Binkies

I love Binkies! They have saved my life many times. When you have 5 children fairly close together, it is very nice to have something that can sooth a child besides yourself. I loved the idea of them and that you could take them away a lot easier than thumbs and fingers so much, I actually worked with my children so that they would like them. This was easier with some of them then others, but it worked and all my children took the binkie and I have no thumb or finger suckers. I don't know if the binkie was the sole source of this, but I will give them the credit. Another good thing that came out of binkies for me, was that my kids took them as their only source of soothing and I don't have the toy or stuff animal thing going on. I do think it is really cute when children have here favorite toy or blankie, but that, like anything else can go overboard. Two of my nieces have an attachment, and they get so gross and dirty, but they won't have any other item. One has grown out of needed hers all the time, but still keeps them (she is 8), the other one is still completely addicted and a thumb sucker and she is going on 5. So for me, over all the binkies have been a blessing for me and because I normally break my kids around the year mark, that hasn't been too difficult either. UNTIL NOW!!! Knightin was the child who got to go through living with family, a move, and getting a new baby sister all during the time that we should have been breaking him of the binkie. Life was too stressful and I couldn't do it. He is now 2 1/2 and we did try to break him of it closer to 2, which we were pretty sure wouldn't work since sister still had them, so we went down to just during the night for both of them. Pretty good solution, even though they were still all getting lost and some nights it was very stressful trying to find 4, since both my kids needed one to suck on and one to hold. I really had no problem with them having the comfort at home, and now I didn't have to carry them with me where ever I go, YEAH!!! Then Knightin started doing this UGLY thing. when ever he would drop his binkie in the middle of the night and couldn't find it, he would start crying. You can probably imagine that this happened often, and I was getting very tired. So, I finally had enough and 4 nights ago now, I took all the binkies away, and both kids got to go cold turkey. TJ is doing amazing, she isn't the sweet, perfect angel that she was, when putting her to bed, but all she does is cry for a few minutes then is asleep for the night. Knightin the first through the third nights, went to bed without a peep, but then would cry during the night at some point. The worst being for almost 1 1/2 hours, yes a very long time. Before anyone thinks, "how could she do that" well I couldn't, I went in there tried to sooth him, laid next to him, sang to him, then gave up, because he just scream the whole time that he wanted his binkie. So I left, went back to my bed and covered my head with my pillow ( by the way, if anyone is wondering the rest of my family including TJ slept through the whole thing, amazing). The next two nights it got better, but during the days he has been a bear. Then today he through a tantrum going to take his nap and going to bed, things he hasn't done the other nights(so does that mean he will sleep through the night, I hope so.) I know it will get better, but man I wish I had, had the strength to break him before TJ was born. And a huge wonderful side to all is, I don't have to buy another binkie ever again, OH HAPPY DAYS!!!!!
2 milestone passed and done forever (the other being no more bottles) many, many more to go!