Ditching the dummy - help?

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

DD is 17 months and still has a dummy and I've had enough. She doesn't speak very much and I think it might be contributing (though both her father and I were late speakers). I was going to throw them all out yesterday but she found one, so I might do it tonight. Is this the best way to get her off the dummy, go cold turkey? I've tried cutting down how much she has it but it just creeps up again. How long will does it usually take for tots her age to get over the dummy? Thanks

[mbear]

our DD#1 loved her dummy....we weaned her when she was 2.5. She would have the dummy at night, and sometimes during the day. Her speech was not delayed because of this. We introduced a dummy box. We put all her dummys in the box (yes...she had many) and told her at night she could pick ONE to go to bed with. It was a huge hit. She stopped asking for it during the day. Then easter came around and we told her the easter bunny was taking it to feed the other babies.....and that was it. We never saw a dummy again....

My 17 month old has a dummy at night. and TBH im in no hurry to wean her off it. It comforts her, it soothes her and she only has it at night, when i go into her at night to check, the dummy is always out, so its not like its in her mouth all night. I feel personally she is a bit too young too for me to be taking her comfort items away.

Could you reduce the time in the day she has it ????

[Sequoia]

We took the dummy away from our 10.5 month old DS last week. Cold turkey.

It was time because he would wake after a 40 minute sleep cycle during the day and wouldn't/couldn't go back to sleep without it. He would also wake in this night up to 4 times and frankly, I was sick of getting up to put it back in.

In the end, we would rock him in our arms or pat his back when he woke. It took 3 days for him to learn to put himself back to sleep without his dummy. We knew it was time as he would often fall asleep without it in the cot and in the car. The third day was the worst.

Sleeping is sooo much better now! For both of us.

DS has other comfort items associated with sleep.

[Je$$_84]

My DS was a dummy boy. At 15 months i decided to cut the tops off. So every dummy on the house had the top cut off and i told him they were broken. He accepted that and that was it.

I know of people who say santa is taking them etc like mentioned above.

Do you know anyone with younger babies. Naybe you could say that they need them and she might be willing to let them have them... we had it easy with dummies but bottles were hard to ditch here.

[ubba82]

We told DD (then 2) that she left her dummy on the table at childcare. She was fine with that.

DS took it a bit harder. He and I threw them all out at 2 1/2, but that night he screamed for it. It took 4 nights of decreasing crying and then he was fine. He found one in his toy box about 6 months ago and I asked him if he still liked dummies? He said yes, put it in his mouth and gagged! It was pretty funny, not that I'm cruel or anything - I really do love my kids!!!

[Neenee Jellybeanie]

I don't really know anyone with younger babies and TBH I don't think DD would understand the concept of another baby having her dummies (she has many as well).
mbear, I tried cutting back on them but then they'd just gradually creep back up.

[ubba82]

Also, I wanted to mention - sometimes its us as parents that are addicted to the dummy. It keeps the kids quite and gives us a break.

You need to be strong too. If you decide to throw them out - throw them all out! And dont give in a buy another one!

Good Luck

[Sequoia]

we had it easy with dummies but bottles were hard to ditch here.

Sorry to hijack, but how did you get rid of the bottles? We're not at that stage yet.....but I'm prepared for a battle!

[mrsmac]

DS is an addict but has been clean for 3 days now!!! DH cut the tops off on FRiday arvo and DS has accepted that they are around but useless, he did have a tanty at the chemist today cause he got some off the shelf and wanted me to buy them but the chemist was lovely and told him they were only for babies.
I am really surprised he has taken it so well cause he had them a lot not just bed. My worry now is tomorrow at FDC cause there are babies with dummies there but we'll see how he goes.

[Je$$_84]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Je$$_84
we had it easy with dummies but bottles were hard to ditch here.
Sorry to hijack, but how did you get rid of the bottles? We're not at that stage yet.....but I'm prepared for a battle!...

Long story here. It took til he was 2.5 and felt like everyone was looking at him still drinking from a baby bottle. People were telling me it was bad he was still having bottles. I was told he's have buck teeth etc. I think you just have to go with their pace sometimes. He never had a blankie or teddy and once i took the dummy the bottle was all he had.
We tried everything from new sippy cups even let him pick his fav colour we tried soft teat, the avent spout cups, the cheap hard spout cups to normal cups.

i cut the teats off and he'd get soaked. In the end the take and toss straw cup was a winner with Thomas the tank engine on them then once he got to the cup i just started taking the kid of and just having the straw then i took the straw away and he just used the cup. It was a long battle.