!

Thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

cheekybarsteward · 23/09/2012 10:54

My DD gave santa her Dummy when she was 3 to give to the baby reindeers.
She was absolutely fine with this and only whinged twice and needed reminding where it went.
Santa left her a special present and a thank you letter.
I personally wouldn't cut a dummy as not only a major choking hazzard but also very unhygenic.

goldenbird · 23/09/2012 12:07

Ha ha - hairy dummies!

We had extraordinary success with the dummy fairy method. DS (also 3) put all dummies in an envelope to post to the dummy fairy (aka my mum!). He loved taking them to the post box to post them - it felt important that he was the one getting rid... We said that she would give them to the babies who need them more (big boys don't need dummies, after all). The dummy fairy came that night and left him a chocolate cake which he found in the morning (I know, I know, food as bribes - Nigella wouldn't approve!). She also left him a note which said that if he could prove he didn't need his dummies she would bring him a toy a week's time (which she did).

No problems, no upsets, absolutely fine. Sometimes he asks for his dummy with a smile on his face, as he knows he can't have it - we just ask him where his dummies are and he says the dummy fairy gave them to the babies. He was also potty trained in the summer, so maybe no need to wait until Christmas if you think she is ready. NB we did a bit of build up over the previous weeks, letting him know that the dummy fairy would be coming soon...

Original poster

Kione · 23/09/2012 14:23

Ok, dummy Fairy/Santa it is then.

I want to wait until Christmas because her birthday is soon in October, so I don't want her to have the presents too close by as then it might not be as special? I think Christmas is good too because its lots of stuff to do and its more likely that she will be well entertained and tired by bed time!

I will do it at Christmas Eve but it will be a fairy, not to confuse things... I am excited in a way!

Thank you!

OP posts:

FSB · 25/09/2012 23:52

we're getting a visit from the dummy fairy this weekend, and i'm dreading it!!! my DD (3.2) is a dummy monster and we've been talking about taking the plunge for ages, but there's always been a reason not to... now we've run out of reasons!

i tried the hole in the dummy tactic a few months ago, and she sussed it straight away and just demanded a new dummy!

wish me luck for friday night!!! :)

wannabedomesticgoddess · 26/09/2012 00:03

DD gave her dummy to an actual santa (well it was in my pocket but she thinks he took it) a few weeks before xmas.

Then she was told if she did without the dummy santa would bring her lots of presents.

We had one night of crying and a few times where she asked for it, but that was it. I just reminded her that santa was bringing presents and she was ok.

sleepymum50 · 26/09/2012 00:04

We had the same problem, and used christmas as the giving up point - so santa could give her dummies to all the little babies who needed a dummy and she was getting a big grown up girl, etc, etc.

She went along with this, although not what she really wanted, however just after christmas she came down with a nasty bug, and really cried to have her dummy back.

Being a softy I wanted to relent, but my DH wouldn't let me. It really upset me at the time but my DH was right and she was fine after a while.

So just to say, be prepared....

wannabedomesticgoddess · 26/09/2012 00:10

Yes, dont relent. It will be really hard but stay strong. Everytime you relent will make the next attempt worse.

ThreadWatcher · 26/09/2012 00:14

I would read her The last Noo noo by Jill Murphy.
I would ditch all the dummies in the bin and buy her a present as a "arent you a big girl gift"

I wouldnt bother to wait till christmas though - why have a tearful stressful time at christmas (seems odd to me). If there are tears and stress I would far rather have them now.
Buy her a gift, get yourself some wine/chocolate and ditch the dummies :)

Lifeonthecanal · 26/09/2012 13:26

We just had great success with the dummy fairy. My 2.5 DD only had it at nap time and bed but was properly addicted. I was dreading it. In the end it worked really well. We talked about it and said they were going to the fairy for new babies. She was promised a present in the morning. 15 mins of tears at bedtime, woke twice but straight back off (this is what I was dreading), present and candles the next day and lots of praise. She did ask for it a few times after and a few tears, but nothing like I was expecting.

I'm not sure I'd so it Xmas Eve though. And I wouldn't worry about it being near her birthday and other presents. DD got some bath toys, nothing huge, but she was happy enough

Good luck!

thestringcheesemassacre · 26/09/2012 13:29

Agree with ThreadWatcher. Don't do it at Xmas.
Just do it this weekend. We took the dummies away from DD2 (2.5) 2 weeks ago and it has been just fine. A few days with a few tantrums and now doesn't even ask for it.

quornmummy · 28/09/2012 15:34

My dd was 3 and a half and I just went cold turkey with the dummy. She was becoming more dependent on it. She was sleeping with it/them and was always looking in my bag for it when tired or fed up. Taking it off her really wasn't too bad at all. I didn't go down the fairy/baby or santa route just said she was a big girl now and didn't need it. It felt tight a bit tight but I knew it was for all the right reasons. She cried a bit on and off but really adjusted to not having it very quickly. I also moved her to a big bed at the same time and focused on that rather than the dummy removal. 4 mths on she still mentions it and said she'd like it back for Xmas but she quickly moved on. I should have done it earlier.

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