Best way of giving up/reducing dependence on comfort toy?

[EdSillyBand]

DS 2.5 has 'big dog' attached to him most of the time. He strokes/sucks the labels.

He is starting to try and talk with the label in his mouth. I'm really not happy with this; but it's sort of crept up on us. I don't like the fact he walks around with it in his mouth and will try and do other things without leaving him behind.

Any thoughts/experiences gratefully received.

Cold turkey? Bed time use only? Hope he'll just grow out of it?

Anything from anyone?

Well I most certainly would not do cold turkey, he's still a baby! It's a comfort thing, he still needs it.
Can you tell him he needs to take big dog out of his mouth when he talks, will he be able to understand that?
If it bothers you that much perhaps you could encourage big dog to sit and watch while he plays, or encourage big dog to have a sleep or something.
Ultimately I would leave him to it, but not the toy in mouth while speaking bit.
He will grow out of it. I thought my dd would never let her Pooh bear out of her sight but she did eventually.

Thank-you.

He will briefly take it out, but then puts it back in again.

Interestingly I have washed big dog this morning.

DS was mad to start with, but understood he was in the washing machine (both DCs went to watch him go round and round) We then had 10 minutes of madness when I took him up to the airing cupboard to dry. Eventually he came down and cuddled a different bear (not in mouth though - yay!)

That was 2 hours ago, and he's been fine.

I like the idea of big dog watching, but it's like me and chocolate... If I know it's there I can't leave it alone!

Agree start slowly. with things like ' Mummy can't understand you with it in your mouth' and wak away or ignore until he takes it out.
DOg is not permitted near the table when he eats must be put in cot / bed .
Then slowly try to increase the leaving in bed bit. DD2 3.5 now gets her rabbit when she is having a quiet mo on the sofa or if she has been upset and needs a bit of extra comfort. Then it goes back on her bed.

I should add - it's not the attachment that I mind so much; it's the sucking/in mouth that I think is becoming a problem.

The dog gets filthy quickly, so it's really unhygienic but more so the talking around it.

Thank-you for your replies :)

Rosa - will she just go and get it under her own steam?

:o at "it's like me and chocolate"

My 2.5 DD is the exact same, she has her 'boo' and using him As a thumb sucking aid with his neck in her mouth as well as her thumb, we used loads of encouragement to stop her bringing him everywhere, so now she can bring him in the car but not outside the car. Anytime we have taken him away she got really upset and it's just not worth it, she needs him and that's it. I think she will grow out of it, or boo will disintegrate, one or the other!

YEs but it is as if we have a unspoken mutual agreement. She won't go if she is just sitting watching cartoons or bored there has to be a reason. We don't take it out with us in the car , the only time I have used it 'out' is flying . Now if say she has woken up and she has it in her mouth I just need to say 'I can't...' and its out , sometimes put on her bed sometimes abandoned. However if abandoned then she has to collect and put away as we have had a couple of mad searches and I do have 1 hidden just incase. However as far as she is concerned this is the last one and there are no more...... She has widely spaced front teeth and I was/am a bit concerned but as I have a dentist apt in a few weeks I will discuss with him.

The only way I got rid of my dependence on my comfort toy was to start co-sleeping with DS when I was 30 years old. Until then, I was completely unable to sleep without it (or a rolled up jumper as a substitute), even though DH tried to 'train' me out of it when we got married.

Sorry, that's not much help, is it?

angeldog

Thank-you all

We've actually had a great day. Out at a Jubilee party without big dog - no whining.

I think I'm more worried about it than he is!

Today I let him have him at nap time only and now he's gone to bed with him.

I think I'm going to to for this approach. He's only for nap/quiet/bed-time.

Glad that seems to be working for you.
You may get some backlash when you are in the house all the day.
We made it stay in bed. Dcs were allowed to go to their bed for a snuggle whenever they wanted but had to be in their bedroom. Novelty soon wears off.

both my DCs have special toys- but ingeneral they are for naps/bedtime - and for upset times - for me it was the stress of possibly losing them

Like dummies, they are for sleep time, big dog is looking after your bed for you, if you want to cuddle him you need to go to bed

I wouldn't try and take it away - these items are usually transitional and children mostly grow out of it.
I think I'd just take the approach of saying you can't understand what he is saying to you with the toy in his mouth and only 'understand' when it is taken out.

My DD has now lost several toys taken on outings and generally chooses to leave her toys behind in the house or car - but she is not so attached to a specific toy as your child is.

Love it! cuddle = bedtime!

It's actually good for dc to have their special toys in times of stress etc they are invaluable but just make it part of his routine that he stays in bed or gets packed in bag to be produced at nap time if you're going to be out etc.