Childrens dummies

[jd_1984]

Obviously it is a very individual thing, but, how old were your children when you stopped them having a dummy? Ours has his for betimes only now (aged 3 and 2 months). But I have been told it can affect their speech if allowed to use a dummy for too many years?
Trouble is he WILL NOT settle without it.
We are going to have to be firm and see this period out until he doesnt cry for it but just curious as to what age other parents have taken it away permanently. My cousin took hers off her girl at age 2. Other parents I know didnt take the dummy away until almost the start of primary school??

[boxtops]

We never had them so I can't speak from experience, but I know of people who have taken away the dummy and although it's traumatic for a little while, the child soon gets used to it. I can't bear to see a child trying to speak through a dummy, it's not only hard to understand them but it looks wrong. Dummies can damage growing teeth, I believe, as can sucking your thumb - my bottom teeth are still snaggled as a result of still sucking my thumb after my adult teeth came through.

[LoftyLottie]

Never used them. There was no need to. I am not saying that others don't have a need to use them.

[ummmm]

It only affects their speech if they constantly have it in their gob.

[maggiebee]

Organised a mums and toddlers course some years ago which involved a speech therapist. She made us all put a lollipop in our mouths then try to speak. Very difficult - she equated this with a baby/toddler using a dummy. I personally have no strong feelings one way or another - mine never needed one, but know many whose lives would be a misery without one.

[josaphine32]

My daughter had one mainly at night time, or (nap time) Like yours it was the only way to settle her, she was around 4 when we broke the dummy cycle, We found being firm with her just made her want it more, We new a little boy at the time who had just given his up and we invited him around for tea, his mum had told him a story about the dummy fairy, and he explained he tried to explain to my daughter that the dummy fairy needed more dummies to help poorly children in the hospitals, and that he got a nice toy that the fairy had left him beside his pillow when he woke up the next morning, It worked for us. she never had speech problems thankfully, Good Luck.

[B00]

When Mini Boo turned 3 a few years ago at the beginning of December, we waited until Christmas and told her that Santa would exchange her dodi for presents, which she was, to our surprise, ok with.

I have however just remembered an incident which at the time nearly broke my heart. It was about a couple of days after they were permanently removed from her that I took her with me to our local chemist, where they had a dodi (dummy) stand and she was silently stroking the dummies as if they were long lost kittens- i nearly burst into tears and was seconds away from caving and buying her one.

[jamesnan]

Why give them one in the first place - they are not a necessity, and my three children, and also my 2 grand-children never had one. All spoke at an early age, which is not always the case with children having one of these horrible things stuck in their mouths.

[dotty.]

my granddaughter has one at night, hopefully she won't be talking in her sleep and thus developing a speech impediment. she's 10 months now and chunnering away, especially at Thomas the Tank Engine, when did Ringo give that job up?

[sherrardk]

I let mine give them up when they were ready (the things still have them). My feeling is that I gave it to them, bit mean for me to take it away. They are not allowed them outside of the house though and have to take them out if they want to talk to anyone.

[ummmm]

Jamesnan - not all children settle well. It's also a bit pointless saying that because jd's child already has one.

[albaqwerty]

My older one gave his up to his sibling when he was 16 months old. Santa was good to him that year as a thank you.
The younger one never took to a tootie, had his blankie til he was about 6 years old when he went to bed at night. He also saw a speech therapist from the ages of 4 - 7 so not having a tootie damaged his speech.
Everyone is different.

[bednobs]

jamesnan - parents have enough to feel guilty about without replies like yours!
As it happens, we were told in special care that having a dummy when you out babies down to nap can help prevent cot death (i have no idea why!) and in fact we were Recommended to by the hospital. Unfortunately she hates them and literally "spits the dummy" after 1 suck :)

[Prudie]

It was a godsend when my daughter was a tiny baby but she didn't want it after 6 months but did take to finger sucking afterwards. It's not really fair to judge as it can be a lifeline for stressed parents.

[anneasquith]

dummies have their place, its a parents decision. just dont '' dip it in the sugar bowl '')

[BeaverDiva]

Jamesnan - I was brought up that if you didn't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. I hope that your children and grandchildren have been brought up that way, what with their ability to speak from such a young age. Sometimes parents don't have a choice in whether baby should have a dummy. Don't judge.

jd - I'll be in the same boat as you shortly. We're just at the stage of making dummy just for night time, and that seems to be going okay. We make it part of the bedtime routine now to choose a dummy for the night and then put it away in the morning. Up until recently he still put everything in his mouth if he didn't have a dummy - so much as I hated seeing him wander around with a dummy in his mouth, better than licking a snail (which he nearly tried once!). Good luck xx

[Smowball]

If he has it just for bedtime then it wont affect his speech.

[jkelly24]

Both of mine gave their dummies to Santa around the age of two. It worked very well told them Santa had left them an extra present. If and when you do decide to take it away DO NOT give in and give it back thats the secret to success.