Bye Bye Binkies!

Well, I finally did it, I trashed the binkies! Audrey doesn't know that's where they went though. This is what we did:

I started off by telling her randomly for about a week that she was getting too old for a binky and that soon the Binky Fairy would come at night and take her binkies to give to a baby who really needed them.

Then one night after she went to sleep, they all went in the trash! When she woke up around 4am and couldn't find it, she called for me. I told her that the Binky Fairy must have come to bring it to a little baby who needed it. She seemed upset for a second, but then smiled and seemed happy that a little baby had a binky now. She went right back to sleep and I couldn't believe it was going to be that easy!

I was wrong. Naptime came and she screamed and cried her little eyes out. She kept asking what the baby's name was and why she couldn't see the fairy. So when she finally fell asleep, the Binky Fairy returned. She wrote her a letter and included a picture of herself that she took with Audrey while she was sleeping. She even left her some special headbands sprinkled with "pixie dust!"

The letter read:

Audrey, 

Thank you for the binkies! There is a sweet little baby girl named Charlotte who lives in New York that really needed them. She is so happy to have them now. I know you miss them and you’re a little sad, but you’re a big girl now and I’m so proud of you! To say thank you for giving your binkies to Charlotte, I brought you a present sprinkled with pixie dust. They are very special and I hope you like them! No more crying, okay? 

Love, The Binky Fairy 

P.S. Here’s a picture of us together!

She seemed excited about the letter, picture and present, but bedtime wasn't much better than naptime. We are on day 4 and she hasn't actually napped the last 2 days. It breaks my heart listening to her scream and cry for this little piece of plastic that comforts her. I waited much, much too long to get rid of it and we're paying for it now. I'm glad I chose a method that just completely removes the option of me giving in and giving them back to her though. Hopefully she starts to forget about it soon.

I'm sorry, sweetheart! Mommy hates to see you sad.