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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How to wean a baby off the dummy

9 replies

MUSA · 13/05/2004 16:28

Can anyone tell me how i can wean my 8 month old baby off the dummy. I do try my best not to give it to him to much, but i give in when he starts crying for it. It makes night times, a night mere because as soon as the dummy falls out of his month he will wake up, i wish i didnt give it to him on the first place.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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sponge · 13/05/2004 16:37

Let him have it when he's awake and upset but take it away before he falls asleep. You'll probably get a bit of crying, as with any retraining type thing you try with kids, but IME these things only last a couple of days.
Alternatively do what we did and put about 5 dummies in his bed so he can always find one
My dd used a dummy at night until she was. Leading up to her third birthday (trick from my boss) we told her that when you turn 3 dummies taste horrid. On her third birthday we painted them with that stuff to stop you biting your nails. She took one very tentative lick, grimaced, said it was true that they tasted horrid and never asked for one again

Original poster

MUSA · 13/05/2004 16:46

thanks sponge, i really like your idea about putting 5 dummys in the bed, im gonna try that one. can you use that stuff you put on your nails for an 8 month baby, or is he to young?.

OP posts:

katierocket · 13/05/2004 16:53

musa - if you mean the stuff you use to stop biting your nails I think the answer is no!

IMO you just have to take it away completely, I don't think half measures work. My DS is 2.6 and still has his dummy for sleep but we went through the night time thing and it was an utter pain.

BlossomHill · 13/05/2004 16:59

8 months is a bit young IMO but then I really cannot comment as my dd is nearly 5 and still has hers at bedtime. They are really good for comforting. We used to put loads on the bedside cabinet so when dd woke up we could just put it straight in! I would def. avoid giving a young baby the "stop biting nail" stuff. Really don't know what's in it and I am not sure it would work with such a young baby.

MrsDoolittle · 13/05/2004 16:59

MUSA thanks for this. Dd is driving me nuts sucking on me at night at the moment and have been considering a dummy - very reluctantly.
Your experience is exactly what I am afraid of!!

MrsDoolittle · 13/05/2004 17:02

Not that this helps you, of course

Fennel · 13/05/2004 17:05

dd2 went cold turkey at 9 months. she had been totally addicted and it was a problem at night. I was worried it would be a nightmare getting rid of it but actually she grizzled slightly for a day or so and that was it. Far easier than anticipated.

aloha · 13/05/2004 17:31

MUSA have you tried a dummy clip? You clip the dummy to his pjs or sleeping bag (always same place) and he will learn to pop in back in himself during the night. My ds has a dummy and he never wakes us up at night unless he is ill.

Enchanted · 13/05/2004 18:08

DS was three and we where going to Spain for two weeks. I told him from about two weeks before that they don't have dummies in Spain and hid them as soon as we took off (kept one just incase the going got tough).
He was happy with what i had told him and said 'Mummy I'm too big for a dummy anyway'

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