This post does not contain tips about knitting your turkey a hat and scarf to keep warm - or any on what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers, so if that’s what you were searching for, I’m sorry but these vegetarian girls have nothing for you!
I have been wondering for a while how to tackle the issue of minimising Bubba’s use of – and the eventual phasing out completely - the num num (dummy/binkie). I’m not alone – it seems a number of mothers of similar aged children have wondered the same.
I have always said as long as she’s done with it by the time she starts school I’ll be happy. Then she started wanting to use it all day! This all day timing coincided with changing her routine and going to a different carer for six weeks, so I thought I’d leave it … for now.
Then last Friday (her first week day at home with mumma before going back to her regular routine and regular carer) this happened: I asked for her num num to wash it while she ate her breakfast, then I put it to the side to dry.
And she didn’t ask for it back.
She went through her day, including her daytime sleep, and the late afternoon w(h)ine time without it.
As I put her to bed for the night she settled down without it.
The following morning as I lifted her warm sleepy body out of her cot, she looked around as if she’d left something behind, but didn’t ask for it.
She went cold turkey. On her own. From a pretty serious attachment to nothing. No tears. No stress. No fussing. No. Big. Deal.
The terrific side effect of losing the num num (apart from the obvious being able to see more of her lovely smile) is listening to her talking. A lot!
I’m not silly enough to have thrown them all away just yet, given that it’s only been five whole days . But I am well aware, (as I may have mentioned once or twice previously) of what a lucky mumma I am and what a good - and lovely - little girl I have.
Five days!! That’s huge! Bye-bye, Num-num. Fingers crossed that it really is that simple! Love that smile!
So do I
Congrats! That is awesome to hear.
Wow! That’s awesome! I’m dreading giving ours up… Seems like its such a concrete manifestation that babyhood is over.
I totally know what you mean – as much as I’m relieved it was seemingly so easy, I definitely felt a twinge of that too. I’ve felt like that about a few things lately – like when I sold her bubba clothes at the market on the weekend. I posted about that too
We’ve fluctuated between desperate for the dummy to a “couldn’t care less” attitude. I’m hoping one day we get to where you are!
By the way, I just love reading your blog. The way that you write about your little one reminds me about the joys of parenthood and how to enjoy my daughter more rather than just focusing on the tasks and how tired I am. It’s definitely the little things that count. Thanks!
Thanks Amanda – I’m having a particularly flat (exhausted!) day so it’s nice to know I’m making a difference to someone else’s day
LOL….. our son never liked his num-num, our middle daughter it was this easy but our first daughter…. oh my… it was a ongoing episode for months… LOL.. great job!
She waivered this morning when I got her out of bed – looked around everywhere for the num num then pointed at her mouth. I managed side track her. Phew!
Congratulations Bubba! It must be so lovely to listen to her talk all day now:-)
Yay, Bubba. It sounds like that was a pretty easy transition!