Getting rid of dummies - 2.8 yro

[Bumperliouzzzzzz]

I know there is already a dummy thread but I am after more specific advice on getting rid of my DD's dummies. he only has them for bed time or in the car on long journeys, or if she isn't feeling well. he loves them so much, they make her really happy, but I am worried about her teeth and also just her reliance on them.

I've read all the different techniques on here and maybe I am underestimating DD but I'm just not convinced she will go for them without a huge fuss. I'm starting to build up to it, making comments about perhaps giving her dummies to another baby, or that since she is soon to become a big sister she might want to give her dummies up 'but mummy, big girls have dummies too'. Not sure how to go forward really.

Any advice? Is this the wrong window of opportunity? Should we wait till she is a bit older? Anyone had a child who took a long time to get over dummies?

I've got the Last Noo-noo book but it doesn't seem to be having the right effect and I don't want her thinking she's going to get a bloody dummy tree at the end!

Our dd was about 2.6 when we took hers off her. She too only used them at night or when she was poorly. We had spoken about it in advance, I told her the dodo fairy had phoned me to ask if she'd give hers to the baby fairies . She agreed if the dodo fairy gave her a pink dog and something else nice. Me and dh set the date for Friday night, went into her bedroom at about midnight and took all the dummy's we could find. She had about 13 in her bed (not exagerating). We left the box containing the gifts under her bed and retired ourselves fully expecting her to wake up upset. Surprisingly, she came into our bedroom at about 7 the next day and told us her dodo's had gone. We acted surprised and asked if anything had been left. She said no, we advised her to look again. She returned beaming with the box. Her good mood only lasted a couple of hours. For the first couple of days she was like a smoker, anything she could get into her mouth she did. It took about three days and she didn't mention them again. HTH.

We lost them all one day. When it came to bedtime it was a complete nightmare. But it was only one night and was really worth it. When DS had the dummy I was certain that his speech was fine, I could understand him so what was the problem! But he has been without it for 2 months now and the improvement is amazing.

My advice is just bite the bullet. A bit like ripping off a plaster, hurts for a bit but then you forget about it.

I'm told cutting the teats off makes them must less attractive without actually taking them away. My friend's dd carried hers around for a couple of days, but then lost interest without the teats. She was pretty addicted too; she used to go around with one in each hand and one in her mouth, swapping them around every so often.
Honestly I know it sounds daunting, but you know what dcs are like they will make a BIG fuss initially, then they'll be over it before you are. HTH

It just feels so mean though She loves them so much, but I do want rid of the damn things! I'm also terrified of having a week of no sleep!

Am happy to give her something in return, but rather than sketch around the idea trying different approaches DH and I need to agree on a technique and stick to it.

So there's the dummy fairy, giving the dummies to another baby (though she would wonder why that baby wasn't using them. Any other suggestions?

Theres a farm near us that has hundreds of dummies hanging up in the pigpen where children have given their dummies to the piglets. It's rather cute.

I know what you mean about feeling mean. DS was sat cuddling me in his bed sobbing his heart out for his dummy, real proper big fat tears. All I could do was keep repeating "I know sweetheart" Onced he'd cried himself to sleep I went straight into the kitchen and poured myself a very large glass of wine.

I have just reread your initial post and tbh as she only has them at bedtime anyway, I wouldn't be too worried, lots of children that I know kept bedtime dummies under their pillows until they went to school!
If you think she would be too upset-why do it? Is it really worth the upset?
If you think it is -just get on and do it throw them in the bin; swap them for a new teddy or whatever.She will get over it. You will look back and think what was the big deal? hth

Sorry I really am rubbish- I just noticed she's shortly to become a big sister- Then it may not be a good time to take it away as this is such an unsettling time for her. Also if when the baby is born it has a dummy this might put her off anyway.
Right I will go now.
hth

The dentist said to get rid as soon as possible, and I want rid as we often have a battle over them when she wants them and it's not bedtime.

Well, we've had a discussion, and she was quite keen on leaving them for 'buba' (the new baby - not due till Sept) but as DH points out she'll knew they are still there then. So we suggested that the dummy fairy takes them away and 'looks after them' till buba comes along. In return she would like a shopping trolly and a mummy and daddy elephant . We are going to do it tomorrow night - eek! But today we are going to buy some card and make a box to put the dummies in.

How does this sound? I'm still not sure she really gets the implications of this but she may surprise me.

It's possible that like you say, you're underestimating her.

We built up DD1 to not have her dummy from her third birthday, I was like you and felt terrible, thinking she was going to scream the place down and I was psychologically damaging her for life!

Came to her birthday, she put the dummies in the bin, and they were never mentioned again!

She's 9 now and still looks on them fondly, but I think it's worse in our minds than theirs. It's good that your DD only has it for sleeping so it's only a small step. You could possibly buy her a new teddy or something to sleep with and replace them?

Hope it goes OK for you all

Best of luck! We did a very similiar thing with DS when he was just over 3. The day after the first night (if that makes sense) without the dummy we bought the 'I'm a big boy' toy. The first night was easier than I thought it would be. The second night he kicked off for a bit and said "Take the toy back - I WANT MY DUMMY" repeatedly but we did not give in. Once he was asleep that was fine, peaceful nights. It took about 4 nights in total before he stopped asking for them. He has been without them for 6 months now and never asks about them. Even when he sees other children with dummies when we are out.
Be strong, if you want it to go you have to be firm otherwise next time you try it will be harder.
It's tough for the parents too though.

Thanks all. I told DH they are going in the bin so we are not tempted! Have been out and bought card and sequins to make a box for the dummy fairy. Don't know if I am making it worse by making such a big deal out of it but we'll see...

My DS was totally dummy dependant and seemed to have a stash everywhere. I tried to reduce the number by throwing them in the bin as I found them, but I swear they seemed to multiply!! Eventually it was whittled down to 2 .

At the age of 2 I got strict and insisted on bed time only and that every morning the dummy went in the ' thomas the tank engine' tin ( he got with an easter egg !)which I kept on a shelf in his room. Surprisingly he accepted this, although the second his PJ's went on, the dummy was requested.

My DD was born in Feb when DS was 2.7. I did try the whole 'Father Christmas will take replce with toys' idea but he was very upset and said ' Father Christmas can keep his toys I want my dummy !' . That idea also ruined a trip to Santa's grotto as DS was scared the dummy would not be in his Thomas tin that night. I felt awful and reasoned that a dummy at night was not so bad really.

Like I said DD was born in Feb and within a week she had a dummy ( i vowed she wouldn't but after 3 sleepness nights I changed my mind !!)Out of the blue my DS annouced he wanted the man on the moon to have his dummy. This was an idea we'd mentioned to my DS some weeks earlier where the dummy was attached to a heluim balloon and released. It didn't go down well with DS so I didn't pursue it. Seemingly though DS had remembered the idea.

So I very quickly hot footed it down to asda and got a ' Thomas' Balloon . The dummy was attached and DS, DH and me went into garden and DS let the balloon go and off it went. I felt sick and thought any minute now DS it going to have the mother of all melt downs. But no he waved and waved and then went off playing.

As bed time approaced I felt sick and thought ' I'm going to be up all night' but no he got into bed , dummyless, and when to sleep ! TBH he was shattered as I'd purposely had run him ragged in the park that afternoon. I came downstairs and promptly burst into tears - my dummy dependant LO was now upstairs asleep dummyless. He never asked fore it again and was happy to wave to the man on the moon who he thought had his dummy.

It worked because

1 .he's seen his baby sister with a dummy and he didn't want to be a baby but a big boy

1. he watched it disappear whereas the father christmas idea the dummy is on the tree one minute, gone another !

hope that helps

I went through this. My DS LOVED his dummies. I always planned to take them off him at 3 (when, in theory, I could reason with him). For various reasons, he was a couple of months over 3 when I actually did it.

We talked about the dummy fairy for weeks, then decided with him on a present that he wanted. On the appointed night we put the dummies in a box outside the bedroom door and "lo and behold" the next morning the dummy fairy had taken them and replaced them with Thunderbirds 1 (quite a retro dummy fairy, this one).

I'd honestly worried for THREE years about how I'd get the dummy off him, and what a nightmare it would be however when it came to it, it was absolutely fine. He never mentioned them again (apart from once, as a joke!)

I too was pregnant - about 6 or 7 months - and I wanted to give a clear window of a couple of months for him to forget about the dummies. He was a bit older than your DD though but I hope you have the same success!

I would say though that whilst he never mentioned the dummy again, we did have a few nights of him being a bit of a sod going to bed, unless one of us sat at the top of the stairs outside his room.

Funnily enough, he found a rogue dummy in the drawer a couple of months ago and just rolled his eyes at the silly dummy fairy who'd forgotten it. I now have a DD too (5 weeks old). Have just started giving her a dummy - DS couldn't care less.

GOOD LUCK! Do report back. I reckon it will be fine.