No More Dummies!!!

Ben and Ethan are 3yrs, 1month, 3weeks and 3 days old….. and they have FINALLY given up their dummies (pacifiers)

We have been working on them giving them up for a while now….. slowly slowly as the addiction has been HUGE!

Over the last few months, we have been warning them that their supply is limited. Their favourite dummies aren’t made anymore. The company has replaced that design with a new one, and they don’t like the new one. The 15 or so dummies that we had have been slowly lost or broken. Ethan chews his dummies, and has managed to break lots of them in the last few months by chewing them so much the silicone cracks and they get holes in them. They were down to the final two…. a green on for Ben and a blue for Ethan (typical!).

A few nights ago Ethan announced that his dummy was broken and he needed another. We had been telling him for a while that it was the last one and we told him again. He understood, and sucked his broken dummy sideways for one night (vertically rather than horizontally in his mouth). The next night he told us his favourite dummy was broken and he didn’t want it. He slept without a dummy for the first time in years!

The next morning he said we can throw his dummy in the bin, he didn’t need it anymore!!!

We praised him so much, and told him he would get a special present because he was such a big boy now….. we intentionally made a big deal about it, and of course Ben listened in….

Ben decided he would like to have a special prize too… so, of course we told him that special prizes were only because Ethan gave up his dummy. Ben got told he could have a special prize if he gave up his dummy too. Without any hesitation, Ben took his dummy and threw it into the bin!  

If you know Ben, you will know this is a HUGE thing to do. He absolutely loves his dummies….. you can see, when he is tired and puts one in his mouth, it just relaxes him. It’s like a drug for him. I am almost sad that he has given up something that he loves so much….. but it’s a necessary thing in life. 3yrs is long enough to have a dummy.

Last night was Ben’s first night without a dummy (and Ethan’s second night). As soon as Ben came down from his bath to put his PJ’s on, he asked for his dummy….. like he usually does. He cried when we told him he’d thrown it away, but quickly settled when we reminded him he’d get to go shopping for a special prize in the morning. Both boys managed to go to sleep as well as they normally do with a dummy. They both slept their usual 12-13hour night :) YAY!!

Tonight Ben asked for his dummy again, and he was so very tired tonight. He cried and cried as I rocked him in my arms. He so desperately wanted his dummy :(  We reminded him that he’d thrown it in the bin, so he went straight to the bin to try and get it back. Poor tired boy… He did get a bit happier when we reminded him about the special prize we bought….

 

We searched and searched for their special prize today. Mid year toy sales are starting all over the shops this week and the catalogues have been arriving in our letterbox…. After much catalogue research, Ethan decided he wanted a toy laptop, Ben found a battery powered red quad bike.

Ben didn’t want a laptop like we got for Ethan, but Ethan sure did want a quad bike too. You can’t possibly have one boy with a quad bike and one without, so lucky Ethan got two presents today…

Straight out of the box, Ethan cant wait to try it out, we didn't get to put the stickers on yet!

Ethan’s laptop is very cool too. Unfortunately Ben really likes it, and it annoys Ethan… who, like a typical toddler doesn’t want to share! I forgot to take a picture of Ethan with his laptop, but here’s the picture from the website

Leapfrog - My Own Leaptop

The boys are starting to get a few toys in the Leapfrog range, and both Mums and boys think they are great toys. Age appropriate, educational and fun! The laptop that Ethan bought can be customised so it says his name, and special messages from Mummy, Mumma, Grandma and Nana. Both boys LOVE it!