Binkie Rehab

My first two kids never took to a pacifier. I would try and try to get them to use the pacifier instead of using me as a pacifier but it never seemed to work out. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when our third took to the pacifier as soon as I introduced it. Yeah!! No more using mommy to work out all your oral fixation issues. The only problem with a pacifier is that you eventually have to take it away! I knew the time had come weeks ago. Madison was too old for a pacifier and I'd had it with carrying them in the car, my purse, the diaper bag, a few on each floor of the house, etc. etc. I spent some of that time in denial. "She's probably just give it up when she's ready." Yeah, right. "Maybe we'll keep losing them and then one day we'll just be out." Nope. Like any good addict, she'd tear the house apart until she found one. (or I would while she wailed in the background.) So I set the first day back on our regular schedule from Christmas break as the big day. The night before I tossed out all the pacifiers I could find except for the one she went to bed with. The next morning I snuck into the kitchen and cut the tip off her last one and sat it on the couch. After breakfast she made a bee-line for it while we all watched. She put it in, took it out, put it in, took it out. She brought it to me and said "Oh no!!" It was so SAD!! Good thing I'd thrown the rest out because I would have whipped out another one right on the spot when I saw that face. She showed it to all her sisters and they sympathized. Well, except for Kendall. I heard her say, "Oh no your paccie broke," then in a stage whisper to make sure I would hear her she said, "Mom cut the tip off and broke it." Stinker! But it's been two days and the only times she cries now is at nap time and bedtime. We're making it. I wish I could give up my own addictions but just throwing them out or cutting off the tip!