I haven't blogged in quite a few days... and I need to catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs too! I hate when I fall behind! I have some pictures from this weekend but need to download & sort through them... tomorrow's blog for sure.
So I want to talk about The Binky.
(a.k.a. pacifier, paci, ba-ba, binker, buppy, plug, guk, nuby, etc...)
When I was pregnant, and coming up with all the rules in my head that I was going to follow, the binky 'rule' was one of the big ones. I have to say, I am not a fan of seeing a 4 year old with a binky... it looks kind of weird. Sorry but that's just my opinion.
So, depending on what you read or who you talk to - the right age to take away the binky is 6 months, 1 yr, 1.5 years.... oh wait, back to 6 months again. You get the picture. Ugh. Too confusing for me. Originally I said I would take away the binky between 6-12 months. Now Julianna is 9 months (almost) and I wouldn't dream of taking it away. She loves it, we love it... and we love how it calms her down and keeps her (and us) happy!
I can't honestly say I have a set age in my head anymore as to when we are going to take it away. I know I just can't let it go until she is like 4 years old LOL.
When is the right age?? When did you moms out there take away the binky?
How did you do it? Cold Turkey? Slowly over time? Played a game or read a book? -such as The Binky Ba-Ba Fairy or Goodbye Binky, The Binky Fairy story (thank you Alicia @ Keeping up with Kylie for the idea!)
I saw something the other day that suggested poking a tiny pinhole in the end of the binky nipple - It's supposed to work since babies like the binky because of the 'suction'. If the suction is gone... they are supposed to 'lose interest' in the binky on their own over time. It sounds a little mean... but not terribly cruel. Has anyone done this?? Does it work?
What are your thoughts on taking away the binky?
The child loves her binky. She really does. We love it because she loves it. haha!
She loves it when she's awake.
She loves it when she's awake.
...And she loves the binky when she's sleeping. Who could take it away from
this precious face? Certainly not me. Not now.
Sophia still has her binky too. When I was pregnant (even before that) I said I didn't even want her to have one. But like you said, it calms her, makes her happy. I just can't bring myself to take it away yet. I'm thinking maybe we'll start trying after she turns 1 some time. But we'll see!
ReplyDeleteOh and I've heard of poking a hole in the end of the binky, I might have to try that when the time comes! Glad to see a new post, Julianna is such a doll!
Hey, I'm glad you're back...I was starting to worry about you!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the binky...neither of my kids would stand for them (sob, sob!). Kaia rocket-launched them out as soon as they touched her lips. I was hoping Harry would be different. Ah, sigh.
~Carla
that beanie cap is sooo cute! mine went from the bink to the thumb & my 3 yr old still luvs her fingers ... so I'm lost on this subject ... LOL
ReplyDeleteJack loves his binky too! I think it's good for them up until 1 or 2.
ReplyDeleteI read the same thing about poking them with a pin. We will probably do it after he is 1 at the earliest!
I hear you though, 4 year old with binky's is a bit embarrassing.
I'm gonna let the twins keep them as long as it keeps them happy. I think if they're still using them at 2, I'll just take them away cold turkey. Like everything else, I'm hoping it'll be a rough couple of days, but then things will be fine.
ReplyDeletewhenever you and she are ready is when :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines!@
Okay, well our son is the only one of our three that used a binkie. We kept it limited to naptime and bedtime. Once he was big enough to toddle around we enforced the "no binkies out of bed rule". He followed it and never, ever asked for the binky except at naptime and bed. So nice. He wouldn't go to sleep without it..which was the downside. Finally, on his second birthday we tried the hole trick. He screamed until he got a fresh binky..we finally got him to kick the habit at three when we bid the binky farewell via "binky fairy". All the new babies needed binkies and he needed to give his up to help the newbies. It worked. Phew. Did I just write a book?
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentine's Day!
Hey, I'm glad you're back...
ReplyDeleteUgh... I hate thinking of the day when I have to take aiden's away! I am intrigued by the pinhole idea though!
ReplyDeleteNeither of mine took to the binky... Addison's biggest problem was the bottle. Very difficult to break. Jackson's is his thumb- and it drives me crazy (he is 16 months)... I also said that I would not let binkies, thumbs or bottles become habit but hey things change once you are a mama.
ReplyDeleteI would not worry about taking her binky away- she is still a baby... you will know when the time is right and she will lwt you know... trust me addison did that with both her bottle and the potty. It was on her time. After all mama, there will always be something; the binky, bottle, breastfeeding, the potty always something.
Happy to see you are back :)
Oh dear, I am on the same boat. We were weaning N but when we went on vacation, I gave in. We are now back to square one. :(
ReplyDeleteAimee - yeh, I am putting it off til after 1 for sure. SHe is too happy LOL.
ReplyDeleteCarla - glad I was missed! I was so busy for a few days- ugh! You are lucky in a sense that yours never liked the binky. It's good & evil at the same time LOL
B lee- Yeh I remember seeing your post on the thumb not too long ago - i guess that's inevidable and hard to stop. *sigh!*
Karen - so you're in the same boat. 1 or 2 yrs old... yeh we are not there yet...
Kari - true, it will only be a rough few days but not the end of the world... and it does make her so happy right now. It's a crutch for me too! haha!
Maggie May - yeh for sure. Not ready yet! :)
No 7 - I like that idea, of only limiting to bedtime & naptime ... that narrows down big time. Then eventually take it away from those times too... and the binky fairy is the final closure. I like it!
Mensajes - Good to be back! :)
ReplyDeleteBranson - yeh, i am with you. I dread it but at least everyone else is kind of in the same boat...
mommysankey - good for you about not having to deal with the binky ... but the bottle issue, oyyy, that is a whole other bunch of fun I am not looking forward to. I am getting julianna used to drinkingout of a sippy cup so I can wean her over to the bottle a little easier. I hope she'll be ok with it. And how right you are, there will always be something. For now the binky stays... we asre both too happy with it!
Kitten - good luck, I am sure you can start up again like you did before... it will all be a distant memory soon :)
I think we'll deal with it after 1. I stress about the bottle more than a binky, I do not like to see kids that are older and carrying a bottle around! My husband on the other hand wants me to give him an exact age on the binky, but I just don't know yet. Kylie isn't using hers so much during the day anymore, but does for sleeping.
ReplyDeleteisnt it so funny how you have all these ideas of what kind of parent you'll be when you're pregnant.. and then you have the baby and all that goes out the window? I was the same way. "My kid will NEVER have a pacifier." She had one before we even brought her home from the hospital. lol. We got rid of hers at 14 months. The first two or three nites she cried herself to sleep, then she seemingly forgot about it.
ReplyDeleteAlicia - For some reason I am not too stressed about the bottle (yet!)- but watch that be the worst thing! haha!
ReplyDeleteHollie - it's the truth! I thought all this stuff before I had her on how I was going to do things. I stuck to my guns about some things but definately changed my mind on others :) I learned I can never say never. Well... except for the statement of I will never own a mini-van. That is an absolute truth. LOL
Never say never...I said I would take my son's away by 18 months and he's turning 4 in May and still has it to sleep. Ahhhh! I said I wouldn't make the same mistake with my daughter and she's 16 months and going strong. Help!
ReplyDelete