3 next month and suddenly wants a dummy!

[CaptainDJ]

DD1 (3) has recently developed an obsession (best word for it!) with nicking her sisters dummy (9 mths)! If we leave one around, she's got it and it's in her mouth. So we do try and keep them out of reach. But when she is in the double buggy and the baby is trying to get to sleep, she keeps taking it. Baby cries, I get cross, toddler cries. I said you are not a baby and she said "I want to be a baby!" ...which I think is the crux of our problem!

Anyway, any strategies for dealing with this would be much appreciated!

Understandable. Bit of jealousy. Lots of praise and benefits of being a big girl perhaps?

You can do X because you're a big girl, you can have Y because you're a big girl etc etc

Thanks for that, will start afresh on Monday morning!

i had this with youngest daughter becoming self aware of not being a baby any more...leaving nursery,starting preschool. had never had one before. don't worry about it, let her have her own, she'll soon give it up when something more interesting to do. my eldest often resented being usurped by a more demanding sibling(17 mths difference).

Thanks greenfanta- interesting strategy! part of the fun seems to be sneaking off and getting it into her mouth and seeing how long it takes mummy to notice. Maybe you are right here. I don't want her to get a habit when she's managed for nearly 3 years without! ANy other thought out there?

Don't know the answer but I share your pain. DD is 2.9 and her little brother is 7 mths. He has a dummy, she never took to it as a baby so doesn't.

But since DS arrived and, TBH more to the point I think, being more aware of some of her peers that still have dummies she wants one! It is v frustrating.

Sometimes I give in an let her "have a go" of DSs. Quite funny to watch as she doesn't know how to suck it properly. Other times I say no you aren't a baby and distract her with something else. Agree that the crux of the issue is that she also wants to be a baby (in some ways). This is driving me mad on many levels as I could really do with her help not hinderances at the moment.

Fortunately she has never taken it from DS as I taught her early on not to touch then as his must be clean (she now asks if she can have a "mucky dummy" which is quite sweet).

I have considered buying her one of her own, but don't think I can bear to go out in public with her chewing one! On the other hand it would solve our arguements about DSs...or maybe create new ones! Demands seem to have lessened lately so I think I will try to hold out for now.

Another idea I had but haven't tried is to buy her something like a really nice sippy cup that she could have when the youngest has the dummy?

Good luck.

Let her have one. I seriously doubt she'll use it properly. DD (3yrs) has always been obsessed with dummies although sucks her fingers. When DS (7mths) arrived, he loved a dummy and now has one and DD started taking them off him so I gave her a load which she loves playing with. Sometimes puts them in her mouth but only for a few secs, doesnt suck, mostly holds them. She sees it more as a toy than comforter.