🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
I'm so weak at ditching the dummy
Samuel LOVES his dummy these days. He's prob worse as he's gotten older if truth be told, and he wants it all the time if we're in the house. I manage to wrestle it off him in the park/playgroups but he asks for it all the time if we're not really busy.
They don't give it to him at nursery very much at all (2 days a week) so I think he associates it with us as we cave in too easily.
We tried to go cold turkey the other week and ask him to give the dummy to the baby ducks in the park as they needed it more than him. He did throw it away, we bolted home and barely go out of the gates before he bawled his eyes out. We lasted about 40 mins before caving in and giving it back to him which silenced him instantly.
Part of me thinks there are worse things in life and to just chill. He'll ditch it when he's bigger. Although I just wish he would be content just having it for naps. I don't think we're going to bother getting rid of it before the new baby now in September.
How are the other dummy loving LOs out there doing?
They don't give it to him at nursery very much at all (2 days a week) so I think he associates it with us as we cave in too easily.
We tried to go cold turkey the other week and ask him to give the dummy to the baby ducks in the park as they needed it more than him. He did throw it away, we bolted home and barely go out of the gates before he bawled his eyes out. We lasted about 40 mins before caving in and giving it back to him which silenced him instantly.
Part of me thinks there are worse things in life and to just chill. He'll ditch it when he's bigger. Although I just wish he would be content just having it for naps. I don't think we're going to bother getting rid of it before the new baby now in September.
How are the other dummy loving LOs out there doing?
0
Replies
d xx
My mum was a teacher and said that when we were all little she let us have a dummy because of the numbers of kids that sucked their thumb - she said there is a degree of control over a dummy!!!
I'm sure they'll all get rid of it in their own good time!!
Dee- have you ever seen supernanny's strategy for getting toddlers off the breast? Dunno if she is at the stage of understanding this but lets see if I can remember. It was basically a reduction plan that only takes 3 days. You make 3 pictures to stick up somewhere she can see. First day there is a picture of a sun and moon- telling her she'll get a feed morning and night. Second is just a moon- telling her she'll get a bedtime feed. Third one I can't remember the picture for the life if me but its basically no more boob. Dunno if thats it exactly but that kind of thing might work?
She does it for comfort just as others use a dummy. It is going to be tough to give it up. If I am not around she is fine. We were thinking maybe if I go away for a few days but with her starting this breath holding thing I am too worried about leaving her.
When I was home for Xmas they had a dummy tree in the town centre. Kids left their dummies on the tree in exchange for a present from Santa. It was very cute. Easter would have been another good opportunity to leave the dummies for the easter bunny or something?? Mind you , when I was about 4 (yes 4) I remember my mum telling me to leave my dummy for the baby birds who needed them. That night and for quite a few nights after I had nightmares about giant birds stealing all my toys... ha ha
good luck
d xxx
phoebe was about 2.5 when we made her egt rid of hers. we put it in the garden for the baby birds and she was fine with that, but when it came to bed time she asked for it and she went mad screaming and crying when i said that it was gone. any way i managed to calm her down and she went to sleep and basicly she never asked for it again, i was really shocked!
it may seem like you are being cruel but cold turkey is the only way to go, once you get past the first day it gets easier.
god luck. xxxxx
LC - glad Lucas ditched it so easily. I think our attempt to go cold turkey made me realise that we're not quite ready ourselves yet either, so maybe Christmas will be the right time. Mummy2Grace/Flickaty - glad your plans worked so quickly too!
Mez - no 2 is due beginning Sept for us, and believe my, I NEEDED a dummy last time with the colic, but I think I'll get them both to give them up together next time if no2 has one. Maybe next Easter is Xmas is too soon.
I know Samuel would have been a big thumb sucker had I not given him a dummy (I agree with you PNEBRain), as he was such a sucky baby, so I have no regrets on that front.
Dee - my nephew is 2 1/2 and sounds just like Amelia - still bf and no dummy. If he falls over he goes straight for my SIL for a feed, so it's def a comfort thing. My SIL doesn't mind as he's her last child and she's a big bf fan, but I think he's like Amelia and isn't one of those children that will wean themselves off the breast by themselves. Good luck whenever you brave the big step!
Thought I would start trying to post again, got to help March 08 stay open!! Can't really offer any help on the dummy. My five year old just had one at bed time till she was nearly two. O/h has been laughing (horrible man
Loads of Love
Sleepy xx