GrowIng out of dummIes Mama, look! Lollipops are growing in the garden!’ said excited little person with a big imagination. The look of awe on our toddler’s face when he saw his favourite treats in bloom and in place of where his dummies had been planted will always be a magical memory. There are many ways of getting rid of the dummy, including weaning it off slowly, calling upon the dummy fairy to take it or simply saying goodbye to it. Then I learned of a creative approach to completely ditch the dummy; planting them! Since digging is one of our son’s favourite things to do, this approach was fun, imaginative, gentle and meaningful. As a parent, you are best placed to decide on the right time for your child to transition to a time without dummies. Experts suggest that a good time to try is when there is not much change happening in the household, your child is feeling settled, he has transitioned from using the dummy all day to only using it to soothe to sleep and he has an alternative favourite comforter or soft toy to soothe to sleep. Our son only used his dummy to soothe himself to sleep. When he was about 2.5 years old, we started to tell him how big he was growing and how he wouldn’t need his dummy by the time he turned 3. So, it was a great parenting win to see him ‘grow’ away the dummy sooner, with the help of magic and Mother Nature! On the morning of planting the dummy, I explained to our son that today he would be saying goodbye to his dummy by planting it in the garden. I told him that when he woke from his nap, something special would have grown in its place.
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Before nap time, I helped our son dig a hole in the garden, filled it with his dummy and watered the dirt down. When he settled down for his nap, I ensured he had his favourite comforter to snuggle with to sleep. When he called for his dummy, I reminded him that he had planted it and it would be growing into a surprise, by now. While he was sleeping, I dug out the dummy from the dirt and replaced it with a lollipop. You could also replace the dummy with another edible treat or a special gift, such as a colourful windmill. When he woke, I ran to the garden with him and marvelled in the magic of nature when he saw his favourite treat in bloom and in place of where his dummy had been planted! While he enjoyed his treat, we connected over how special it was for his much-loved dummy to transform into something he loved, as well. At night time, I ensured he had his favourite comforter to snuggle with to sleep. When he asked for his dummy, I recounted his experience of it growing into something special. I reminded him that his treat was now snug in his tummy. Persevere in this way to help ease the transition and the story of the dummy is a magical memory. By Nagma Dawn. Dawn is passionate about reading and creating meaningful stories. Dawn aspires to empower mothers with insights to have fun connecting creatively with their kids on her blog, www.creativemama.com.au
