Pacifier

Trying to ween Alex off the pacifier aka binky. 

Day care has been really good about taking the lead on initiating the challenge of taking the binky away. 

A couple of months ago some other parents, and myself, agreed to work on having the pacifier used only at nap/bed time.

Well, we were on a roll... We had the support of the teachers, and kept up our end of the deal at home. No pacifier until it's bedtime. Then, the lead teacher went on leave, and well. Everyone just forgot about the "no binky policy."

The lead techaer returend to work last week and she is ready to start back up with no binky!! Or as we have been recently calling it... The "bink-bink." 

The past few days Alex has been going down for a nap without the binky... He must be so busy during the day playing that he doesn't even ask for it during the day... 

He gets home and we attempt to say no to him also. Instead of having clean binkies on the the counter, we now have them hidden in the drawer. Also, if he looses the binky, we don't automatically run and get him a new one.  

Well, last night we attempted to have Alex go to sleep without the binky.  Not an easy task at all. At first he was ok, he was mumbling and talking to himself in the crib. Then he must have just realized that the binky wasn't in the crib. He started crying and did so for 14 minutes. It was rough!! 

We were so fortunate that we only had to use the Cry it Out method a few times. Alex was, and still is, an amazing sleeper!! Unless he is sick or under the weather, we usually have no issues with him!! So, last night not having the binky caused for a rough 14 minutes. Yes, it was just 14 minutes but it sounded like a half hour!! 

Now, the time has come to do research on how the assist with getting off the binky!! I received a message from the day care teacher and she informed me that he started sucking his thumb in replace of having his binky.  Now that is something that I will not be able to tolerate!! Binky can be out of sight and out of mind... The thumb is always there to tempt my little guy... That's one habit that I will not be starting!!