Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Bye Bye Binky.....maybe.

When Olivia was around 20 months old, my husband and I decided that it was time to take her binky away.  We prepared her all day by telling her to say "bye bye binky".  She did well with it, she understood that it was gone.  Come bedtime she asked for it a few times, cried a bit and then fell asleep.  Two days later she came down with a horrible virus and all she wanted was her binky.  I caved and gave it back to her which was a horrible idea.  She went back to wanting to carry them around with her all day long and I decided that she just wasn't ready to give it up yet. 
 
At her 2 year well baby visit her pediatrician suggested that we take it away for good. 
We followed the same method and prepared Olivia all day by saying "bye bye binky". 
 
Come bedtime it took her a little longer to fall asleep but I thought we were golden
....until midnight when she woke up. 
My husband and I got her back to sleep until 2am. when she woke up again.  and again.  and again. 
 
This went on for 4 days.  Sleepless nights and miserable days from being so tired.
She just couldn't stay asleep without her binky. 
So, we caved again and gave it back to her for bedtime only. 
 
Think what you will but everyone in our house needs their sleep.  Olivia was miserable because of not sleeping, she was acting out because she was overtired, I was so tired at work, had a headache for 4 days straight, my husband was exhausted etc etc etc.  If I've learned one thing being a parent it's that you truly have to do what's best for you and your family.  I honestly could care less if Olivia uses her bink to sleep at night.  I'll tell you that since the night I gave it back to her, she's fallen asleep faster and stayed asleep all night every night.  In the grand scheme of things, she is only 2 years old and she's still a baby.  She doesn't use the binky during the day and she talks more than any other 2 year old I know. 
 
Joe and I have just decided that taking away her binky isn't a battle we are ready to face right now.  Call me crazy but I think she looks so adorable with her binky in anyways.  I mean, look at this face!
 
 
Photobucket

2 comments:

Callie said...

Ha, she is cute! I'm the same way about Wyatt sucking his thumb - he's not anywhere near ready to quit, and I don't want to even try until he's well adjusted after the next baby arrives! Then maybe we'll try a few things . . .

Meg G said...

Somehow I missed this post...anywho, I go back and forth with the binky (we call it a paci in our house)debate. When I was pregnant, I swore she wouldn't use one. Then they gave her one in the hostipal and it was like magic. So then I swore she would only have it until she turned one. welllll, she is now 18 months and we made the rule that she can only have it in her crib. Now, we have broken that rule more often then I would like to admit but she has been teething and now has a cold so she is cranky and you are right - we all have to assess what is best for our family. Sleep is best for our family too so if some binky time at night gets us there - so be it!