Taking dummy away from my 2 and a half year old - any tips?

[Crazycowlady2]

Hi I'm looking for advice and tips on taking dummy away from my 2 and a half year old daughter. She isnt completely glued to it she generally just has it at night times and when she is tired during the day she gets it then. I've tried taking the dummy off her all day and just at night times but she just has a melt down if she asks for it and I don't give her it 🤦‍♀️

Any tips on what we can do would be greatly appreciated Thankyou

I just cut all the tops off and told her, oh no, it’s broken.

I let her throw them out and gave her snuggles as appropriate when she wanted comforting. For a few weeks I made sure to have handy distractions ready to offer throughout the day when she asked for a dummy (new books, puzzles, colouring book, play dough, etc).

At night time she had a few nights of my sitting with her until she settled for sleep.

We used the dses’ dummies to ‘pay’ for a new toy in the toy shop - we organised it in advance with the person on the till, and then one of us went and actually paid.

Or you can leave them for the ‘dummy fairy’ - you tell her that she leaves them for the fairy who takes them and gives them to a baby who needs them, and the fairy will leave a treat in their place (a little toy or some sweets, for example).

We did the dummy fairy. You really have to stick to it once they're gone though! DS was unsettled for a few nights but is fine now. Good luck!

Just been through this 6 weeks ago with my 2.5 year old. I waited for a day she was really really tired (no nap during day) and hid all the dummies. Pretended to try and find one with her before bed, when we couldn't find one I just told her they were all lost and we'd have to go to the shops tomorrow and buy a new one. I had to use that line a few times over the weeks but it worked a treat. Was much much easier than I anticipated.

We did the dummy fairy too - took all the dummies away and left Buzz Lightyear and a lovely note to say thank you for being such a big boy and passing the dummies back to the babies that needed them.

Dummy gone and never offered again - forgotten about after 3 days! And he was a dummy monster!

To be honest it really doesn’t matter which strategy you go for. What’s important is that you stick to it; don’t feel guilt if she has a hard time at first - don’t frame it as you doing something that is upsetting her. What you’re really doing is taking one of the first opportunities you have to start teaching her resilience, the art of self-soothing, and the life principle that she can cope with uncomfortable feelings.

Try to stay away from offering sweets or food, for obvious reasons - instead do something. Extra story at bedtime, huggles when she’s tired or grumpy during the day, a new or different activity, etc.

When my DS recently turned two I took his dummies off him like you cut it down in day time and only allowed end of day closer to bed time then when it came to taking dummy away completely I gave him his comforter instead so he associated that with bed does your daughter have a favourite teddy or toy that she could take to bed with her? My son ends up taking his toy car to bed with him now 🤣 of course we do still have the odd mishap with him he tries to pinch his little sisters dummies when she doesn't want them and it's funny to watch as most days he's really good he will pick the dummy up and if you ask for it back he will or he will hand it straight to you or days when he must be missing them he runs off sticks it in his mouth for a few seconds and then hands it back to you 😂 funny to witness but I would say he's gotten a lot better now just finding something else they can use as a comforter

Yes I did similar

One child’s were left at a friends (by accident) and I told him we couldn’t go and get it this late
Child 2 banged her mouth and couldn’t suck - she soon forgot about the dummy
Child 3 decided she was too big for dummies and threw them away

Each one asked and cried for a couple of days - then stopped - you just have to grin and bear it

There's a children's farm near us that has a dummy donation box and the dummies are given to piglets, and the kids get a certificate.

I cut the tip off. He persevered with it for a couple of days, sleeping with it in his hand, but eventually he just stopped bothering. He probably made a big fuss the first night going to bed and woke up a few times in the night. Second night a little fuss at bedtime and by the third night he was over it.

Make sure you look for every dummy that could possibly be in your house! We also had an issue with my DS spotting babies with them and wanting it, but fortunately he was well and truly over it in a couple of weeks.