Binky Intervention A Success!

Practically since his birth, Brendan has used a binky.

With my first baby, I was vigilant about keeping the binky in the crib, for naps and nighttime only. But as many moms know, second children benefit (or some might say suffer) from a mom's lack of energy, willpower, sleep, exercise, nutrition, sanity...the list goes on. I was never as vigilant about when and where the binky was used with number two. He could have his binky in the car, the stroller, the grocery store..wherever, whenever. After all, I reasoned,  Tommy gave his up no problem. I was certain it would be the same for Brendan.

A few months ago, I tried to remove the binky. I admit, it was a half-a__ attempt. He lost his favorite Gerber NUK silicone binky one weekend so I decided to try to substitute it with another brand I knew he wouldn't really like. He threw a fit the likes of which I had never seen. I was particularly tired that day so facing a sleepless night of crying (his and mine), I reversed my decision and rushed out at 8pm driving to two Brooks pharmacies and one CVS in search of the identical Gerber binky. It had to be silicone and it had to be white.

Lately though, the binky has been bothering me big time. My son, who now speaks in complete sentences—a dramatic improvement from where he was a year ago when he was getting early intervention services—was continually talking to me with his binky in his mouth. I would leave the binky in his bed only to find him sneaking up stairs for a fix once I turned my back. He was backsliding big time.

Feeling weak and without the strength to tackle endless nights of crying for the binky, I consulted Kathy, his day care provider and parenting coach extraordinaire. Yesterday afternoon, she took the binky away during his nap. She called me in my office shorty afterwards to announce the good news. "He went to sleep binky-free!" she cheered. "Now all you have to do is stay strong and tonight don't even mention the binky. Distract him. Remind him what a big boy he's become. And before you know it you'll be home free."

I was not convinced.

Last night at dinner, Brendan threw a typical two-year-old's tantrum. Between his screams and cries I could make out the words "I want my binky!" Within minutes he was crawling upstairs to his room. While Mike and I tried to finish our own meals, I could hear him trashing the entire second floor. Like any addict in need of a fix, he was unloading toy bins, dresser drawers, baskets of clean folded laundry. He would leave no toy unturned until he found his binky.

Fortunately, Kathy had tipped me off to removing all binkies before he returned home from day care.

So last night at bed time I feared the worst. Tremors, tears, tantrums. I braced myself for a night of hell. After two readings of "Bye Bye Pacifier" at Brendan's request, I shut off the light and waited. Nothing. Not a single cry or yell. Silence. I assumed he'd gotten out of bed and was somewhere else where I couldn't hear him. I looked into his room and there he lay. Asleep.

Not a peep out of him until he woke up at 6:30am this morning! Unbelievable.