My first two children are evidence that I am a HUGE fan of binkies. I just love having that magical something that quites and soothes my baby when he is upset, pacifies when he's hungry, and helps him fall asleep at night. Mason was a binky addict from the day he was born, but gave it up easily when he was 2 1/2. Brynn despised binkies as a baby, but I continued to force them on her until she finally accepted them around 7 weeks (her hospitalization with meningitis did it). Apparently I created a monster because she is still totally and completely attached despite several failed attempts to get rid of them. But even that hasn't stopped me from once again encouraging my baby to love binkies. Miles really had not shown any need or desire for a binky until a couple weeks ago when he found his thumb. He started finding it more and more frequently and now requires the soothing it provides. At first I liked the possibility of him self soothing, but I'm not sure if I wanted a thumb sucker. I've watched as one of Mason's 5 year old buddies has struggled to give up thumb sucking and often catch him doing it in social situations. I don't want to have to deal with that. I like having the power to take it away when I don't want them to have it. So I've been forcing the binky on Miles in place of his thumb. He will now take a binky just fine, but as soon as it pops out he starts searching for his chubby little thumb to take it's place. At this point I'm still not sure if he will end up another binky boy or thumb sucker, and I'm not really sure which one I prefer, either. Whatever makes him happy, I guess. One thing I do know, though, is Miles is a very good natured baby, and I'm glad he's mine.*UPDATE 3/25*
Brynn went to the dentist for the first time a few days ago. He took one look in her mouth and immediately asked if she sucked on her thumb or a binky. He said no more binkies as of that moment. Her front four teeth are all pushing out because of her binky and will probably require a retainer when she's five so she doesn't have buck teeth. It's been a rough transition, to say the least. Bedtime, naptime (or lack of naptime), and when she wakes up during the night have consisted of an hour plus of her sobbing for her binky. But it seems to be getting easier...slowly. Maybe we should try to avoid both the thumb and the binky with Miles.
4 comments:
Kaden did that too. DIdn't really love binkys but would take them - once they were out he'd find the thumb...He was a thumb sucker nothing I could do. When he was 18 month sold the Dr said that his jaw and teeth were starting to do something weird so we decided we needed to get rid of the thumb. We told him when he got older his thumb wouldn't taste good because big boys thumbs are yucky. Then we put that yucky starting stuff on his thumb and fingers and within a few days he was done with it. Spencer thought it was easier than getting rid of the binky with Josh. I think it was mostly a timing issue. Either way...it's nice for them to have something. I just try to make sure the soothing is only during bed time. (which is harder with the thumb I think)
Probably learning to not suck the thumb is a good idea, but he does look super cute in that picture of him sucking it! Tough call...
I must say, he looks pretty darn cute sucking his thumb in that picture. :) I was actually TRYING to get Ivy to suck her thumb for awhile because she flat out refused pacifiers, but she never took to her thumb, either. (Plus, Patrick got mad every time he saw me stick it in her mouth.) But she is finally getting to the point where she sleeps fine without anything. It sure is nice to have some sort of soothing method, though...and with the thumb you don't ever have to get up in the middle of the night to re-plug. :)
I was so worried about getting Kayla to stop sucking her fingers. After seeing you be able to just take the binkie away I thought I was going to have to take Kayla's fingers away! But it turned out that she stopped cold turkey in October when the Dentist told her she could pick a stuffed animal form the special shelf if she stopped for 30 days. We made a sticker chart at home and that was it. So it doesn't worry me as much now. Good luck!
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