A few months ago I noticed that my sons teeth were starting to change shape because of his dummy. I don't really like dummies but he was a baby that needed something to settle him. My daughter never had one but she did use her smallhand to suck on and so I never had to deal with getting rid if the dummy.
I decided we'd try and send his dummy off to the North Pole with Santa and we'd be done. Not a chance. As much as he loved Santa, and he loves him, he loved his dummy more.
I trolled pinterest for tips to help the process but nothing came up. With all the mothers in the world I thought someone would have shared their wisdom to help us less knowledgeable mothers. Information is power after all.
So I decided to write my own list of things that worked and didn't work for me and some of my friends.
Give advanced warning.
Let your child know that you're going to be taking away his dummy. Usually, a week’s notice is enough time as long as you continue to remind your child daily.
Try the Slow and Steady Approach
I had to remember this was an addiction. Just like any other addiction, he was not going to give it up easily. I tested the waters every few weeks to see if he was ready. When he didn't seem to miss it I took it away a little at a time. This made it easier, for both me and him, even if it takes a little more time than some other methods.
Appeal to your child’s sympathies.
This didn't work for me. He loved it too much and didn't want to part with it. "No baba" is what he used to say. But it might work for you as long as you don’t mind telling a little white lie. Simply tell him that dummies are for babies, and since he's a big kid now, he can give it to a baby that needs it.
Snip It.
Snip a small hole in the end of the dummy with a pair of scissors or poke it with a needle. This will reduce the sucking effect that he gets from the dummy. Then, explain that the dummy is broken and has to be thrown away. If he doesn't want to throw it away let him suck on it. When he doesn't get the same effect from it he throw it away himself. I'm hoping he won't ask for a trip to Tesco for a replacement.
Don’t Offer the Dummy.
As your child gets older and no longer needs the dummy as a soothing device, stop offering it to him. If you’re lucky, he may forget about it for longer and longer periods of time, effectively weaning himself. This work for me during the day. Still fighting the battle at night time.
Limit the Quantity of Dummies in the House
Many parents make the mistake of stocking up on dummies because they are so often lost. I did this and as he got older he knew where they were kept and would try and get one himself. So as they got lost they stayed lost. We now have only one dummy and that is the last one. When it's gone it's gone for good.
Enlist Some Magical Help
My little guy was and still is too young for this but it might work for an older child.
We have a long history of telling little white lies to ease our children’s fears and put a little magic into their childhoods. Recently, the Dummy Fairy has taken up ranks with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy as a popular night-time visitor. Prepare your child beforehand for the Dummy Fairy’s arrival and be sure to leave a thank-you note or even a gift when you (um, I mean the Dummy Fairy) snatches the dummy while your child is sleeping.
Go Cold Turkey
The tried-and-true method of turning your dummy-sucking toddler into an independent big kid, going cold turkey, is effective. Simply take the pacifier away, and don’t give it back – no matter how much your little one begs, pleads, and screams for it. Stand your ground, and in a week or two, you and your child will be free from the pacifier once and for all. But it takes a great deal of patience and determination on your part. Something I simply don't have right now. If you can do this then well done to you. I just couldn't watch my little guy going through it. I know what it's like to have to give up something your addicted to and it's not easy.
Distraction
Toys, books, cartoons. Whatever your little one loves, use it. If he has a tantrum or just won't stop asking for it, distract him. I have found lego to be a life and sanity saver.
I am by no means an expert. Some of these have worked and some failed. We are now at the stage of no dummy during the day. I'm not offering him it at night but if he looks for it I'm giving it to him. I'm more concerned with him getting a good nights sleep so the next day won't be full of melt downs.
If you found this helpful, let me know. leave a comment or pin it.
Is there anything I left out? Do you have a tip that could change the way us mothers deal with this.
Share your knowledge and put it in the comments.
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Rachel, Marie and the team over at Babytalk, a pregnancy and baby festival have contacted me and have given me two weekend passes to give away to a lucky reader.
Babytalk is a festival for babies and their families, expectant parents and anyone thinking of starting or adding to their family.
You don’t need a bump to go to babytalk – everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the comfortable, family-friendly festival weekend and supportive inclusive atmosphere. The festival is taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of February 2014 from 10am to 5pm daily in O’Reilly Hall, UCD, Dublin.
All the details for a fun stress-free day out have been considered with free car parking, buggy parking, baby changing areas, lots of comfy spots to feed either out and about or in their quiet feeding area and their gorgeous Easy Parenting café area where you can refuel and relax. With face painting and children's entertainment too,the little ones won't get bored while Mom and dad look around. They're even giving out goodie bags. What more can you ask for?
If your looking for a festival that has no nonsense information form parents that have been there and done it all, then
Babytalk is the festival for you.
If you would like to win a pair of weekend passes to the festival all you have to do is one or all of the following:
Head on over to my blog Facebook page by clicking
HERE and like the page.
You can leave a comment below.
You can also like and share the post on my Facebook page for an extra entry.
I'll be running the competition until next Tuesday where I'll pick one luck reader to give the passes to.
Good luck !!
