Paci still at 20 months - go cold turkey or gradual wean???

[Miasmummy]

Hi there,

I really don't know what to do about my DD paci. She never was really addicted to it as such. But since she has been so ill her 'addiction' has got worse. I was going to get rid of it at 18 months but she got ill. And she kind of has been ill on and off since then. She had Gromits put in 3 weeks ago and about a week later got Pharyngitus and then last week I asked the school to please put it in her bag until sleep time, which they did. But then she got a bit of chest infection and since we tried to slowly take it away from her she sucks it 24/7.

TBH I don't mind a paci for when she goes to sleep during the day or at night but to suck it all the time is killing me. I also don't understand her when she talks so I have to keep telling her - 'take your dummy our when you speak' Yesterday they couldn't find her dummy at school for about 30 minutes and she screamed the whole time till they found it. As you can see this is becoming a problem...

So now what? I love the fairy idea or the balloon idea - but will she get it so young... And what is the estimated time for her to come right after I've taken it away - like how many nights and days will I struggle for...

HELP!!!

Thanks
Kate

[fleadle]

My lo's still have dummies but just at night.

I find getting them to physically place their dummies in the cot before you will take them out in the morning is much easier than trying to take it once they're up.

What about a special dummy box you make together you could put on a shelf so it's only there for sleep times?

Or I used to tell DD that the teddies in the bed missed her so much during the day that they needed her noo noo to make them feel better...she was so cute getting up all shaky with sleep & saying "noo-noos for teddy" before asking me to take her out of the cot.

good luck

[Miasmummy]

aaah that sounds to cute that your lo does that.... Ok I'll try that.... I suppose I'll try anything... :-)

[skatty]

My friend very recently stopped letting her 20 month old son to stop using the dummy during the day (still has it for sleeps) and said she can't belive how easy it was, she has a place where he puts the dummy away himself and then when it is bedtime he goes and gets it, maybe you wont have such a hard time either, perhaps it is because they have some control in the process?

Good luck 

[Miasmummy]

liking that... maybe because we try to distract her and put it in her bag that she felt insecure about the whole process.... feeling more confident about the process Thanks

[sherip]

I took my son's soother away a couple of weeks ago. He's almost 26 months now. I wanted to wait as we just had a new baby a couple of months ago and I wasn't sure how he would react when she had a soother and his was gone.  He used to only have it at night and for naps, in the last couple of months would go get it from his bed and have it throughout the day. All I did to take it away, was trade him a new toy (that he picked out at the store) for it. I was shocked at how smooth the transition was. The first night he cried a few minutes and asked for it, but I reminded him of his new toy that we traded it for and seemed to understand (we played with the toy for awhile that night before bed time). The next night was even smoother - no crying, just asked for it. That was it - no more! He even sees his little sister with one sometimes and doesn't care. He also has a teddy that he sleeps with and used to pack it around when he had his soother. But since taking the soother away, he doesn't even care about the teddy anymore. Yay!
Not sure if that helps.

[Miasmummy]

Maybe I should wait until she is 2.... laughing at myself procrastinating.... I'm such a woose at discipline...