Arrghh! Dummy ditching ideas greatly received.

[planetpotty]

So DS is 3, he has always been a "sucky" baby and would have it in 24/7 if we let him. We manage just to limit it to whilst he is in bed, or somewhere else for a nap like the car or sofa, and also if he hurts himself.

I'm totally about the fact he still has his dummy and I'm worried about his teeth. I'm also worried that taking the dummy away will disturb his sleep.

So great Mumsnetters your advice is greatly
received. Especially anyone who had a
hardcore dummy user and managed to get them to kick the habit with minimal fuss :)

I was really worried about this but in the end I wrote her a letter from the dummy fairy thanking her for giving up her dummies and left a present wrapped up for her to open. This made it a fait accompli, and also handily she couldn't blame me, as it was the dummy fairy who had taken them.

I knew I would crack if the dummies were still in the house, so I cut them up before putting them in the bin.

I was totally amazed at how easy it turned out to be. She had a little cry, but nothing like I expected, and I couldn't believe I had worried about it so much. Prior to this she had become more and more reliant on them, so it was doubly shocking.

Not sure I have any advice but honestly it might not be as bad as you think.

DS1 was desperately attached to his dummy, having been a very sucky baby. We had, over a period of 3-4 months managed to get it down to just sleep time, then just overnight & I was planning to do dummy fairy or give them Father Christmas for the baby elves. I was dreading it, thinking he would get very upset & envisaged disturbed nights etc.

Then one horrible, stressy evening while very very heavily pg with DS2, horror of horrors we couldn't find a dummy anywhere. Not one. We told DS1 that he needed to be a big grown up boy & go to bed with no dummy. It took about 5 minutes of extra cuddles & that was it. He didn't cry, didn't ask for one & hasn't had one since.

The biggest battle is with you not the dummy, who is attached to it- you or your ds? it's really tough as you will be giving up your emergency backup so to speak.

Anyway- he will be fine- tell him straight - either dummy fairy or something else (remove all dummies - including those at relatives homes) and go for it!

Perhaps a big boy activity/ present that he can have instead of dummy- toy? Book?

Dd was the same age and we tried several times and failed.
Success came on Christmas eve when we left a note for Father Christmas asking him to give the dummies to the baby reindeer as dd was now a big girl and too old for dummies. Father Christmas left a note in return and a special present. Dd asked for a dummy a couple of times but was satisfied with the answer that the baby reindeers needed them.
I know it's not Christmas and am racking my brains trying to think of something similar for this time of year!

Totally agree with other posters, there is life after dummies and it's good! My two were both in love with their dummies but they received a letter from the dummy fairy to "ask" if they were ready to swop the dummies for a present and that dummies were going to new little babies, they duly accepted and collected up dummies themselves. At bed time there was a few tears but its your back up as much as theirs and you have to use other ways to comfort them. Wish I'd done it sooner. Good luck!

Dummy favourite too all our DDs too. She went to bed with about eight and woke up with none.
She got a present (?DVD and soft toy). All was going well until bedtime, she asked for her does we reminded her of fairy. She looked under her bed, shook her fist and shouted 'curse you do do fairy'.
She was fine.