8 tips for ditching the dummy
Ditching the dummy is something that many of us dread, because love them or hate them, they make our lives, and the lives of our little ones easier.
Both of my boys used dummies, and they loved them, so for me deciding to ditch the dummy was a decision that I knew would affect me, just as much as it would affect them.
If you’ve decided that the time has come to get rid of your child’s dummy, then here are 8 tips for ditching the dummy that you can try.
The best thing to remember when getting rid of your child’s dummy is that children are adaptable, there may be tears, there may be rough nights, but if you’re consistent and patient with whichever of the below approaches you take, your child will eventually adapt to life without their dummy.
Reasons to ditch the dummy
If you’re still unsure about doing it, here are some reasons to ditch the dummy:
It affects children’s speech
I wanted to start with this reason, because it’s one of the main reasons many of us ditch the dummy, and using a dummy may not have the impact on speech we believe it does.
This is the reason why I ditched the dummy for my oldest son, my Health Visitor told me that the reason why my son wasn’t talking very much at two years old was due to having a dummy.
What I wished I knew back then, was that while there’s some evidence to suggest daytime use of dummies can affect speech, any speech sound errors will clear up as children get older, and there’s actually no significant link between the number of months a child uses a dummy, and their speech sound development.
Additional reasons
So if you’d like some other reasons apart from speech related ones to help you decide if the time is right to stop using a dummy, then some are:
- It’s reducing the amount of breast milk your child’s drinking
- You think your child’s too old for it
- Your child’s become too reliant on it
- Your child is waking up multiple times during the night because they can’t find it
Tips for ditching the dummy
Here are some ways to get rid of the dummy once you’ve decided it’s time to:
Go cold turkey
This was how I ditched the dummy for both of my boys, one night I just stopped giving it to them, and I never gave it back.
This approach isn’t for everyone, and not all children will react well to this.
My youngest son didn’t react well at all, he cried for weeks and asked for his dummy every night, to the point where I nearly gave it back on the second night of going cold turkey.
If you’re prepared for some tears and rough nights, this could be a good way for you to get rid of your child’s dummy.
Gradually stop giving it to your child
You may like to gradually reduce the amount of times your child uses their dummy, which you can do by reducing the number of naps they use it for, reducing the amount of time they have it during the day, and eventually building up to them not using it at all.
Remove the dummy when they’re asleep
Another great way to ditch the dummy is to remove it from your child’s mouth once they’ve fallen asleep, and place it out of reach.
If your child wakes up for it during the night, comfort them in other ways such as patting their back, singing them a song, or playing white noise.
Offer rewards or comforters
Offering cuddles, praise, stickers, or other rewards is a way you can reward your child for going a certain length of time without their dummy, or distract them from having it.
Similarly, giving them their comforter, favourite toy, or a new toy whenever they ask for their dummy is a way to distract them as well.
Don’t ditch the dummy during stressful times
Don’t ditch the dummy during times of stress such as the arrival of a new sibling, moving house, or starting nursery.
Also don’t get rid of your child’s dummy when they’re unwell or teething, because during either of these times they need some extra comfort and familiarity.
Communicate what’s happening
If you have a child that’s old enough to understand, tell them that they won’t be using a dummy anymore by saying things like “tomorrow at bedtime you’re not going to have a dummy anymore”, or “tomorrow we’re going to say goodbye to your dummy because now you’re a big boy/girl.”
Give them away
A tip for ditching the dummy that I’ve heard a lot is to ask an older child to collect all of their dummies so they can give them to the dummy fairy/Easter Bunny/Santa so they can give them to a baby that needs them, and in exchange they’ll receive a small gift.
Read dummy themed books
Just like books about toilet training, and books about brushing toddler’s teeth, there’s books about no more dummies that you can read with your child so they understand what’s happening, some of these are:
- No More Dummies: Giving Up Your Dummy, by Campbell Books, illustrated by Marie Kyprianou
- Pacifiers Are Not Forever, by Elizabeth Verdick, illustrated by Marieka Heinlen
- Bye Bye Pacifier, by Ann Wilson
- Ben Gives Up His Dummy, by Jenny Album, illustrated by Claire Keay
Every child will react differently to the process of no longer using a dummy, so the best thing you can do is be consistent and patient with whichever way you choose to ditch the dummy.
There may be some rough nights, and a lot of resistance, but it will be worth the effort in the end.
What tip for ditching the dummy will you try?
