Weaning DD off the dummy - any tips?

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

I've set myself a challenge a weaning my DD (18 months) off the dummy in January! I don't mind her having it very occasionally, like if she's ill or just needs a bit of extra comfort, but I just want to break her very strong connection to it, as if she had it her way she would have it ALL THE TIME.

So any tips on how to do it? She can be a very strong-minded, stubborn little thing at times and I know that just taking it off her and letting her cry for 20 mins until she falls asleep won't work. She would rather scream at an ever-increasing volume for hours until she gets it!

I heard someone say once about just snipping a tiny bit off the end of the dummy until they lose interest. Has anyone done this? Does it work? Any other bright ideas? She's not really old enough to talk about the dummy fairy or anything like that and I don't really want to wait another year until she is.

Hi. DS came off it at about 2.6. It was easy actually. He only really used it to fall asleep (removed once asleep), if he was very upset and on long plane journeys. I reduced the amount of use as much as I could then told him it was lost. Falling asleep without it is fine. It helped that he was dropping his nap anyway so by bedtime he was shattered. He's asked for it a couple of times since but only when he's fallen over and got very upset.

When he was a bit younger I tried snipping the end of it but when i did this he tried to suck it and then went into absolute meltdown when it didn't work.

Hmmmm.I am in the same position. DC3 is also 18 months and loves her dummy. DC1 did not have 1 (much as I tried!) and DC2 had hers much more than DC3 does, and I just lived with the guilt as it made 2 toddlers bearable, but told her when she was 2, the dummy fairy would
Come to collect them, and she did. No fuss at all -- she just moved on to sucking her thumb.

I am going to try the same with dc3 and hope she doesn't move on to her thumb or the orthodontist bills will bankrupt me...
Good luck, and do share any top tips!

Hi we are trying to do exactly the same thing - my son is 17 months. It's crept into him wanting one - and asking for his dummy - all the time so just limiting it to sleeping and naps to start with. Will be interested in any other tips!

My son is nearly 5 now, but he was obsessed with a dummy until he was 2 so I knew I would have a hard time releasing his grip on that piece of plastic! At first I restricted it to bedtime and naps to break the cycle a bit. This sounds awful (and very naughty) but he never liked the taste of grape juice, so I began giving it a little dip at night before offering it to him. Needless to say after 2 nights he happily drifted off without it! My god that makes me sounds like such a horrible mum! It did work though ;)

Let them decide for themselves? DS 2y has one occasionally - falling asleep, in the car, fractious in the pushchair. Some days he has it a lot, some not at all. We are leaving it up to him to get rid - I mean, he won't be 5 or 18 but I see no problem with them.