Dummies

[snowcloud]

I know this will have been done many times but my soon to be 4 year old just cannot give up his dummy. He only has it when he gets into bed at night but times when we have tried to give it up it is like we have pretty much killed his best friend. Will he just eventually decide and that will be it, gone? He couldn't really care less about a dummy fairy and getting a nice reward. If he goes to bed knowing he is allowed it when he gets into bed he's straight to sleep instantly but without he goes absolutely crazy. It's very annoying as I was so against them (I don't know why really now). Then I think I sucked my thumb anytime of day I chose up until age about 12 and no one ever took that from me and is it such a bad thing? I just don't know although I do want it to end in a way. Will it damage teeth or not?

We didn't do dummy fairy. I threw it in the fire when they were all 3 about to turn 4. yes they cried, yes I was the bad bitch for a few nights but they got over it.

When my DS1 was 2 1/2 I decided to get rid of the dummies. He had to have 2 to sleep with - 1 in his mouth and 1 in his hand in case he lost the other!
I told him he was too old for a dummy and bought him a present to distract him instead - a tape recorder and load of story tapes ( he's 15 now - with younger kids we had to get rid of mussies (muslins) instead and it's a cd player and cds!). With all my kids at bed time I just told them they were big children now and they could have a special treat only for big kids (ie the story cd/tape). With all the children I made sure we searched the house for any hidden dummies (or mussies) early in the day when they weren't tired and got rid of them all. (Partly so I wouldn't be tempted to give in). I kept saying at bedtime how grown up they were and what a treat it was to have an extra story - I still read to them before bed of course. The only one I had any trouble with was my youngest Ds. I'd been mean to him and taken away his dummy at 6 months (as I'd read that was the kindest age to ditch it) but he'd then started sucking his mussy instead. When we chucked them out he kept saying at night, "but I need something to suck on!!". It only lasted a few nights though...

Good luck!