dummies and bottles - can I let my child make up her own mind when to get rid?

[padboz]

I have a just turned 3 year old who still has a bottle of milk at bedtime and a dummy while sleeping.

She shows no sign of dropping them yet and I don't have any real problem with either of these things as her teeth are cleaned after the milk and she shows no interest in the dummy unless its bed time - she doesn't even put the dummy in her mouth but strokes her cheek with it.

around what age will she drop these things if I do nothing?

If you don't have a problem with these things, then it's not a problem at all imo.

She will eventually drop them in her own time.

Both mine stopped bottles before they were 12 months (they just wouldnt drink out of them) but both still have a dummy to sleep, (they would sream the house down if they couldn't) so I am happy just to see how it goes and hope they grow out of them. My eldest is 2.5

thanks - I reason for asking is that my mum thinks I should be dropping them and wondered if anyone had experience of either dropping these things by themselves or conversely of thier children starting thier gap year with a dummy

I asked dd last night if she wanted a bottle or cup and she chose cup and went to bed fine so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tonight.

hi padboz , ds1 is 2.10 and still has a bottle of milk before bed and also has a dummy - again just at bedtime. I am going to let him drop them when he is ready - he has a "big boy cup" and I give him the option every night but he always chooses his bottle , his dummy I could never deprive him of - he loves it. I am thinking when he starts preschool in jan he might decide he is too grown up for both (heres hoping......)

hi padboz , ds1 is 2.10 and still has a bottle of milk before bed and also has a dummy - again just at bedtime. I am going to let him drop them when he is ready - he has a "big boy cup" and I give him the option every night but he always chooses his bottle , his dummy I could never deprive him of - he loves it. I am thinking when he starts preschool in jan he might decide he is too grown up for both (heres hoping......)

My DS is 3 and still has a bottle at bedtime. He never has had a dummy but my sister did and she didn't give hers up till she was 8 and she had it day and night was very embarassing to go anywhere but then I was a stroppy teenager. My DD has a dummy and I am determined to get rid by 1st birthday

Hi padboz, we left dummies out for Father Christmas to take for the babies who did'nt have them, FC swapped them for a particularly wanted toy. Despite concerns, it went unbelievably smoothly and was never asked for again!! She had just turned 3.As for bottles v cups, ask if she would like her milk in a bottle or big girl cup every night having let her choose the big girl cup, she'll get there in her own time, maybe do stickers etc if you want to move it on but don't worry about it.

hey - thanks.

OFSTEAD - 8?! wow.

The father christmas thing sounds good. might try that then....