Bye Bye Binkie

So a few weeks ago we decided it was time to make the last step in getting rid of Ethan's binkie. He really hasn't been incredibly attached to it for quite a while. In fact he has only been using it while he sleeps for over a year. Around May we decided to nix it during his nap, and that wasn't too traumatic, but he was hanging on to it at bed time a little more strongly.

We had read that if a kid can be part of giving it up, it makes the transition easier--less like it is just being taken away. So we decided to wrap it up and give it to a friend who recently had a baby--or more to the baby herself. So a few weeks ago, Holly (my friend) was coming to babysit Ethan while we went to the temple and Baby Kylie was coming. We talked to Ethan about how much Baby Kylie would love to have his binkie and how it would help her. He was pretty excited about giving it to her. He helped me pick out the wrapping paper, and even added his own scotch tape bow on top. All day he just talked about giving the present to Baby Kylie. He was fine watching it go in her bag, but we weren't sure how that night would go.

Jason bought this rabbit as the new friend that could sleep with Ethan now that he was such a big boy. We had tried to get him to sleep without the binky, and had offered the bunny but he would have none of that.
But this night, when he asked for the binkie we reminded him how he had given it to baby Kylie and how much she was loving it. How nice he was to give it to her to make her happy. He kind of nodded and was a little sad, but surprisingly, he didn't even cry. For the next couple weeks he would still ask for it every night, but it became more so we could tell him how nice he was for giving it up. It has been a beautiful transition, and we don't even miss it anymore!!! Good job Ethan.