Top of my list of goals for 2012 was to get Skye to give up her dummy. I have never been all that happy about her having one and as she has gotten older, her dependency on it has made me increasingly uncomfortable. Recently, she had been wanting to have it all day and while I tried to restrict it to just sleep times, she constantly asked for it and never wanted it out of arms reach, I thought we were a long way off convincing her to give it up, but a chance incident in the backyard was our opportunity to say bye-bye.
We were playing in the backyard and after about the 300th time, I had given up telling Skye to leave her dummy and blankie inside. Coming down the slide Skye’s dummy flew out of her mouth and before any of us even saw what had happened, Bundy had grabbed it and darted across the yard to chew it to pieces. I was holding my breath waiting for Skye to start screaming but she seemed too stunned to even move. Seeing our opportunity, Mr Bond then swiped the dummy from Bundy and quickly threw it into the garden before telling Skye that her dummy was gone and Bundy had eaten it. Since she seemed to be okay with this, I ran inside to collect all the other’s that were strewn around the house and hide them. I was too worried about the night time dramas to throw them away just yet, but I was hopeful that it might work.
Bed time came and I put Skye into bed after her story, I was bracing myself for the demands for her dummy but when she asked for it I simply told her that Bundy had eaten it and she rolled on her side and closed her eyes. Excited, I quickly made my exit the whole time crossing my fingers that she wouldn’t wake in the middle of the night and change her mind.
Morning came and Skye woke at her usual time. Mr Bond went in to get her, but no sooner had he opened the door and she was asking for her dummy. Mr Bond once again told her that Bundy had eaten it. Suddenly, Skye yells out “DUMMY!” dives under her change table and comes up triumphantly with a dummy in her hand. I was gutted, I couldn't believe that I had missed one! I saw the window closing and wondered when we would get another chance like that. I had resigned myself to the fact that the dummy was not going anywhere just yet.
Later that morning Skye had left her dummy unattended so I hid it with the others and decided to try my luck for her afternoon nap. Amazingly she went to sleep once again without issue, I just told her dummy was gone and she was fine with it.
That was over a week ago.
I am still too scared to throw the others out, even though I have no intentions of giving it back now. I do love seeing her sleeping without it and it is so nice to not have her asking for it constantly during the day.
Now we just need to get the toilet training happening and we will be all set for a cracker 2012!
