Hugo has had a dummy from a relatively early age and he loves it. When combined with his favourite plush toy Boris, Hugo is a happy little man. Unfortunately he had progressively become more and more dependent on the dummy and wanted it more often than was required.

In the last couple months, Claire and I have been quietly reducing his access to the dummy throughout the day and telling him it is only for sleeping. If he took it in the car, he was allowed it while we were driving but knew he had to take it out when we stopped – which he was very good about.

Today for the first time in over two years, Hugo went to sleep for his lunchtime nap without his dummy. He was asking Claire where his dummy was and Claire let him know it was lost but that he shouldn’t worry about it. He talked to himself for a little while in bed and got up to check his bedroom to make sure it wasn’t there and then put himself back in bed and went off to sleep.

Tonight, it wasn’t quite as smooth – he still hadn’t had it all day and after his bath – like clockwork he asked me where Boris & his dummy was. We play a game after bath and go ‘hunting’ throughout the house to find them – unfortunately I was only able to find Boris again. He went to bed okay and then talked, cried, complained and talked some more for about 30-40 minutes before he went off to sleep (in the doorway of his bedroom).

I’ve now just tucked him back into bed and I’m so proud of him for getting through the day and hopefully the night without his dummy. It has been one of his most treasured possessions in the lsat two years, so I can understand why he was upset but I’m so pleased that we’re making steps to get rid of it as well.

I’m under no delusions that this will be our final encounter with the dummy but we up for the challenge and hopefully within the next week or two it’ll be a distant memory!