saw a lovely idea on social media - take her to build-a-bear and put the dummy in the bear - that way she’ll still have it but can’t suck it

My son had a dummy - he went cold turkey one day when it got really dirty and I told him I had to wash it and he refused any other one I offered him (not sure why that one was so good.) Anyway he’s now 17 and has got perfectly straight teeth. It’s very unusual for kids not to need orthodontic work to be honest so he’s very lucky to have escaped all that.

All three of mine had orthodontic dummies which I took away when their teeth started coming through. Totally agree giving them to Dummy Fairy works a treat. Child agrees which gift they would like, puts all dummies in ‘magic’ (cardboard) box at bedtime and - lo!- finds dummies replaced by lovely gift in the morning. If that fails, piking small hole or
nicking with scissors as previously recommended does the trick but might take a few days.

I weaned my son off at 2.5. He was old enough to understand. We started with no dummy unless sleeping. Then no dummy for car/buggy naps. After he knew he could sleep without it we started no dummy for naps. Then the dummy fairy was introduced and he was promised a big toy if he gave them to the fairy. Which he did. He had comforters. He’s now almost 10 and his teeth are perfect. Dummy’s are excellent for babies who need them. He did. I have no regrets.

Hi

My youngest is 6 and she still sucks and sniffs a little muslin rag (we have a few which we rotate). It’s mainly at night although we allow it for flights, long car journeys, etc.

She’s very attached to it and it brings her great comfort. We consulted a dentist and chatted to our daughter about how we can minimise its use. We have been gradually withdrawing it (for instance, not allowed if she’s watching tv).

The key for us was to discuss it with her rather than take it away suddenly. We know she will give it up at some point soon when she’s ready.

Please don’t beat yourself up about your child relying on a dummy. It’s so incredibly tough when they don’t sleep. Parenting is hard work and we all do our best.

I’m sure you will find a solution. Sending you a big hug. It will be ok.

I had this issue with my two girls. I poked holes in theirs and said “it’s broken”. It didn’t suck anymore and they grew uninterested. They were sad but they still had it and eventually got the message.

Never intended to give her one , but she cried a lot and I gave in and 18 months on I feel regretful and stuck.

I have read that dummies can cause issues with teeth and needing braces etc. and obviously keen to avoid this if at all possible. What age do I need to wean her off before I cause these issues? And what's the best way? Reduce the time she has it each day or just stop. Wish that I had never started in the first place :-(