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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

Dummy and now Four Years Old

10 replies

kissalot · 04/04/2005 15:18

Hi my DD has just turned four and has always loved her dummy. For about about six months she has stictly only had it at bedtime (though she would have it all day if she could) Is this wrong to let her have it at bedtime as she does not seem to be able to go to sleep without it (I have tried many times and always give in) Is it normal for a four year old to be so attached to it??

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JoolsToo · 04/04/2005 15:22

dgs has just handed his bedtime dummy over on his birthday - we told him 4 year olds don't have them and he was quite happy about it - he thinks he's getting it back when he's 5 but he'll have forgotten about it by then!

I wouldn't sweat it though - does it really matter?

chipmonkey · 04/04/2005 15:26

My SIL used to wait at the school gates with her dd's dummy so she could have it as soon as she got out of school! Her ds also had a dummy ALL the time and a SALT told my SIL that the dummy had caused problems with his speech. But I think it was because he sucked it so frequently, not just because he had one IYKWIM.

tiffini · 04/04/2005 15:33

my DS is 4.2 yrs and still drinks out of a bottle, but only when we are at home.
im not too worried as i think it is just a comfort thing as he has never had a dummy or a security blanket, he does'nt even take a teddy to bed, he is only interested in the bottle, im hoping he will grow out of it before he is five as i think that is too old for a bottle or dummy.

sorry my point is i would'nt worry about the dummy especially as it is only for bed time.

webmum · 04/04/2005 15:35

My dd also has a dummy, at night and whenever she's very tired.

We've started saying to her that when she's 4 (in 2 months) she can only have it at bedtime.

Our problem is that when she doesn't ahve a dummy she'll suck her thumb so we don't want to force it too much, am convinced that a dummy causes less damage that the thumb.

ambrosia · 04/04/2005 15:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chipmonkey · 04/04/2005 15:49

yes, and you can always take the dummy away eventually but you have to leave the thumb there!

sizeofahouse · 04/04/2005 21:10

My sister's DS kept his dummies until he was six,
one day his friends were coming to stay and my sis said 'what about your dummy' and he threw them away at that point, all that was left of them was the sucky bit they were so chewed on at bedtime. Have to say though, he is the brightest most intelligent kid I have ever met, and now at nine continually amazes us. It didn't seem to do him any harm at all.

MumOnaMission · 06/04/2005 22:15

My dd had hers till she was 3.5. She was so attached to it we thought it was going to be a nightmare but we were buying her a wendy house and said it was for big girls and big girls don't have dummies. We threw them away so there was no going back (well not without buying new ones anyway) and we couldn't believe how painless it actually was. So in summary, "replace with something better" was the way to go for us.

mum2max · 09/04/2005 10:50

saw on tele a good idea of planting a "dummy tree". By the time they realise it's not growing they've found another method of soothing.

rummum · 09/04/2005 21:49

Father Christmas took my childrens dummies away when they where 3 and a half... He gave them to a baby that needed it, and left them a nice big boys/girls present. They knew it was comming, there was no going back and it was suprisingly easy...
Good luck

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