Day time dummy

[Cluelessfirstimer]

14 month old has a dummy. He refused one actually until 5.5 months old. We kept trying on advice from the HV as he had severe eczema. Good advice I might add - once he did take a dummy it helped massively calm him down through horrible flare ups.

Anyway - my issue. He only ever had it at nap and bedtime. It was available during the day he just didn't want it. Until the last month....

Now he will grab it if it's in sight during the day. If its not in sight he will be fine for a few hours but then get grumpy and moan until he gets it.

Annoying it's started now. I am a dummy advocate - nothing wrong with a dummy imo so any hero's who want to come accuse me of shutting up my child can bore off please. Not here.

Any advice on ways to cut the day time dummy a bit though? He's not hungry or thirsty

Cold turkey and distraction are the only ways ime. Someone phrased it to me as the dummy becoming part of the bedtime furniture, in the same way you wouldn't bring the cot out the room, you don't bring the dummy either which helped us, it made it a 'boundary' with no blurred lines where he can have it for a bit when he wakes up but then when do you take it off him etc, it takes a few days but he'll soon realise it's not coming out in the day, and if he does get whiney distraction with something super exciting (for us it was bubbles!)

Thank you - that's good advice re keeping it only in the bedroom. Will give that a try.

I think it is just habit now. I'm not against him having his dummy at all just miss his smile during the day from him shoving it in there!

Out of sight out of mind. My son was around the same age when we started leaving it upstairs in the morning and he could have it for nap and bedtime and one day he napped without it so that was that it was no longer an option at nap time he’s now 20m and knows he puts it on his pillow in the morning and he can have it at bedtime but never looks for it during the day now.

Agree with PP I think around the same age we start saying 'bye bye dummy' and dropping it in the cot after she slept, everytime.

Make sure there are none downstairs or in sight.

Then you just re-inforce 'dummies are for sleeping' if they ask for it. DD is now a bit like a robot with it, she can't leave the room with her dummy because the habit of putting it back in her bed is so strong!!