Yes, you read that correctly, we have successfully gotten rid of the binky.  I have to admit, it’s kind of a sad day, another milestone is met with success, but it just means that my tiny little baby girl is growing up.  I’m not quite sure how we went from the hospital for delivery to her now going without a pacifier… where has the time gone?!

As you will remember (if not, check out this post), a few weeks ago I posted a list of ideas of how to get rid of the binky.  It was full of various fun ideas to say goodbye to the binky… hopefully making the transition not too traumatic for my little one.  After much discussion, we decided to go with the Build-a-Bear Workshop.  We felt Miss Sassy Pants would have the most fun with that idea.

After we had the idea, we set the timeline… one week.  This would give me time to plan out a fun-filled day as well as to spend the week talking with Miss Sassy Pants about getting rid of her binky.  During the discussions I had with her, I just let her know that it was time to get rid of the binky, because she was such a big girl.  Now I do want to point out that Miss Sassy Pants only used a binky for nap time and bedtime and it was not allowed out of the crib.  So if your child is using the pacifier more frequently, you might want to reduce its use before taking it entirely away.

Saturday arrived and we were ready to go.  We of course wanted to keep it as relaxed as possible to prevent any additional stress for her.  I also had her pick out her four favorite binkies to put inside her bear that she was going to build.  I put them in a special bag which went in her backpack, giving her full control of the situation.

When we arrived at the Build-a-Bear workshop, I let the very helpful employee know what we were doing.  We took lots of pictures throughout the process… mainly because Miss Sassy Pants loves posing and I figured anything to keep her in a good mood would be beneficial.

Miss Sassy Pants selected Tender Heart (a Care Bear) and headed over to the stuffing station.  The lady controlling the stuffer was absolutely amazing.  She offered a little cloth heart to include in Tender Heart’s belly along with her binkies.  She had Miss Sassy Pants kiss each of her binkies as she put them in the bear and then before putting the cloth heart in, she asked if she could rub it on Miss Sassy Pant’s cheeks so Tender Heart would have a smile like hers… to say the least, my daughter absolutely loved the idea!

After Tender Heart was all put together with favorite binkies inside, we let Miss Sassy Pants go shopping for an outfit and any other items to wanted for her special bear.  In the end, she selected the cutest blue jeans, blue t-shirt, and red rain boots.  She also got a little brush to keep Tender Heart’s fur nice and fluffy and a birth certificate.  All in all, it was a super fun activity that she really enjoyed.

Once we were on our way home, we talked more about why we did the Build-a-Bear workshop and why we put her favorite binkies inside Tender Heart.  I didn’t want to lose the focus.

The first night was a little difficult because she thought she could get the binkies out of Tender Heart when she wanted them.  It was heartbreaking, but my husband and I both stayed strong and just comforted her and explained why she couldn’t have binkies anymore.  The second night was much easier!  She still needed some comforting, but she never asked for a binky!  We are still binky free and falling asleep has gotten much easier… almost back to normal.

Here are some suggestions that worked for us when getting rid of the binky

1. Reduce the use of the binky prior to removing it all together.
2. Make it fun… find something your kiddo will enjoy, hopefully making it less traumatic.
3. Take the time to talk to them about it… explain why it’s time to get rid of the binky and how and when you’re going to get rid of the binky.
4. Try to make the first day as stress-free as possible. The event of getting rid of the binky is stressful enough.
5. Be patient, provide lots of comfort, and stay strong. As a parent, it can be so heartbreaking to see your child hurt, but in the end it’s in their best interest.

That’s it folks!  Happy Thursday!

Cheers,
Lisa