If you didn't take your dc's dummy away...

[LynetteScavo]

at what age did they give it up themselves?

5.5 yrs.

Shockingly late by some people's standards, but it worked fine for us. He gave it up entirely by himself, we've no regrets.

Lynette I'm really glad to hear that your ds is happy in his new school

Only people whose children never had/needed a dummy have a problem with them.

My eldest put hers in the bin voluntarily and entirely unprovoked one day when she was 3. Zero stress.

My dd didn't have a dummy at all - but that's becasue she was breastfeeding continuously for 3 years. My ds had one. He only ever had it for going to sleep or in moments of extreme stress. And he decided he didn't want it any more at about 3.5ish. By then it lived under his pillow - he was having a couple of sucks to go to sleep then once he was asleep I put it under his pillow for the next night. So long as they aren't walking around with them or sucking them really hard all night long I just don;t see the problem. Once they get to be 2 ish you can make rules like "Only in bed" and "Always take it out to talk" Line of least resistance, I say!

When DD was about 3 we sent her a card in the post from the 'dummy fairy' which said that they had lots of new babies who really needed a dummy and as she was a big girl now would she mind giving hers to a little baby. She was very happy to do this and we sent her dummy off in the post to the dummy faiy (don't know what the post office thought!!). Anyhow, there was then a special thank you present at the door from the dummy fairy. She was very happy with this and I think it helped that she thought it was her decision!

My DS is 2 and he only gets his when he goes to sleep in his bed which has been done for a year but I cannot see him giving it up at night.