Am I crazy: Child is weaned off dummy and now I want to give it back

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Our 2 ½ year old was hooked on dummies to sleep at night - she had three that she slept with. She was a sound sleeper and I never needed to go in and put the dummies in.

Then about 3 weeks ago she got a flu with some mouth sores, and for a few nights she threw the dummies out of her crib because it hurt to suck on them. At the end of it, we were heading off on a holiday and I conveniently "forgot" the dummies because I thought I would seize the moment and get her off them. She now goes to sleep without them and only rarely mentions them.

BUT

Now she has started sucking at her fingers before she goes to bed. I would rather have her using dummies (where I can control where/when she uses and which I can take away at a later stage) than sucking her fingers (which is much harder to get rid of and/or control). Also she now wakes up at 4am/5am/6am and wants me to stay - she used to sleep through to 7am, even 8am.

So am I crazy to give the dummies back and wait until she is older/more ready? My older child had dummies too and gave them up voluntarily at 3 ½, it was very smooth.

Or shall I persevere?

I would persevere with it ............ you're asking quite a lot if you want her to adjust after 2 1/2 years of comfort in just a few weeks.

DS started biting his nails after his dummy went at 18 months. He hardly ever asked for the dummy after it went and was fine about it from around the 8 week after mark.

Yes you should persevere.

Not sure how to stop sucking fingers though.

Has she got a toy that she likes, maybe put it in the bed with her. Maybe a teddy.

I am trying like mad to get her attached to something else, but when she threw the dummies out of her crib she threw everything else out too, and now won't let anything back in. I have a stuffed toy I know she is fond of and she'll keep it in there for a bit but always throw it out eventually.

When she is asleep I take the fingers out of her mouth, tuck the stuffed toy under her arm, and cross my fingers...

I don't know (helpfull eh ) my ds1 refused a dummy as a baby and sucked his finger from a young age. He sucked it so much the nail started going funny, but now at nearly 4 he seems to have grown out of it.

Both dd and ds2 have dummies, dd got rid about the same age as yours, ds2 is still wee.

I don't think you should give the dummy back, could be confusing, especially if you want to get rid in future. Not all thumb/finger suckers carry it on in the long term. especially because she hasn't been doing it from birth, just see how she goes.

Hmmm,I can understand why you would want to do this. My DSs had dummies and I took them away at around three and a half, and apart from a night or two of unsettled behaviour, they were fine. On the other hand, my DD never wanted a dummy (used me instead!) but started sucking her thumb at the age of nearly three and sucked it until she was nine! I know from friends of mine that nine isn't particularly late either. I was lucky in that she stopped quite easily (I read to her until she fell asleep for a period starting at the beginning of the school holidays so she got used to not sucking like that) but I have friends whose children found it really difficult.

I'd therefore be tempted to go for the dummy solution. I couldn't as DD had never had one.

My DD had a dummy until 18 months, she is now 2.3 and has recently started sucking her thumb when tired - typical. I am just going to go with the flow - despite all the orthodontist horror stories. I managed to get her attached to muslin squares when she weaned off her dummy - she now sleeps with one at night and is immediately cheered up if one appears when she is upset. The beauty of them is that I have loads and there is no special one which can't be lost!