Goodbye Binkie

About 6 months ago, Emma had not seemed so attatched to the binkie. She would put it in her crib after nap and when she got up in the morning, and we would take it along on car rides -you know-"just in case" a meltdown caught me off-guard. Or for that matter, to keep a meltdown from happening. Don't get me wrong, I don't have objections to using the binkie, we just felt her time with it wasn't neccessary any more. She has been talking so much, and understanding her withOUT the binkie can be a challenge, especially for those who don't know her, but she had it in her mouth all the time WHILE chattering away. My concerns about it were sort of "confirmed" by our pediatrician, so we decided to give it up. Since I knew I would cave and give it to her if she threw enough of a fit, we figured cold-turkey was the best solution... and to completely get them out of the house.



So, I suggested to Emma that we give the binkies to our little friend, baby Chase. Uh-uh, no way was that going to fly. I can't remember what she said, but I remember the face she gave me and I know she made it clear that she was not down with giving her binkie to a baby. We thought - a binkie fairy? Would she understand that? Then it hit us! We had recently been to the zoo and she loved the baby gorilla. I asked her if we could give the binkies to the baby gorilla.... her eyebrows went up. She started jabbering about the baby gorilla wanting a binkie. So, the next night, Drew and I took her and the 3 binkies we could find to the zoo. We talked all day about the baby gorilla getting her binkies and how great it was to share our things, that she was a big girl, and maybe the Mama gorilla will have a present for her.



As we drove up the hill to the zoo, I looked back at her. She had her bottom lip out and tears were just starting to flow from her eyes. It was so sad! I asked her if she felt sad, and she said, "ya", and let out a little whimper. But by the time we were parked and had talked some more, she seemed more excited.

To make a long story, slightly shorter, she was excited about seeing the gorilla and getting a gift. We didn't actually see the baby (It's "pack" was removed from the exhibit temporarily!), but we told her the baby was in the bushes, we left the binkies next to the exhibit with some other gorillas, walked up to the next viewing area, I ran back and switched the binkies for the gift, and Drew and Emma came back to see a package waiting for her. We told her the Mama came and took them to the baby and left Emma the gift for being such a big girl. She was thrilled with the "country critters" she got.

That first couple of nights were rough, but she did go to sleep. Nap time has been difficult, but it had been even with the binkie, so I don't know that that was the issue so much. She does now have difficulty sharing (I realize ALL 2 year olds do, but we are wondering if she thinks she will not get anything back that she shares....hmmm). She has come to love her "Bear-Bear" even more and is finding ways to comfort herself.

I have to say that although it isn't much fun listening to a crying little girl ask for her binkie at night for a couple nights, she seems fine now, and Drew and I had a little fun with the whole gorilla story. I just wonder what she is going to say when we DO have another baby and I pull those binkies out of a box in that little plastic baggie.