Give Back the Binky?

NO plain and simple.
at 14 to 15 months children start getting more teeth.. this could be the reason.
Have patience, this too shall pass and his sleep pattern will change again.
Tell daycare lady to just offer extra comforting and quiet activities when he wakes.

IN response to the statement that your child will let you know when their ready isn't necessarily true! Most kids have a dependency, you're the parent not the child or the child would raise itself. Your decision should be based on what you think is right, not because your child will let you know...

I agree but at the same time you training your baby that the only way he can sleep is with that aid! That's what all my baby books say. If you deal with it now he'll learn. It's now or later, and it could be harder later. Plus you'll get rid of something that's potentially germy.

You are you're childs parent. You do what you think is best for him because every child is different.. Google it. Find a book on naps or sleep that might help instead. He might not need that extra nap any more. He might need to go to sleep an hour or two earlier. Their sleep habits do change as they grow. Is it not getting better as time goes by? Were there other changes? One year is a big age!

Hi S.,
My three kids all had/have a pacifier. Our oldest got rid of it on her own when she was ready - a few months before her 3rd birthday. We kept the pacifier in bed only (or on long car trips for nap time - we back and forth from Vermont for a couple years). We introduced the concept of the "paci-fairy" who loved to bring pacifiers to babies who needed them. One day, when she was ready, my daughter informed me that the paci-fairy was coming that night to take her pacifiers. I made sure she understood that she wasn't going to have them anymore after the paci-fairy came. and the transition was seamless... no crying, no struggle. My other two are different people, of course, and things may work differently with them. But I'm of the mind that I gave them the pacifier in the first place and to take it away from them before they really understand why would be too difficult. I'm planning on talking to my two year old about giving up the pacifier after the holidays... we'll see how it goes! I hope this helps!

I'd say: give it back for sleeping. It makes sense for a child that young to be needing it (and more!). I would not worry about power. You are in charge. It is a wise decision.

I can't think of any problem to be created down the line. In fact, seeing that you are flexible and trying to meet his needs (when they won't harm him or others, including you) will create trust and understanding. That is good preparation for the toddler years.
good luck,
D.

I say give it back. Babies/toddlers let YOU know when they're ready to give up something.

My son, who's 3, has graduated from living on his binky to only taking at night to fall asleep, then he spits it out once he's out like a light and we're good.

Same with his bottle, he took it until he was ready to get off it, then he stopped it on his own.

Binkys are no big deal I don't think. If your son can go most of the day without it and only want it at night, then I don't see why you should fight him...you're only putting yourself through the drama of not getting enough sleep. Why make things hard on you AND your son? Life's hard enough.

Good luck. :)

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We had the same dilema and ended up giving it back. Sleeping was a disaster without it and she was obviously exhausted. Sleep is more important for both you and your son. Giving it back has not resulted in the awful power struggle that everyone told us it would. Our daughter only has it at bed time. It is stored in a special "binkey box" during the day well out of reach. Ultimately it is your decision and your's alone. You will do what is right for you and your son.

You DEFINITELY DID NOT take it away too early!!! Don't turn back - you will only confuse him and cause him to become dependent on it again... thereby causing you to have to take it away when he's older and MORE reliant on it....and now it's crucial to eliminate it in order to help proper mouth (palate and tooth) development. I'm a speech - language pathologist and see lots of issues due to prolonged use as well as thumb sucking. We got rid of my first daughter's at 11 months and she was fine. Maybe you can try a crib soother (music player with motion / lights on/off option). Good luck!! He'll get enough sleep - don't worry!!

Personally, I think that you took it away to early too, 12 months is so young. I would give it back to him only for noght time purposes...who knows he might not even take it now but you should try. He needs his sleep and if it helps, by all means! I have read/heard that 2 years is the best time to take it away. GOod Luck, and just remember be thankful he does not suck his thumb, you can never take that away! :)

Both my daughters sucked their thumb and I could not take it away. They sucked night and while tired during the day until preschool age, when they stopped daytime sucking, probably because they did not want to be seen sucking their thumbs. Both continued thumb-sucking for about 20 minutes when going to sleep up until age 8! They stopped at age 8 when the dentist recommended it, and we used the bitter nail polish meant to stop nail biting. Sooooo, 14 months seems awfully young to me. I hear of parents letting go of binkies at age 4 or so by tying all the binkies in the house to a helium balloon and sending them to binky heaven. You will then have a week+ of problem sleeping but at that age you can reason a bit more, read and sing to them, and caress his back.
However, the other posting that said that schedule might simply be changing could also be true. My kids went to one nap at about 12 months.
Just follow your own instincts. What works for one does nor always work for the other even within one family. Sleep tight!

noooooooooooooo! don't turn back! you will have to start all over again and it will be harder. it's possible he is having sleep disturbances because his sleep cycle is canging. do what you need to do i know it's hard to decide. maybe try a favorite stuffed animal to take to bed or we give my son a mini flashlight to play with til he falls asleep. good luck!!

I agree with the lady at the daycare. He's too young to be able to get himself back to sleep without the sucking action. It's the sucking that calms him down enough to go to sleep. So if he doesn't have that he'll need you to rock him back to sleep which you probably don't want to do. Giving him back the soother for night time only will help with the sleep routine. Eventually when he's able to sleep through the night without waking you'll be able to take it away again.

Good luck!

Neither of my two children ever took to a pacifier, so I never had to wean them away from it, but I'd agree with the advice of "don't turn back!" Unless you and your son and clearly suffering from lack of sleep and it's causing other major issues, I think your son will adjust. (Plus, with all the scary viruses and swine flu going around, I cringe at thinking of how nasty that thing gets in a daycare setting.)

Keep in mind that his interrupted sleep could also be caused by other facotrs-- teething, a cold, growth spurt, etc.

Hi S.,
You certainly did not take the binky away too early. It will definitely confuse him to give the binky back and then end up taking it away again. It is a crutch and he needs to get along without it. The only reason babies need binkies is to calm than need to suck with is natural as an infant. Using a binky past that stage, say 6 months or so only forms habits that are not natural later on and can actually be bad for their development. Sucking after this point can lead to ear infections, colds and many other issues. You did a great thing taking it away when you did, don't take a step backwards.
Maybe a sippy cup w/water or a special blanket or music can calm him to sleep?
Hope this helps,
E. K.

i must agree. my daughter is 8 mo and im already starting to ween her off the binky. i do not take the binky out of the house. we were doing the binky only at night and naps, but shes teething now so we decided its too soon.
giving the binky to your child at night should be fine. if your baby keeps waking up because he needs it then dont neglect the need to sleep. :)

the right time to take it away from him permenantly would probably be when he spits out the binky in his sleep and still sleeps through the night : doesnt even notice its not there anymore. then start to take it away at nap time and give it to him for night time bed. then eventually stop nighttime too.

but you are his mommy and you should use your mothers instinct. you are a good mom and your decisions will be best. :)

I wouldn't turn back. She just wants him to sleep for her. You will have to pull it again. He will get used to it. I hope he sleeps for you, mine never slept well. My son naps well but at night mine always wake up until they are 3.
I am used to it now!
Good luck!
M. -SAHM and WAHM and love it!