The Binky Fairy

I recently wrote an article When Should I Wean My Baby Off the Pacifier?.  I figured if I was going to write an article on that, I should practice what I preach.  My 3 1/2 year old was still sucking on her pacifier and had eventually learned to talk through the darn thing.  When we started saying "take that thing out of your mouth, I can't understand you...." it was time to make some changes.  So we started her off with the binky only allowed during nap time and bed time.  That was a rocky start but eventually, Ellen would get busy throughout the day and forget about her bink.  Then, as stubborn as she is, she would go upstairs and grab one of her pacifiers and cover her face with one of her blankies as she walked down the stairs, knowing she wasn't allowed to have it.  Yes, she walked down the stairs with her blankie covering her face.  I soon came to realize that every time she went upstairs to get her pacifier, it was because she was tired, bored, or upset about something.  Then we had to start hiding the binks and putting them up high.  That worked for a while but then it seemed that her pacifiers were coming out of the woodwork.  I figured out that Ellen was taking one of her pacifiers and she would hide it in her room.

It was time for the Binky Fairy.... 

Just before Easter, I tried to convince Ellen that if she gave the Easter bunny her pacifiers, he would give them to other little babies that don't have any pacifiers.  She was not too keen on that idea and I could see that it just wasn't going to work.  BUT!  Recently, one night I went to tuck Ellen into bed and I really couldn't find any of her pacifiers.  I really couldn't.  I told her that if she laid in bed and went to sleep, I would keep looking for her pacifier and bring it up to her when I found it.  Naturally, I never "found" any of them.  Ellen went 5 days without the pacifier.  She would ask for it every night and every night I would tell her that I still haven't found it.  She was the one who asked about the Easter bunny coming to take her binks and leave a present.

Here was my chance!

Ellen and I sat on her bed for quite some time the other night talking about the Binky Fairy. This is how the conversation went:

Me:  What do you know about the Binky Fairy?

Ellen:  She comes in my room and leaves me a present.

Me:  How does the Binky Fairy come into your room?

Ellen:  She comes in the window and flies around my room.

Me:  What does she do?

Ellen:  She leaves me a present in my closet, but she could leave under my dresser or over there, over there, there or there or there.....

Me:  Why would she leave you a present in the closet?  What if you don't see it or forget about it in the morning?  (no answer)  Do you think the Binky Fairy will hide your present?

Ellen:  uh, yeah....

Me:  Well, did you know that if the Binky Fairy comes, she takes your binks and you won't have them anymore?

Ellen:  Yeah....

Me:  Are you ready to give up your binks?

Ellen:  Yeah....

Me:  What does the Binky Fairy do with your binks?

Ellen:  She gives them to other babies.

This conversation went on and on.  I am so amazed at the "big kid" conversations I can have with Ellen.  She is the most reasonable 3 year old I know.

I stayed up pretty late that night making one of her presents from the Binky Fairy.   It was one of those Make and Melt projects.  A rainbow, like I had growing up.  She also got a fancy pair of dress up shoes.

The Binky Fair came?????????

Ellen woke up the next morning and walked right by her window where the shoes and rainbow were.  She came in our room and didn't even realize that there were presents in her room.  After a few minutes, she remembered and wanted to go downstairs to see what she brought.  I think she thought it was going to be like Christmas or something.  When I told her to check her room first, she walked in and still couldn't see anything new.  Good heavens!  She finally saw the window and got the biggest smile on her face.  She liked the rainbow the best and was really happy that she even left her a thank you note.   After a few minutes, Ellen says, "that's all I get?"

Oh, to be such an honest child.