The Dreaded Dummy

[chanti]

My DD is nearly four years old and still has a dummy. I know i've made a very large rod for my own back by not getting rid of it sooner and i know it's going to be hell getting rid of it, not only for me but for my DD aswell. I want this to be as painless for her as possible. She's not interested in the Dummy Fairy coming with a nice present in exchange for it and i think just throwing it away will be too traumatic.I have heard cutting a whole in it can work. Does it? Have any of you lovely ladies got any suggestions. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

How about leaving it out for santa or one of his reindeers and then they will leave a 'special' present in return, or a friend of mine got rid of her childs dummies by posting them to a friend who just had a newborn. Their little girl really enjoyed wrapping the dummies up as a present for the baby and posting the letter, but warn whoever it is your sending it to first!

I think the Santa trick could be your saviour. You can start planting the idea now and hopefully by the time it's Christmas Eve, he'll be so excited about what lovely things he's getting you can just leave it out for the reindeers and bob's yer uncle!

If it's any help, we went cold turkey when dd1 was about two. She cried for maybe half an hour the first night and then never mentioned it ever again. Good luck!

the santa idea is a great one. my mum used the fairies similarly at the same age (for me .)

ds had a dummy until 2 months ago, he's 3.5. i thought it was going to be a nighmare getting rid of it, but, it was so much easier than i expected. one tea time, he had it in his mouth, came to the table and put it down, saying he didn't want it anymore. i'm afraid we pounced on this and before he knew it, all his dummies were in the bin. that night, we had a few tears, i just got in bed with him for a bit and a cuddle did the trick. it was the same for a couple more nights, but it gradually got easier. 2 weeks later, and the dummy was forgotten about altogether.

in all honesty, it was just as much as case of me giving up the dummy as well as him, and finding alternative ways of appeasing him when he was upset/tired. we just went cold turkey, getting rid of them all meant i had to stay strong about it too, and not relent. ds responds best when the idea comes from him, he was the same about potty training, he decided it was time for pants one day, and that was that, sorted. it's just a case of deciding what will work best with your child given you know them best, weaning her off it, cold turkey or bribery!

My sister had a dummy until she was at least 4. In the end, my dad made a big ceremony where she had to wear her best dress, and he set the camera up, and she was prepared - 'this is the day you stop having your dummy because you're a big girl now' etc, and they were thrown in the fire, and a photo taken. It worked.
She claims though that she bites her nails (still, at 30) because of that. But I wouldn't pay much attention to that because she isn't a psychologist!

hi i need some serious help i am bout 6 months pregnant and i am tryin to wean my 3 year old off his dummt he doesnt have it during the day and can go to sleep without it but wakes up in the nught crying for it i have tried the santa trick and the fairies and going cold turkey i am running out of ideas and sleep so tired pleaase help

i did the santa thing last year with dd1- she was 2.9 at the time, and it worked, the noly times she had a dummy after that was those emergency middle of the night wake up (sort of) screaming fits where she was otherwise inconsolable, by morning it was always forgotten about. this year i am going to try it with dd2 who is also 2.9 years, however she is more surgically attached to hers than dd1 ever was, her goo- goo (as she calls it) goes everywhere with her, and although it isnt always in her mouth, it is always somewhere on her person!!! am going to keep one for emergencies but hoping to go cold turkey on christmas night (cant do xmas eve as she is staying with daddy), so she will have a little extra present on boxing day.

it didnt happen! dd2 was ill with sickness bug over christmas, and didnt think it fair to take away her only comfort when she was poorly! she has however, stopped having the dummy in the day, doesnt carry it around any more and since xmas, has gone to bed without it 3 times and not had it all night. she has it tonight though as she was otherwise inconsolable at bedtime.