Goodbye Binky: Post 3

So a little background info about our binky situation.
(Previously mentioned here, here, and here.)

I resisted introducing the binky, like most mothers who read an excessive amount of natural parenting books.  An artificial nipple? No!
A hunk of plastic to PACIFY, rather than do a good job and teach your child coping skills? No!
A germy, dirty little thing that my dad referred to as a PLUG for crying out loud?? No!!

But when I researched more about infant development and non-nutritive suckling needs, and became more resolved that I am not okay with nursing on demand and wanted to adhere to a feeding schedule, I realized we should embrace the pacifier if my son did so.

August 2009, Baby's First Binky (Avent)

But we'd give it up at four months.
We didn't.  The bink let us take him all kinds of places, like church and libraries, and it gave him something to fiddle with or stay quiet.  Like how a smart phone is used to pacify a teenager.

I decided that it was okay to let the binky go past six months, despite Tracy Hogg's recommendation in the Baby Whisperer book that we pretty much followed to the letter (with great success and confidence!) in raising our kid the first year.  She recommends taking it away then because the transition to bink-free is easy then.  I didn't follow the advice because I was more interested in a short term solution.  I needed more sleep, and I was getting up twice a night with DHH.  The pacifier was used to keep him asleep longer in the mornings, and thus; I got more sleep.

Being held by Aunt Ann at about 9 months.  Doesn't he look like his sister here??

We thought we'd remove it at one year.
But at one year, we were FINALLY GETTING A FULL NIGHT OF SLEEP. (I mean we as in me.  Dan can sleep through anything.)
So it stayed.
And more often than not, he was holding the pacifiers in his hand, not in his mouth.
And then he started to grit his teeth.  Oh how this drove me crazy.
So it stayed around longer.

At one year of age, we went to binks for bed only.  We made the rule that they had to be in the crib, and this rule led to a game called Toss It Over the Crib Rail.  With Double Points if it bounced out and behind the crib.

Confession: we once had a dozen binkies back there, various stages/sizes, collecting dust.  Now that I type it, I realize I am Binky Enabler.  I bought all those guys!

At a year old, he started to use the MAM binks exclusively. He is 16 months in this photo.

So binks have been used for sleeping only for quite sometime, and only on the rarest of occasions in car seats.  

At age two, many people began to nudge us away from the binky.  Well meaning, I am sure.
But at that time, I was teaching DHH feeling words, coping skills, and emotional regulation.
Instead of big huge fits, we were finding ways to CHILL THE HECK OUT.
Sitting in his bed holding a book and using his pacifier was one good way for him to calm down.
He began to give himself time outs and use that bink to self- soothe.
And so the binky stayed.

I read a nice article that defended pacifier use, or at least the comments readers left seemed to support DHH's use of binkies to relax.  Bolstered by the comments, I felt more secure in our parenting choice to let him choose the binky option.
And so the binky stayed.

Until now, exactly 2.5 years old to the week.

I have some exciting news to share in a future post, but as a little foreshadowing ... I'll tell you I am pretty tired. and I should get some sleep for now.