Let me be the first to say this. Getting rid of the binky is the hardest thing I've had to do as a Mommy thus far. Teething? No problem-a little Tylenol during the day and some Benadryll at night and all is right with the world. Getting rid of the bottle? Piece of cake- just introduce the "Big Girl Cup" and voila! But this binky has been the source of much strife in my life. So much so that I've already dedicated an entry to said binky, and was compelled to document yet another one. My daughter is now Binky-free. And my life is that much easier. As a Mommy, one can totally relate to your mental checklist before you walk out the door. Diapers. Wipes. Change of clothes. Juice. Snack. Toy. And now, there's one less thing I have to remember not to forget.
As I said before, I was determined to get rid of the binky before she could actually ask me for it. Truth be told, I never wanted to give her a binky. But as a wise nurse in the Maternity Ward at the hospital told me "you can take away a binky, but you can't take away a thumb." So I relented, and gave her the binky.
She did look very cute with it, and was very comforted. Sucking is a natural soothing mechanism for children, and is a developmental tool. I definitely would rather her with a binky than a thumb.
I must admit, having the binky has been very beneficial. In her first months of life, Paige had acid reflux, colic, and a milk allergy. The binky helped to keep her comforted, relaxed, and happy. And as we all know if baby is happy, we're all happy. As she got older, she became more dependent and would rely on her bink for everything. She was, and is, a wonderful sleeper, but if her bink fell out of her mouth during the night, Mommy would have to go and rescue it from under the crib. I have no idea how it got under the crib in the middle of the night, but I digress. Eventually I got to the point where I knew it was time to let go.
I have summarized the de-binkifying process into the three c's: committal, consistency, and confidence. I first committed myself to doing it, and doing it in stages. I started by limiting her binky use to naps and bedtime. Once she was okay with that, I set a date. At first I thought I could do it cold-turkey, but from what I've learned in this process cold turkey is not okay. Regardless of what you'll read from experts....to each their own. I don't think it's a good idea. After realizing cold turkey was not the route to go for my baby girl, I limited her use to just bedtime. She did cry the first few afternoons I tried to put her down for a nap, but it did stop, and she did sleep. Finally, I took the binky away entirely, but I let her make the decision to give it up. I cut the tip of the binky and gave it to her for bed. When she didn't get the satisfaction she expected, she spit it out, played with her hair, snuggled her lovey and off to dreamland she went. Another tip: replace the binky with something your child can hold. A lovey, blankie, or something equally as soothing is perfect. I gave Paige a stuffed otter, a pillow pet she got from her cousins, and a small blanket lined with satin so she could soothe herself to sleep.
It was very hard getting to this point. The point where I wasn't doubting myself. The point where I wasn't sad that one of the last things my baby had that made her a baby was being taken away from her. It was very emotional for me and my husband because we both loved that binky, and loved her with it. But we knew it was time to say goodbye to that little bit of babyhood. And no matter how big she gets, I'll always see her as my little baby girl.
The most important of the three c's is confidence. Know that no matter how much your child loves their binky, you CAN wean him or her off of it. Be confident that they are ready. Know it is with their best interest that you are doing it. And understand that while the first few days/weeks will be trying, they too will end. And you can lead a binky-free life.
I must admit, having the binky has been very beneficial. In her first months of life, Paige had acid reflux, colic, and a milk allergy. The binky helped to keep her comforted, relaxed, and happy. And as we all know if baby is happy, we're all happy. As she got older, she became more dependent and would rely on her bink for everything. She was, and is, a wonderful sleeper, but if her bink fell out of her mouth during the night, Mommy would have to go and rescue it from under the crib. I have no idea how it got under the crib in the middle of the night, but I digress. Eventually I got to the point where I knew it was time to let go.
No comments:
Post a Comment