Dummy Fairy - tips please!

[VashtaNerada]

DS (3) has a dummy at night and it's starting to affect his teeth. Have decided that the 'dummy fairy' needs to visit and take them away but I already feel really sorry for him and worried he won't sleep! Any tips for making it as painless as possible for both of us?

DS2 gave his to the piglets at our local farm. There's a disgusting lovely display of all the toddler's dummies strung up like bunting about the sty. We made a big fuss saying how kind and generous he was being a big boy and giving his dummies to the tiny piglets who needed them to sleep at night. We were very honest and told him before we did it, and he went and fetched them all and handed them over willingly.

He had a little cry that night and asked for one, I explained that the piglets needed them and that was it. He's never asked for one since.

Our dummy fairy brought a teddy to snuggle at night in exchange?

Thanks both. I have a teddy lined up. Feel like a terribly cruel mother although I know it's for the best!

We just pick a random baby in the family etc. and say it's going to them, cos only babies have dummies. Dc1 got over it in a few days, dc2 dummy has three weeks left. Fingers crossed for that.

We did this with DS just after he turned 3. I was DREADING it even though he only used his dummy for naps and bedtime but I really thought he'd put up a fight.

I was so wrong.

We got a large envelope and explained that the dummy fairy needed to take his dummies to all the little babies who need dummies to sleep and now that he was a big boy he wouldn't need them any more. He put the dummies in the envelope and helped to seal it then left it on his window ledge.

Over night the dummy fairy left him a toy car to say thank you from the babies.

He was thrilled and has never asked for it since.

I wished we'd done it months and months ago!

DS had a dummy fairy visit at just over 2 for the teeth reason too. We were very worried as he settled immediately to sleep with his & had started asking for it more & more.

We read this book most nights for about a month www.amazon.co.uk/Bea-Gives-Up-Her-Dummy/dp/0992616700 and limited it to only naps and bedtime.

Then we set a night the dummy fairy would come & explained he would get presents. He got a George Pig and some ducks for the bath and was disproportionately delighted with them!

The first night was tough, I won't lie. Much crying and asking for his dummy. It got slightly better but still not great for about a fortnight, then settled down. He is more attached to his soft toy now probably to compensate but no teeth issues with toy cuddling!

Didn't ask for a dummy again after that. Now he can happily mention dummies but appreciates he's a big boy so doesn't need them anymore.

Best of luck!

All three of mine cried a little bit the first night, then nothing. Hunt round, bin them all, its done. Easier today then next year or the year after...

Thank you everyone! He's had nightmares two nights in a row and has only settled with a dummy which is making me feel terrible But you're helping my resolve to get on and do it...

Vash .. yes its is you choice, you need to stick to it, as you are doing so in his best interests. The older he gets the more difficult it is to control, ive seen plenty of 4 year olds leaving the school gates with dummies. Good luck.

We did ours at Christmas, but with pretty much the same idea. On Christmas Eve, DS found a penguin on the end of his bed which had a gift tag around its neck (from Santa) which said something along the lines of thanks for being a good boy and don't forget to leave your dummies out tonight for when I visit.

On Christmas Eve, when we left out milk and cookies, we left the dummies out as well. We put a gift tag on each of then (we only had 2 thankfully) with a little message asking Santa to give them to someone who would love them as much as he did.

He was a little bit sad going to bed, but went to sleep quite easily.

In the morning he had a box from Santa which contained some chocolate coins as "payment" and a couple of Disney beanies to add to his collection. He did ask for it a couple of times, but just got reminded that he was a big boy and had given them to the little babies who needed them.

Good Luck

We did it recently with my 3 year old, surprisingly turned out to be very easy, no tears!

My tip would be to find something he really wants. My dd had seen something on an advert (plastic Disney rubbish!) and she had been going on about it so I said she could have that in exchange for the dummies.

We talked about the new toy for a week then just did it and none of us have looked back (apart from me, I was surprised at how sad I felt at another part of babyhood gone!).

Make a huge deal of him in the morning. We went to visit the grandparents and Aunties to tell them. I think after all the excited responses she was so pleased of the reaction.

I was surprised how easy it was after dreading it since she was a year (and is started to wonder if it was me who was holding on to the dummy, scared to upset the peace!)

Good luck

Thank you everyone. I think tonight's the night!

Good luck Vashta !

So far as good.... woke with a lot of tears at around 10pm but then went through the night no problem. Very pleased with his teddy this morning! Might still have some tricky moments when he's tired during the week but will definitely stick to it, they're all going in the bin once he's left for nursery.

Well done! Stick with it now and don't look back.