Yes, I know, it's really a suped-up bribe.
Alex is going to be 3 in a few weeks and I'd really love for her to give up her soothers. She only uses her soother to sleep -- so at nap (when she does nap) and at bedtime -- but she's religious about it. She will not sleep unless she has one. And if she wakes up in the middle of the night and can't find one (and yes, there's usually 2 or 3 within arms reatch at all times), guess who she calls to come and fix that situation?
Thankfully, sleeping is the only time she has it. With the exception of when she had the stomach flu a few weeks ago, it never leaves her bedroom (well, unless of course, sleeping is going to be happening somewhere other than the house, like in the car or on the plane (when we flew to Texas)). And she's very good about that; she knows the soother rules.
But it really is time for it to go. We never had this problem with Austin because, although he did take a soother as an infant, he gave it up on his own around 7 or 8 months. I'd put it in his mouth and he'd spit it back out. And that was that.
Alex on the other hand, got very very very attached to it.
In chatting with other friends with soother-addicted children, I've learned that the soother fairy is the way to go. In other words, convince your child that they're doing a good thing by giving their soothers to babies who don't have any; babies who would be very sad without one; get a present in return and then be a "BIG GIRL"!
But so far, the convincing of how wonderful the soother fairy is with Alex has gone something like this:
Me: So we're going to give your soothers to the soother fairy soon, right?
Alex: Yeah, and my going to be a big girl.
Me: That's right, the soother fairy will take your soothers and leave you a present.
Alex: My no want to give my soothers to the soothers fairies.
Me: But you're a big girl now.
Alex: No my not. (Thinks for a minute). But my still want a present.
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