For all the mums and dads out there?

Question

My daughter has just gone four, but still has a dummy(pacifier to you lot over the pond), it's getting silly now, but she can't sleep without it, but I need to get rid of it, or she will be starting school in Sept with the damn thing still in her gob. I have managed to cut down her usuage hugely, but making the final break really hard. Any advice?

Answer 1

make it like a ceremony for her. tell her that she'll be ready for school when she can dump the dummy. make a casket out of a bag or a shoebox or something, let her decorate it, and bury it in the backyard. tell her it's a new beginning for her. she may revert to her thumb, but at least the dummy will be gone.

Answer 2

Well here's a few ideas for you, try taking her to a toy shop she can have whatever she wants but she has to pay the shop keeper with her dummys.
Or talk to her about the fairies and how they need the dummy now she's a big girl and if she leaves it for them they will leave her a present so you could leave it in your garden/windowseal then the next day there will be a present waiting for her.
Another variation on this would be the squirells need it so leave it in the park, or if she likes the ducks then leave it for the ducks and then reward her with a present.
Try a reward chart each night she goes dummyless she gets a sticker when she goes a week without and has seven stickers she can choose a gift or activity she would like to do.
I hope some of these ideas will help you.

Answer 3

Mine's 3.5 now. I have managed to get her to the point where she gets the dummy just before she goes to bed and she has to surrender it first thing in the morning. She has a special pot in the kitchen where it goes into and it works. She never asks for it during the day now although she might do if she gets really upset but we never give in.
I don't mind her having it at night alone. Maybe you could try that tactic and then at least she won't be starting school with it.

Answer 4

no easy way - but a gradual process could be the way if you don't fancy cold turkey, i.e For one week get her to sleep with it under her pillow, then the next week get her to leave it on the bedside cabinet, then the following week get her to leave it just outside her room, then downstairs for a week etc. When you've got to this part explain that she has been a big girl and gone without it for so many weeks so it's now going as she doesn't need it anymore. Then buy her a little gift as a reward. it might also be worthwhile keeping a reward chart of the progress she's made, say each night she goes without she gets a sticker, then when she gets to 10 stickers she gets a magazine or whatever.

I did this as my son loved a bottle to sleep until he was 4, I kept it in the cupboard for a while afterwards just in case he was ill, but by the time we got to the outside of the room stage he knew the score, and even said to me that he didn't want it anymore.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Try and convince her that she's a big girl and big girls don't have dummies. Get her to throw them out and have a "ceremony" round the bin. Sort of like "There go the dummies, we don't need them anymore." Obviously I don't mean some huge big affair, but just something so that it's her getting rid of it and she's in control. Might help.

Answer 6

My two boys never took to them thank lord. My daughter did. I broke my daughter of her "binkie" when she was 18 months and know how hard it is. The simple part was collecting them and throwing them all away. She used hers mainly at night as well. I had two VERY rough nights. Her first screaming and refusing to sleep and then waking often looking for it. I stood my ground and told her the were all gone, the third night went a bit smoother she asked for it, whined a little and went to sleep, but still woke often. Night four no whining but when she woke. Fifth night she slept through. She no longer has her binkie, but has a blankie and stuffed bear she HAS to have to sleep. Perhaps find another "lovie" or comfort item for her in place of the binkie. Be consistent and firm. Remove all of them so you're not tempted to give in. Good luck to you!

Answer 7

if you tell her that a little baby needs it and if she gives it to the fairies to take it to them they might leave her a present
take her out before bed into the garden and get her to leave it somewhere that the fairies can take it then once you have settled her go out and remove the dummy thenleave her a little gift from the fairies to say thank you for her dummy she should be pleased that the dummy is going to someone else and also that she will get a gift for doing it it may soung daft but its worth a try good luck

Answer 8

Poke a small hole in the top, then keep making it bigger over a few days. It will lose suction and she will think it's broken. If that doesn't work, you could just take it away telling her she's a big girl now. You're going to catch holy hell for a few nights, but it's like ripping off a bandaid right? The hole thing worked for my son...good luck!

Answer 9

At night after she goes to sleep take it away from her and pretend you don't know where it is. Or if she drops it somewhere don't let her or yourself pick it up. Let it stay there. It's lost for good. She will cry for it but give her a teddy or some other stuffed animal instead. That's what I did, It is a security thing, something she is probably used to and it will take something drastic to get rid of it.

Answer 10

Using scissors snip each of the dummy's nipples so they lose suction. Tell her that she is such a big girl now that the dummy's won't work. Let her toss them out in exchange for a neat big girl treat (like maybe take her out to have her nails painted or something only big girls get to do)