Operation Bye-Bye Binky - A Success!

I'm here to raise my hand and say: "My toddlers are binky free!"

I'll admit, I thought it would be awful. I thought bedtime would be a battle and naps would completely disappear. I thought the world would come tumbling down around us. And it didn't.

The first few days were really tough. Last Saturday made me want to cry and tear my hair out. The couple of nights we've been up for a few hours around 2 am made me want to cry and lock myself in my room.

But, every day, they've asked fewer and fewer times for their binkies. Then, yesterday, nothing. No mention of the word "binky" at all! And today, nope! No mention of binkies!

I think that qualifies as a success!

What I find most amazing about saying Bye-bye to the binkies is the change that has overcome Gracie and Luke. They were chatty before, but I couldn't understand most of it around the binkies. They played before, but were calmer and more likely to sit than play in the house. Now, they are talking all the time and running around our living room like crazy. They hop, skip, jump, play hide-and-seek. They smile and laugh and sing and read books to us and make monster sounds. They seem to have more energy and more joy.

Were the binkies really holding them back? Were they keeping Gracie and Luke from talking and singing and becoming? It frightens me to think so, to think that because we waited so long to boot the binkies from our home that they might in some way hindered Gracie and Luke from becoming who they are meant to be.

At this point, Daddy and I are blissfully happy to say, "Bye-bye, binkies! You were helpful while we needed you, but we are glad to see you go!"

So, Bye-bye binkies!

And good riddance!