6 year old addicted to his dummy!

[Throughthewardrobe664]

Hello, I have a 6 year old boy who is still very dependent on his dummy. This is a huge mess up on our part, and I really want to get rid of it. I have tried before but unfortunately my view isn't shared by my mother in law. Now I must say that I am very grateful to my mother in law for all she does, and I am glad that she give so much to help me with the kids. But she is has a very strong option that we should let him have the dummy. We have tried to take it away in the past but she bought new dummies for him. She lets him have the dummy all the time, and he even is allowed to go to the shops with it, or on days out.

The dentist has been saying, for some time, that we need to get rid of the dummy because it is damaging his teeth. I have told my mother in law this, but she doesn't care and still gives him a dummy.

Until recently we have restricted the dummy to at home, but since he has been allowed it at his nans now he wants it constantly. And if he doesn't get a dummy, he steals one form his 8 month old brother.

Can anyone offer advice on how to get rid of the dummy?

I got rid of ds1s dummy at about 8 months and it was so much easier to do it when he was little. He actually slept better at night as he was able to self settle, rather than waking to find dummy had fallen out and needing it popping back in. Ds2 got away with his until 18 months and it was much harder, although still only took a couple of days.

Could you take a few days of annual leave between you to get him past the initial stage, then get DH to lay down the law with MiL.

I thought I might update everyone, so, I chickened out! I got paid child care for him and then bin all of his dummies, I was going to try having the baby limited to dummy only a bedtime, but before I could do that ds1 got really ill, so dh let him have his dummy again. Once he recovered we said that the dummy was only for bedtime, but we are weak so he has been having it 24/7. Now we are back to square one, but I think that we might just have to stay there and hope he gives it up on his own.

I might be in your situation in a couple of year, since my 4 year old is still using a dummy, and is showing no intention to stop. I think my strategy now is just see what happens, I don't think she will go for a job interview with a dummy in her mouth.

Do you understand what you're doing?

Using the dummy will change his face shape for the rest of his life. It's not just about his baby teeth. The damage is already undoable.

There are many more difficult and challenging parenting hurdles to pass and this is so very simple. I have a 6 yo DS and would be horrified to think of him with a dummy.

I truly hope this is some sort of wind up. How could you do this to your son??? How could any of the adults in this situation think this is in any way ok? It's horrific. For goodness sake, take it away! Dummies under pillow for dummy fairy - lovely gift left in place. No going back, ever, ever.

It isn't nice but would peer pressure have any effect? A slightly older cousin or neighbor who could express surprise that he still has 'baby' items like a dummy? Or a teacher? I'm surprised fatally if he is in school that this has not happened naturally.

Otherwise you and your family need to agree on and implement a strategy. From what you have said, I would think cold turkey would be he best, with careful policing of the baby's dummy so it doesn't get swiped.

I would be careful with removing the baby's dummy before 12 months though. Studies have shown that consistent dummy use for sleep may have a protective effect for SIDS and the advice is if a baby uses a dummy in this way, then they should continue use until 12 months.

My friend's son is still wandering around with a dummy in his mouth aged 4.5. He now needs a speech pathologist. And yes, it does look silly, if you care about that.

Six is ridiculous (sorry), and yes, he will understand the cold turkey route: 'Dummies are for babies who don't have all their teeth; they're no good for big boys like you.' Throw in bin, never buy another one. Done.