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Parenting

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Original poster

So the dummies went to santa today, what to expect next?

21 replies

lola0109 · 13/11/2010 15:24

DD1, 2.2yo went to see santa arrive in shopping centre today and we went for a visit. We've been preparing her for weeks saying, you're a big girl now and give santa your dummies and he'll give them to new babies and give you presents. So went today, she wouldn't sit next to santa but agreed to hand over dummies. All went well, she asked for them when we left but we distracted her and now she seems fine. She's off to a panto with granny. Yes i know its only november!

So what happens now? She asked santa for beauty and the beast dvd which we've bought and will give to her when she comes home.

We're anticipating problems at bedtime though. So how do we deal with it and how long till she forgets about her dummy?

OP posts:

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deaddei · 13/11/2010 15:26

It could be hell,
But don't give in. Have the wine ready.

scurryfunge · 13/11/2010 15:29

Distraction, distraction, distraction.

DS immediately transferred attention to the satin bow on his teddy bear for comfort. He liked to rub that instead. Do you have a toy that would be a suitable diversion?

mollyroger · 13/11/2010 15:33

or it could be much easier than you anticipate...

has she got a fave teddy/toy she can take to bed?
...

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MunchMummy · 13/11/2010 15:35

3 days tops when we ditched ours. 1st day was the worst, by the third day it was just wimpers and then nothing by day 4. Don't look back, just brace yourself for the screaming at bedtime. It will be easier than you think and all over in a week. Good luck,.

Original poster

lola0109 · 13/11/2010 17:47

I'm ashamed to admit i'm actually going out tonight and leaving dp with the fallout. It'll go one of too ways as she hasn't had a nap and a very busy day. So i'm hoping it'll be easy.

Dp will let her choose a toy to take with her. So distraction is the key?

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Over40 · 13/11/2010 19:59

My daughter did exactly the same as yours and I was terrified what the reaction would be...... and there was........nothing! This was a child addicted to her dummy (which we had slowly weaned her to night-time and in the car!) and she never asked for them again! It was wierd really but my god I was grateful. Agree with scurryfunge... distract if she asks and best of luck!

Pod1 · 13/11/2010 20:30

We are on our second night tonight. Last night was shocking - screaming at bedtime and from 4 until 7 this morning. Tonight she has gone to sleep no prob (of course she did because daddy put her to bed tonight - typical!) so we'll see what tonight brings. Good luck. Hopefully neither of us will be posting on here at a ridiculous hour (like I was at 5 this morning when I was at the end of my tether!)

Original poster

lola0109 · 14/11/2010 02:14

Well, I don't mind posting at ridiculous hour as I'm just home! :) Bad planning on my part but it was my friends 30th!

DP has reported that DD was a star at bedtime, 20 mins then out, has woken up twice for dummy, not mummy :( but settled very quickly!

We'll see how she goes tomorrow but so far so good! :)

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mollyroger · 14/11/2010 12:44

:) sounds promising!

FerminaUrbinoDaza · 14/11/2010 12:55

We did this last night too, partially inspired by this thread. She didn't give them to Santa but to Sinterklaas and Zwartepiet (who arrived in this country yesterday). I'd been going on about how she was too old for dummies and would need to give them to the sad babies for a month or so.

DD only had her dummy in bed or on long journeys but TBH she was totally addicted and would have loved nothing more than to have had it 24/7.

She had real regrets at bedtime and was certain that she couldn't sleep without it. She's always been a 'bad' sleeper and I was terrified of getting rid of the dummies. Apart from the bedtime wobble, which I though was the beginning of The Night From Hell, she was totally fine. She woke a couple of times but it wasn't a problem.

Am so pleased to be rid of the damn things. She's 3 in a week...

Original poster

lola0109 · 14/11/2010 21:43

How did you get on tonight Fermina.

DD was really good actually, asked to go to bed at 6:45pm so took her up, she lay for about 15 mins and then asked for her dummy but I explained that she had given them to santa and he had given them to new babies.

She then took another hour to fall over and had a wee cry but because she wanted to tell Daddy her story. She is also a bad sleeper sp we don't give in to her requests at bed time otherwise it takes hours so just over an hour with no dummy is actually a result! Never asked for her dummy again though, we'll see how she goes through the night.

And over40 DD was addicted as well, we actually had to scour the house for her hidden ones to make sure she didn't go and find her secret stash! :)

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dribbleface · 15/11/2010 08:29

I had mentioned this to my DS a while ago. In the end just disappeared the dummies one day (with DS preparing him for anything creates huge trauma!) Apart from one day when he asked me to tell father christmas to bring them back, he hasn't even mentioned them!

FerminaUrbinoDaza · 15/11/2010 10:19

That sounds pretty good lola. I hope your night was OK

DD went to bed like an angel without even asking about the dummy

I had honestly prepared myself for a week of absolute hell, screaming and no sleep!

Tinkerisdead · 15/11/2010 13:44

oohhhh I'm so glad I've found this thread. My DD is 2 at the end of the month and we've been suggesting that the dummies go. I cant stand them and she starts pre-school next month and so I really want it gone as over the last 2 months since being ill, its become a permanent fixture of her face. (something i swore would never ever happen).

I feel like it absolutely has to go now. I suggested taking them to santa as she'll get presents back. DH suggested taking them to a farm. I never ever considered taking them to santa, moreover leaving them out for him.

Do you think only just 2 is old enough to grasp the concept of hannding them over?

Original poster

lola0109 · 15/11/2010 21:43

thedoctorswife we had been preparing DD since she turned 2 that this was going to happen. We were going to wait until nearer christmas but she had a cold and the dummy ended up causing a rash on her face so thought we should just bite the bullet. I think she grasped the concept easily enough, and the santa in the grotto was very good, apparently they were prepared for this!

So night 3 was a success, barely even mentioned her dummy today. I'm really impressed at how easy it has been and this is with DD2, 7mo, still having a dummy (only to sleep). My advice, just go for it! :) We even walked past santa's grotto today and I thought she would ask for her dummies back but not a word!

So pod and fermina hopefully you are both having as much success!

OP posts:

Pod1 · 15/11/2010 21:52

How's everyone getting on without the dummies? My little girl's been ill for the last two days so I've been feeling terrible for taking her beloved dummies away! However she has not asked for one at all today so I'm really proud of her. She likes the doll that the dummy fairy left her, but was far more interested in the sparkly sequins etc. that were scattered around her present! Here's to a peaceful night for us all.

ceebeegeebies · 15/11/2010 21:59

I did this with DS2 (he will be 2 on Saturday) a couple of weeks ago - but for me, it was reducing his use to bed/nap times only.

Not sure if it is my DS2 but I don't think he would understand the concept yet of dummies going to Santa (or whatever) so I just told him he wasn't having them anymore during the day. In the end, it took 2 days of a lot of crying and whinging but then nothing....he is like a totally different child (he is now happy, cheerful, mischievous as opposed to the whingy grumpy child we had before) Drswife I would definitely recommend going cold turkey

JarethThePomBearKing · 15/11/2010 22:05

Aiming to do this in a couple of weeks when DS turns 3, dreading it (I just KNOW it's not going to be as simple as your stories - though will happily be proved wrong :) )

He's asked for a playmobil thing for his birthday, so we've told him 3yo's don't have dummies anymore and will do the whole dummy fairy thing. Hope it works..

Tinkerisdead · 15/11/2010 22:07

we recently cut ours down to just bedtimes, she handed them over to the fairies in the day and we had to check under pillow each night to see if they had brought them back. So she sort of gets it, but we are now trying to plant the seed that it has to go soon for the babies as she is so proud of being a big girl. But when we tell her it'll be gone, for good, then she gets agitated saying "no they mine"

I have got to go cold turkey but I'm bricking it.

isw · 15/11/2010 22:07

Have been following this with interest, tonight was night 3 without dummy and actually the worst so far. Think she was over tired as she woke at 6am and couldnt get back to sleep.
We made a hole in her dummy about 2 weeks ago so it hasn´t been working properly and then on Sat cut the end off, Dada broke it Oh O. When she asks for it we show it to her, she gives it back. Hoping tomorrow she will be over it

Tinkerisdead · 15/11/2010 22:09

incidentally my friend who did this with her 3 year old told him that it had to go to santa if he wanted big boy toys for xmas. That if santa came on xmas eve and saw him with asleep with a dummy in, he would assume he wanted baby rattles and not bog boy toys. Apparently it worked a treat as he wanted big cars etc for xmas...sadly mine just wouldnt grasp that concept yet.

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