I have a confession. I am officially an enabler.
For about the last three weeks Linus has woken up screaming during his nap. It always happens after about 30 to 45 minutes into the nap. He sobs and is completely beside himself. Often, despite my best efforts, it is the end of nap. This means I am left with a sleep deprived toddler.
Recently he has started waking up at night as well, sometimes multiple times. Dave is a wonderful husband and always walks down the flight of stairs and goes to Linus' aid. I try not to feel too guilty since I am on baby duty.
Today, right on schedule, Linus woke up screaming and crying after 40 minutes. I went to him and tried to console him. He wanted nothing to do with my hugs or singing. He just kept hitting himself in the face. In a moment of frustration and exasperation I asked,
"Do you want a binky?"
Suddenly, there was silence and a sniffly, "Yes." I got him one of Eileen's spares. Linus took it gratefully and immediately fell back asleep.
So yes, I am an enabler. The funny thing is, he hasn't asked for a binky or tried to use one of Eileen's since sailboat binky "accidentally got left" in Portland. I now feel very conflicted. Do I continue to deprive my child of the binky that provides him with hours of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep and let him cry in hysterics? Or do I simply give him the binky and promise myself he will kick the habit before he is 3 years old and ruins his teeth?
I think I will choose to be an enabler for a little while longer just to see if today was a fluke.
We only had one binky baby - and he never had it outside of his bed and never even thought to request it other than for sleep. When he was three, we figured we should do SOMEthing about it, so we straight up bribed him - he happily gave us his "baby" binky and gladly took off on his new big boy scooter, no looking back.
ReplyDeleteSo - my advice is to enable as long as your boy needs it (but only in bed). He seems so big - but in the big scheme of life, two is still SOOO little. He'll give it up fine in a while. And with your combined genetic history - he's probably doomed to orthodontices anyway. ;o)
If it "cures" his night terrors, by all means let him have the binky. but only in his bed. Poor kid. He wants so badly to be a grown up, but his pyche still needs the comfort of the binky. It is a very awkward stage, but I predict that it will be short.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the other commentors. It's a perfectly reasonable coping strategy on his part. At least it's a clean, intact one now. When he goes for the binky instead of food, starts spending all of his time with his "binky friends", skips school and spends all his allowance to score more binkys... then, I'll help you stage the intervention. One day at a time, Linus. Once day at a time.
ReplyDeleteLOL Beth!
ReplyDeleteThis morning on the Today Show, they were giving Suri (the celeb's kid) a very hard time because the papparazzi snapped a picture with the almost 5 year old out in public with a binky in her mouth.
Linus thought it was very funny when I suggested that perhaps sailboat binky had found another baby to help.