Ugh! I am beginning to truly dread the binky separation that is imminent. NHV has always l-o-v-e-d her binky. She still sucks an infant Soothie, like the one she was given at the hospital. Soothie makes a version for older babies - older than three months, I think. But NHV doesn't like this firmer, different-colored version. And so, my 22+ month old continues to suck an infant Soothie. Oh, the angst of it! What am I going to do?
For a long time now, we've only allowed her to have it while in her crib - for naps and bedtime. In fact, you can ask her, "When do you get your binky?" And she'll reply, "Naps. Nigh-nigh." I feel good about that ... despite that if you calculate the amount of time that wonderful child sleeps, you'll find that her sucking potential is around 14-15 hours a day ... if said binky stays plugged in her mouth the entire time. I know her adorable little smile and our orthodontia bills will suffer some day!
Recently, we've been broaching the subject of ditching the binky. Explaining that "babies have binkies" and NHV doesn't need a binky anymore because she's not a baby. I feel a little guilty about putting this kind of pressure on her, but desperate times ...
Sitting around the table after dinner, we started having this same conversation. I think she brought if up by saying something like, "Baby. Binky." And I replied, "That's right. Babies have binkies, and you're not a baby, right, N?" CPV chimed in with another question, "Natalie, what are you?"
Following a brief pause, N happily and clearly answered ... exactly what Chad expected and what sounded to me like "Cowgirl." A cute answer, for sure, but I was a little confused. I looked to Chad for confirmation only to be surprised to learn what Natalie was actually saying ... "Toddler."
Unbeknownest to me, she and Chad had a semi-related conversation earlier today, and he taught her a new word, "toddler." And she remembered that conversation from about 10 hours earlier.
I am not sure we are any closer to getting rid of that darn binky, but I am impressed with Natalie's growing vocabulary and her ability to remember ... everything ... a trait that is sure to get us in trouble in the near future!
4 comments:
Hey Dana,
We ditched the "sucky" about 4 months ago due to desperate times. Tucker's 3 year old mouth started showing the signs of the pacifier mouth where his teeth in the front were not touching the bottom teeth. There was an actual "hole" in the front he could stick his tongue through. We wrestled and sweated it out knowing that Maggie would have to give hers up to at 15 months old....but all is fair in love and war.
So, we prepped Tuck as you did. We told him that babies needed suckies and that he was getting to be a big boy. In our prayers each night Tucker says a special prayer for all the babies without mommies and daddies. I fed off this and we made a card, collected all TEN of his suckies and put them in a large manilla envelope. THen we mailed them...GULP...to my mom...so I could not access them in my weakness for my child's begging.
However, this is what we found. Maggie cried the first night for 20 minutes for her "ucky". Tucker for 30 minutes. Maggie then cried 10 minutes that night when she woke up looking for it. Next day, she did not ask for it once and have not heard about it since. Tucker, being 3, asked for it at nap and night for 3 weeks, but we stood firm.
THe "babies" sent Tuck a little something special back in the mail for sharing with them. He was thrilled.
So, being long winded, yes, it was tough. Yes, I cried with him, but it is over and I wish I had done it much sooner. I didn't realize how much my life/routines started to revolve around the suckies, finding them, digging in the middle of the night for the them, bringing them EVERYWHERE just in case. Best of luck! You can doi it~ xoxo Mel
what a cute story - I love that she called herself a toddler. yes, it's hard to take away the paci, as we called it. But after a day or two, both kids didn't seem to miss it at all. And the best thing about having "mommybrain" is that you'll forget the trauma of it more quickly than you'd ever imagine.
We never had the pacifier problem - none fo the girls would take them, but we do have a blankie problem - they have to keep them in their rooms for naps and bedtime. Getting rid of diapers has proved hard at 3 1/2 - but we finally had her collect all her diapers and give them to her baby sister... Its going to be a LONG summer.
Oh Dana,
We just did it 2 weeks ago and it's been the longest 2 weeks of ours and her little short life.
She went from a "wonderfully sleeping angel to an up every few hours a night with a visit to our room every other hour nightmare."
We had been preparing her for about a month. We started over Memorial Day weekend, hoping with the extra day off, we'd be alright. Oh were we wrong...
On Friday, I cut a little piece of the rubber and then a little more each night. Yes, I'm that mean, but i was just done with it. She just thought the nuk fairy broke it and was preparing for it's departure. That week wasn't so bad, but now that the fairy actually came to take it, her sleeping habits have SUCKED!!!
So, I hope it's better for you, it's so sad & I wished she had a lovey so it wouldn't be so hard for her.
Good luck!!
-Natalie
Post a Comment