Wednesday morning, at 7am, Jan quietly sneaked into Emily’s bedroom with the secret mission of pilfering her dummy (that’s a pacifier, for all you Americans). Once said dummy was retrieved from said sleeping child, a shiny new scooter was placed in the middle of her room. Unbeknownst to Emily, she had just been visited by the Dummy Fairy.
Emily has always “needed” her dummy to fall asleep at night. And recently, she has began regressing and requesting it during the day whenever she is sad or tired. With only three weeks until our trip to The States, followed immediately by her first day of school, we knew that if something was to be done, it would have to be now.
Desperate for a winning strategy, we scoured the Interwebs for tactics and techniques and “The Dummy Fairy” seemed like the loveliest one. Kind of like The Tooth Fairy. And Emily loves fairies. How could we lose?
“WHERE IS MY DUMMY?!!”
“Emily, dear, the Dummy Fairy came last night and took them.”
“I WANT MY DUMMY!!”
“But Emily, dear, you’re a big girl now.”
“NO, I’M LITTLE!! I’M LITTLE!! I’M LITTLE!! I WANT MY DUMMY!!”
“The Dummy Fairy has them.”
“I DON’T LIKE THE DUMMY FAIRY!!”
“Look. She left you a new scooter!”
“I DON’T LIKE THE SCOOTER!! I DON’T LIKE THE DUMMY FAIRY!! I WANT THE DUMMY FAIRY TO COME BACK AND TAKE THE SCOOTER!! I WANT MY DUMMY!!!!”
The first hour of her new big-girl life went on like this and was filled with streams of tears and blood-curdling shrieks, pleading for mercy or to be put out of her misery. Then she got over it, loved her scooter and rode it all day. That night was six times worse than the morning. As Jan so insightfully put it, it was as if Emily was a heroine addict, forced to go cold turkey and clawing at the walls.
Yes, going to sleep that night wasn’t easy. After hours of failed soothing and encouragement, Emily successfully negotiated her way to the living room couch where she swiftly fell soundly asleep. Without her dummy.
The next day was more or less the same, but only 63% as bad.
On Friday, Emily was able to sleep in her own bed with only minimal dummy requests.
Saturday (Day 4) was the breakthrough. Emily informed us that she would go to bed without her dummy and without crying because she was now a big girl. And she did.
Here are some pictures of our big girl. Only one more month until she turns three!!
The Savvy Traveler
The Connoisseur
Fairy Training
Hi Josh!
What a fab story! We went through the same thing with adán at exactly the same age and for the same reasons but got away with it a bit easier! We collected all his dummies (you know you always have like really old ones hanging around in the strangest places!) and kissed them all goodbye. Then we hung them from the tree in the front garden and went up for bath time, explaining all the while that the dummy fairy was gonna come and take them away and give them to all the babies. Alex slipped away during bath time and changed the dummy bag for a fantastic kiddie keyboard and microphone….have to start them early! When he came downstairs we all waved excitedly as the dummy fairy flew away (he did look rather confused at that point..) and proceeded to open his present. He LOVED it and the funniest thing was that once it was all set up and he could ‘play’ it, he grabbed the mic and his first words were “GOODBYE DUMMY!” He never asked for it again!
Hope you’re all well…. we’ve got number 3 arriving some time in october! No rest for the wicked! Send my love to Jan. xxx
that’s a great idea. I love the dummy fairy. If there is a chocolate fairy out there, I want a moto!
big love to all the kids who give up their dumies, (and all the parents who have to help them) Tx
well done Emily! we never had this particular problem (plenty of others though!) as just Daniel gave his up one day at 9 months old. I can’t believe they are almost three…
Josh, that is hilarious. I hope one day these blogs will become a very funny (and equally moving, of course) book. Poor Emily, I remember vividly being parted from my own dummy. Numerous times as well, since I was pretty demanding as a child….. I think the Dummy Fairy gave me a very nice teddy bear once. The last time the Dummy Fairy came she wasn’t in the mood to deliberate, and made me choose once and for all between keeping my dummy, or handing over my incredibly precious and entirely necessary security blanket. Dummy Fairies are pretty cunning. So, my husband Laurence wants to try not to even provide dummies for ours (due in March)… I don’t know how that particular fantasy parenting method will turn out, so if all else fails, I shall remember the Dummy Fairy and to be persistent! Emily looks like an absolute sweetheart. And I love the fact on the 4th day, she announced she would go to bed without it. So independent and in control of herself! More adorable pictures please! Love to you and Jan (loaf of bread??) xxxx
Debora, not all children have dummies. Joshua, for one, never needed or wanted one. Each child is different and must be treated accordingly. The most important piece of advise I can give a family expecting a little one is: Remember to have fun, no matter what, have fun doing it and it will work out for the best. Love goes a long way.
Josh’s Mom
The perfect combination of a sweet story and apt usage of the word ´unbeknownst´.
Hi Josh, the dummy fairy is going to fly over Izzy’s bed soon too, but I’m dreading the visit already… glad Emily has recovered, your blog post made me want to give Emily, and you both (!) a big cuddle!
Does the fairy do nappies too?