I have been trying really hard lately to start breaking Lila of the binkie habit. This girl has a serious oral fixation. There is always something in her mouth! I must have told her at least twenty times today to get her fingers out of her mouth. And she isn't even sucking on them, she chews on them. It looks painful to me, but I guess as long as it is not my fingers....
I take the binkie away when she wakes up and put it out of sight. I was hoping it would be out of sight out of mind, but no such luck. She asks for it constantly. I just tell her that binkies are for sleeping time and ask if she wants to take a nap. Since she has an equally serious nap aversion, this is working so far. I also won't talk to her if she has a binkie in her mouth, I say that I can't understand her and tell her to take it out. This worked really well with Jake, but as I am rapidly discovering Lila is cut from a whole other cloth.
I came into the toy room to find her kicked back, relaxed and happily chewing on a substitute.
It's a lid to a tea pot, but I have to admit that the shape is a bit suggestive... kind of disturbing actually.
So my dilemma:
I can't decide if this is something I should really dig my heels in about, or ease up on the binkie control so that she stops chewing on toys. Opinions? Thoughts? Practical advice?
You'd think by the third go around I'd be a seasoned pro at all this parenting stuff. I guess every child is a new experience and they can come hard wired so differently that what works with one won't necessarily work for another. Honestly, like this job isn't hard enough...
4 comments:
Chrissy,
I'm not a seasoned pro, so I really have no advice to offer. Just an understanding ear. We are still fighting the binki fight with Evan. (and he's two and a half) Part of me feels guilty, everyone else seems to be able to rid their children of the binks, and part of me frankly doesn't care. That part is winning.
Evan's got a pretty significant oral fixation also, and until I feel like I can reason with him to some extent, it's just not worth it to me.
But you do what you've gotta do. Hopefully someone here will be able to give both of us some advice for the right time. :)
That last sentence sums it up perfectly. I can't tell you how many times I've thought that. As for Lila, You might try a substitute for her binkie...some sort of teething toy she can take to bed and chew on that doesn't quite give her the satisfaction of sucking. Or you can be mean like me and just get rid of the binkies cold-turkey. It makes for a rough few days, then they are done with it. Of course, Spencer was 9 mo. old when I did that, and my other two didn't like binkies. Good luck!
Ah the dreaded binki love/hate relationship.
It was a challenge with all four of my kids. And I dreaded it with everyone. But, I can say, from four different experiences with four different children that going cold-turkey worked the best for us. And by cold-turkey I mean throw ALL of the binkies away, in the outside, garbage, so Mom doesn't cave and give in...because sometimes a binki makes life easier.
The first 48 hours are a nightmare, but then it's over and done.
Good luck with what you decide.
We have done the cold turkey approach as well and at all different ages with our kiddos and it seemed to work as good as you can expect when you take a major comfort item away! :0) I think for me, just preparing for the worst helps. Either I was right and I'm prepared or I'm pleasantly surprised! Good Luck!
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