Cold turkey dummy or wait a little bit longer

[milkyjo]

My 2 year old DS has dummies for naps and night time only. He has up to 4 in his cot at one time, usually 2/3 are on the floor by the morning. He will give it to me after he's woken up - sometimes it takes a few minutes but he's not allowed out of his cot until the dummy is put on the shelf out of the way. I would like him to stop using them but he'll be having a new baby sister in a couple of months, maybe start potty training and moving into a bed. Do you think it would be wise to wait a bit? I don't think he's ready for potty training yet but when he is I'd like to start straight away, which could be in the next couple of months. Should I go cold turkey with the dummies now or wait until new baby is here and DS has settled down. Or should I cut out 3 dummies and just leave him with one, or take away the dummy at naptime and leave it for night time - would this be very confusing for him? Any thoughts would be gratefully received x

I'd leave the dummy until a good while after the baby has arrived - he'll probably need it for comfort, why take it away? Also it might be wise to leave potty training for a while too - he's not very old and you'll not be in much of a mood for cleaning up puddle/poo off the carpet when you've got a baby too. I potty trained my DD1 this summer, started when she was 2.7mo and she got the hang of it quickly because she was ready. I don't think it is worth even trying it until they are really ready for it. Hope that helps.

My DD1 is 4.5 and my DD2 is 2.5. We started have started to wean our youngest off the same way as we did the eldest by slowly reducing the amount of time we allow her to have a dummy. She understands she can only have it at bed time. She does ask for it during the day but we say no and explain why at the same time rather than just say no. It will be awkward once the new baby comes but children are different and your 2nd child may settle more easily and not need a dummy.

2 yrs is still quite little, and if he only has it for naps and nighttime then I wouldn't worry too much. I believe the concern for dummies comes when children are using them constantly through the day.

Ds2 had a dummy at nighttime up until he was about 3. We went on holiday and totally forgot to bring any of his dummies so he had to go cold turkey - absolutely no problems at all. Though when we got home I had to quickly dash upstairs and get them all so he wouldn't want them back again!

Good luck x

This is completely different as I've just got rid of my ds dummy but he's only 7.5 months. BUT it's the best thing I've ever done. He's completely forgotten about it (after a few days) and is sleeping better. I know a lot of people with older kids have linked it in with Xmas. Ie father Christmas will leave your presents and take all the dummies. Cold turkey best I think too. Get them all out of the house so you can't go back. Within a few days it'll all be forgotten. Very best of luck.

I have 2 year old twins who use dummies in the bedroom only (I let them have them while we get ready for bed, read stories etc as well as for sleeping. We rarely don't have them downstairs in the daytime.

In your shoes, I would leave it for a good while yet. At the moment there are so many new and unknown things going on, which might mean either your DS has a harsh time or you regret your decision. Your new baby might want a dummy, causing confusion and hurt if you won't let DS have his too; you might find bedtimes easier to juggle with two if a dummy can offer comfort; any number of other things.

I am keeping the dummies at bedtime for as long as my two want them. I sucked my thumb all my life, and I want to avoid that for my children. A dummy will be cast aside eventually, but thumb sucking is impossible difficult to give up.

I have a DS who's 4 a week today. He still used his dummy at bed time until 6 months ago when his one and only went missing and I had warned him if it popped or got lost there would be no more, and after 1 night of sole destroying upset for him and me and my oh, he was absolutely fine without it, even with sleeping in a bed next to his then just 2 year old sister. I had made sure that they both used a different type of dummy so he wouldn't use his sisters

If he isn't ready don't force it, the dummy was the second to last thing of babyness he let go of, he still has a comfort blanket in bed, which he can have for life as long as I can wash I occasionally

I'd personally potty train first, when they use the toilet it's easier to enforce the "your a big boy now" thing and start training his mind to believe he doesn't need a dummy, and then you will have an infant sibling who you can reinforce the "babies use dummys" thing

I was you 3 years ago. I took DD1's dummy away at Christmas and it was torture. She screamed for hours, thought Santa was a bastard (cos we said he'd taken it) and at 6 months pg I was exhausted. I ended up giving it back.

She gave it up herself a few months later, I really wish I hadn't stressed about it.

Your DS probably seems like a big boy but when you look back in a few years you'll think how wee he looks I bitterly regret thinking DD1 was a big girl

Enjoy Christmas with him

i planned for DD1 to give her dummy to santa last christmas when she was 2y4m. She was really poorly with a cold at christmas and had decided to stop wearing nappies so I didn't push it. On Dec 28th she bit a hole in her dummy, we were away with relatives and I told her there was only one dummy. she tried to suck the broken dummy decided it was "rubbish" and threw it in the bin and has been dummy free ever since. The only timke dummies got mentioned was when we were getting ready for DD2's arrival and she asked me if I would be going to buy the baby a dummy. DD2 is a real dummy fiend but I shall go the same route with her. Don't rush it they get there in the end

I would get rid of it if you feel its the right time to do so. Both of mine gave up dummies easily (at 17 and 11 months). If he is chucking 2-3 he doesnt sound that bothered to me. I think they can become as much of a comforter to the parent as the baby after a while.