DS (21 mo) suddenly become addicted to dummies - anyone else experienced this?

[ceebee74]

DS has always only had his dummies for nap/bedtimes and if he is really really hysterical - he has always been perfectly happy without it the rest of the time, never asked for it and quite happy to give it back to us when we asked for it.

The last couple of weeks, he has completely changed - he wants it all the time, keeps having tantrums about little things that always result in him asking for his dummy and then obviously the tantrum gets worse when we say no.

Me and DH are really trying to resist but he gets so hysterical, he makes himself vomit!! So we either give him his dummy or clean up the vomit.

We are really struggling with this and would appreciate any advice - should we just go completely cold turkey although I still really want him to have it at naptimes and bedtime as he sleeps so well.

The other problem about going cold turkey is that I don't think it is fair on nursery (where he goes 4 days a week) to have to put up with his hysterics/vomiting - I realise they don't always have the time to try and calm him down.

Bump

Anyone?

cant really offer any advice ceebee, but BUMP!

I wish I knew the answer. My dd 22 months old is also a dummy addict.......not to the point of being sick, but to the point of hysteria. Sympathy

She just used to have it for naps as well, but it has intruded into awake time now.

ceebee, my 24mo is the same, was quite laid back about it but now wants at least 2 dummies at a time - one in mouth, one in hand! We resist as much as poss but I really really want him to give up and he's going the other way - not quite so bad as the vomiting you're experiencing.
Do they go thro some kind of increased insecurity thing about now? something to do with realising they're separate and individual and that being very frightening?
I don't have a plan yet, but thought you'd like to know you're not alone.

I was wondering that pepperrabbit. Dd has a cuddly rabbit (not a pepper one!)and she demands that as well at the same time.

In fact all I get all day are demands for "dummy" "bunny" AND she likes to have loads of them as well. Even if I refuse she seems to find them under the sofa etc

I wonder if it is a seperation thing as well

My 21 month old dd is the same. She has a dummy at bed time and nap time, and unless I remove discreetly and hide it when she wakes up and has breakfast/snack, she howls like a banshee. She has also started bringing her cuddly toy that lives in her cot (her "bedtime friend") out when she gets up.

I think the dummy addiction started a couple of months back when her molars started emerging - it was really bothering her, and she seemed to need to have something in her mouth, and now she just finds it comforting to suck/chew on something. But I think there might be something in the separation idea, too.

Thanks for letting me know I am not the only one! It must be something to do with their age.

Anyway, things seem to have improved a little - we managed all of yesterday with only one tantrum (although we were in the middle of Blackpool so we had to give in in case DS puked on a shop floor or something) but I managed to get it off him whilst we were having lunch.

Today, I asked nursery to not give it to him unless he was really hysterical - apparently he only had it at naptime and the rest of the time, when he asked for it and was told it was gone, he was quite happy.

He was under the weather last week so maybe it was that - although I am trying not to get my hopes up that it is that easy

Dd will take hers out when asked and give it to me (although when I tried to remove it today she bit it to keep it in!)

Then 30 seconds later we get "Where dummy?"....again.....and again

DD1 was exactly the same at this age and used to go to bed with one in her mouth and one in each hand. At the time, we were starting to become quite conscious of it and ridiculously felt under pressure to wean her off it which we did around 2 yrs (cold turkey).. Now with the benefit of hindsight, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to do this because I think she did get a lot from a comfort it and she even talks about dummies now (18 months later) as being something she really liked. She's never really found a 'comfort' substitute. In fact she asked for Father Christmas to bring her a dummy for christmas! Her sister never took to the dummy in the same but has attachments to blankets (but not one in particular if she feeling tired).

What I used to do with get DD to put dummies in little bowl in leave them in the cot in the day so she got used to the idea of dummies being for 'upstairs' only.

HTH