So, Matthew just turned 3! Huge milestone for us, as this was the age we decided he needed to give up his dummy (pacifier). But we had NO idea how this was going to happen. We received many suggestions, like …
Just take it away and suffer the consequences.
Replace it with a week of gifts, with a promise of a big one on day 7.
Give it to the baby birds
Give it to the … (place your thief here!)
But he was so attached to it, that the thought of taking it away, and hearing him cry endlessly just seemed so mean!
2 weeks before his 3rd birthday he lost his dummy! Our nanny and his older sister spent the day looking for it, turning the house up side down in search of the damn thing! By the time I got home everyone had calmed down to a mild panic, but the dummy was still missing!
So I began my search. I found a lot of dust bunnies, a key for the post box, and an Easter Egg! AN EASTER EGG! Bingo! If there is one thing that Matthew loves more than his dummy it is chocolate! It is a relationship so deep there is no beginning, and no ending! And so the plan began to form …
I rushed to the bedroom, found a piece of paper and a crayon and composed a note to Matthew from The Easter Bunny …
Dear Matthew
I have one Easter Egg left, and I know how much you love Easter Eggs, so I am giving it to you! But I am taking your dummy for my baby Easter Bunny, as he doesn’t have a dummy! I hope you think this is a fair trade.
Enjoy the Chocolate
All my love
The Easter Bunny
I placed the letter and Easter Egg on his bed and waited for him to find it. It wasn’t a long wait before I heard a very delighted yell emanating from his room! “Mommy! Look! Chocit! Easter Chocit!” I read the letter to him, twice.
He kept looking at the Easter Egg, almost weighing his feelings about his “deal”. Finally he said, “Phone Granny”. So we had to phone almost the entire family, all of whom told him how lucky he was! Easter Eggs in June! Wow! And how big he was for giving the baby Easter Bunny his dummy!
Now he was happy to eat it. He unwrapped it, and sat in front of the TV, watching Thomas the Tank Engine, munching on his “chocit”
The big test was going to be bed time.
When he got into bed, he asked for his dummy, and I had to read the letter to him again, and explain the situation to him again. He didn’t cry, just sort of whimpered. My heart broke. I stayed with him till he fell asleep. It took 1.5 hours. Tossing, turning, this way, that way, under the duvet, on top of the duvet, on my lap, back in bed, till eventually, exhausted he fell asleep.
The next night he asked for it again, and the next and the next and the next, till finally he has stopped asking for it, but still finds it difficult to fall asleep. But the habit is broken.
I am very proud of my baby boy. Oops! Can’t call him that any more! My Big Boy! But even I miss his dummy. It was a comfort to me too, it reminded me that he was still small, and needed comfort.
Now, I have to wean MYSELF off sitting with him till he falls asleep. Such a warm, comfortable, snugly time! Ah well, guess I should enjoy it while I can! Before I can wipe the tears from my eyes, he will be all grown up!
Next milestone … “Big School”
Matthew’s Mommy
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