DD1 (2.2)has really only had one love in her life - her dummy (although she has latterly added a raggy blanket to this). From the age of 3 weeks when, after being used as a dummy myself for 4 hours solid I gave her one, she has been pretty much surgically attached. I made no fuss about it til she turned two because her little sister was born when she was 17 months old and whenever I was BF she seemed to want the comfort and was happy to leave me and DD2 to feed.
We'd made quite a lot of headway after christmas in her not having it unless she was napping, in the car or sleeping. A blanket ban didn't seem to work but letting her have it for 5 mins then asking her to take it out, distracting her, then hiding it worked a treat. Then she started getting some molars through, was in a lot of pain, thoroughly miserable and I let her have it as and when she required it. I know. Own fault.
I am now trying again to have it for nap and sleep only. And failing. And I know really that she does have to reduce it's use because she's only just starting to talk.
So this morning she put it in my drawer (quite happily)and came downstairs. Straight after breakfast she started whinging about it - I'm normally quite good at distraction but failed miserably, even cbeebies didn't work. She went upstairs and helped herself to it. So I told her that if she wanted it she would have to stay upstairs. She did for half an hour. Then she started getting up to mischief so I told her she could have it in her cot. She's up there crying half an hour later because she won't give it up but doesn't want to be in her cot.
We're having enough sleep issues with DD2 at the mo so don't want to create bad feelings for DD1 regarding her cot and her room.
I'm at a loss. Don't want to go give up the dummy completely - don't feel she's quite old enough. Somebody remind me I'm the mum and need to be mean..........