Experiences and advice about how to ditch the dummy

[MarmMummy]

Hi

DD is 18 months and I think we are reaching the point when we would like her to give up her dummy. I am worried though that its a bit mean as its a real source of comfort for her.

Is 18 months a good age? I'm concerned she's not a baby or yet a child that is old enough to be bribed/cagoled/reasoned with.

The 2 reasons we feel she should give it up are:

1. She seems to be increasingly attached to it and will hunt them down during the day if she can, when it was only ever meant for sleep and car journeys etc.
2. Her sleep is awful at the moment and we need to tackle that properly but are waiting for a time when she is not ill or teething. I am reluctant to sort her sleep out with the dummy, and then potentially have to do it all over again in a few months time.

So, any thoughts or tips?
Thanks!

At around that age (for DS and DD) I Threw away all but two or three dummies, with a big ceromony, and said remaining dummys were for bed only.

With DS he used his dummy for sleep only until he was just three. He was VERY attached to it, but never asked for it in the day. Then after lots of chats with him, the dummy fairy came one night (we got him to leave it at on the landing) and she left him a lovely present. To our utter astonishment, he never asked for it again. He would talk about it, but never asked for it back. Still think back in amazement to how easy it was as he really was very dependent on it for sleep.

DD id 3.6 and still has it in bed only. Like DS she is very attached and I havent been brave enough to ask for a visit from the fairy yet . Maybe she will amaze me to .

good luck with whatever you decide.

Paint them with something that tastes disgusting (you know that nail varnish that is supposed to stop nail biters biting?) Then tell her that they got too old and lost their nice taste.

DD had hers glued in her mouth all day every day and a couple of weeks ago dropped it in leaves in the playground. I told her there was squirrel's pee on it and would sterilize it at home. It also had a little puncture so it filled with milton tasting water. She said eugh and went off to sleep and hasnt asked for it since! We were gobsmacked, she used to wake in the night looking for it and we would have to fetch it from down the side of the bed etc.

My DS loved his dummy. As he got older I restricted it in the day, but he still had it at night until he was nearly 4. He slept well and it gave him comfort, so why rock the boat? We planned in advance when he would give it up - he went along with it happily as we gave them away (to the baby fish). When bedtime came he did cry, and it was horrible, but it was one night. Night two, he had a bit of a whimper. Night three onwards were fine.

Now I can't say for sure, but I suspect that it would have been a similar story whatever age he gave it up. But he had the pleasure of it, and we still had access to the blissful magic of it right through toddlerdom and beyond.

Given my time again, I might get rid as he turned 3, but I wouldn't have wanted to be without it any earlier than this.

If you don't want DD to have the dummy during the day, just stand firm in saying no. And get rid of the dummy when you feel it's right. Once a sleep problem is resolved, removing a dummy doesn't have to be horrendous, even for a child who is very attached.

2 words

Cold Turkey

Tis the only way

DD was 2 and 2 months when she gave it up. She gave them all to Father Christmas!

I figured with so many things going on, on Christmas day and so many new toys she wouldn't miss it too much. It was fine.

I did have the most adorable moment though, which still makes me go gooey and she's 14 now!

I talked to her for a few weeks before, about what she was going to do. We then went to a Christmas party at a playgroup and Father Christmas was there handing out presents. When her name was called, she went up to him took the present and handed him her dummy! Oh god, so unbelievably cute!!!

1. Hunting for dummies. We kept a box with quite a few in. Whenever we found one we put it in the box. So we always had a dummy to hand so didn't have to go hunting.

1. I wouldn't take her comfort off her if it's helping her through illness and teething.

18m isn't very old at all.

I've not been very helpful I suppose but I've no advice about getting rid of dummies at this age as I waited until mine who had dummies were older.

Thanks everyone - lots of good advice!

I'll let you know how we get on if we do take the plunge!

I only give ds a dummy at bedtime - he hands it back over in the morning if he is ready to get up! That way he can't find any during the day.

Dd gave hers up at age 2. We threw them all away in exchange for sweets and she had some stickers the next morning after she had done the first night without it. Will do the same with ds (he's 20 months atm so needs a little more understanding of the concept)