I really have no explanation for why it has taken me this long to figure out George's currency but now that I have I am using it to "help" him mind the rules. George is addicted to pacifiers--lovingly known as "beps" at our house. George is only allowed to have beps when he sleeps but because Charlie is allowed to have one more frequently he has started to want to "just play" with a beps which inevitably ends up in his mouth or he will go up to his room scale his dresser in order to get a beps and then climb in bed just so he can satisfy his addiction or he will drag a blanket and pillow out to where ever I am, lay down, and claim to "sleep." Other times he will walk around with his hand over his mouth so I can't see that he has a beps in his mouth or he will stand with his face in a corner. It is honestly crazy how much he loves his beps. He will grab a couple of them and switch them as if they were different flavors and he often makes yummy food sounds while he sucks on a beps. I say all this to document George's addiction and so you understand why I can't explain why it has taken me this long to figure out that beps are George's currency. In the past I have used other less valuable currency such as candy and toys but nothing makes George move faster than me telling him (even when there are no beps in site) that it is too bad he can't follow the rules I guess I'll just have to throw his beps in the garbage.
p.s. One explanation for my inability to discover George's currency before now is probably my lack of sleep and while I can't claim that I now go to bed at 10pm I have been pretty consistent about 11:30pm for the past couple of weeks (baby steps) but the really big news is: Charlie has finally started to sleep through the night pretty consistently and that is making all the difference. My plan worked.
p.p.s. My plan was really simple (yet another example of sleep deprivation and my inability to think). Before I go to bed I strategically scatter beps around Charlie's crib so that when he wakes up he will be able to easily find his "soothing tool" and be able to go back to sleep. I know it is working because I can hear him wake up and then go back to sleep.
p.p.p.s. I have not yet developed a plan for weening either of my boys of their beps.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
George's Currency
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13 comments:
That is so funny how he's all sly about trying to get you to believe that it is the right time for him to have one or how he tries to hide it with his face in the corner or his hand over his mouth. LOL The twins were totally into them also. They started to look ridiculous with this pacifier hanging out of their mouth and they were getting so big, finally one of them lost theirs and that was the end of that.
You have some great beps stories! Eli is the only one of our kids to ever take a pacifier so I don't have any advice of my own but a few of my friends have gotten very creative and it seems to have worked.
#1 Planted a "binkie bush" and buried the binkies under a new, small flowering bush to keep the memories alive.
#2 Left all the binkies outside by "accident" and the neighbors' dogs bit off the ends....or so the kids were told.
#3 Mailed all the binkies to her sister who was having a new baby.
I am sure you will come up with something but at this point you probably will have to take them away at the same time:)
I can completely relate to this story! Both of my kids loved pacifiers, but Anna especially and weaning her off was the biggest challenge! We tried all the creative ideas and nothing seemed to work. Finally, I decided on the "baby steps" idea and little by little Anna's pacifiers disappeared throughout the house and would only give it to her when she slept. When I finally stopped giving it to her at night, I think neither of us slept for five nights in a row. It was rough but relieved when I no longer had to go to the pacifier aisle on a regular basis.
P.S. I laughed when I read your idea of spreading the pacifiers all around Charlie's crib. I did the same exact thing with Anna. I swear I put at least six of them in the crib (one in every corner, one in her hand, and one in her mouth). I was relieved to start sleeping again.
p.p.p.p.s. I love George. I've never met the kid, but everything I read about him makes me smile.
p.p.p.p.p.s. Good luck getting rid of the beps. I have no advice because my kids never used them.
yikes! I accidentally logged in under my family reunion blog. The last comment was just crazy me. Sorry.
I love that he'll stand facing the corner just to have his "beps"
All I know is I have never seen George move faster than when you threaten the beps. Good work, Mom!! Now if I could figure out a way to cut off Scarlets thumb.
Now that you know his currency I hope that you will be able to get him to stop pushing Charlie down.
I'm not sure I want to give this baby a pacifier because of just that. My first two, I tried and tried to no avail. But, I think it was for the better because I never had to take one away. We'll see how desperate I get this time around for some peace and quiet! That is a cute story!
Love that kid!! He is such a character and really knows who he is. That is great you figured out his currency. Get as much use out of it as you can before he doesn't want it anymore. If he likes it that much there may be nothing you can do about it until he decides he doesn't want it anymore so you may as well use it to your benefit. Remember I sucked my thumb when I was sad or tired until the second grade. Mom tried everything including puting that nasty stuff of it, but I would lock myself in the bathroom and wash it off or just suck it until it came off even though it tasted gross. I finally stopped because other kids made fun of me. When I did stop it was because I wanted to not because Mom did something.
I just still don't understand why he calls it beps. But its George so we will probably never know the answer to that.
Amelia LOVED her "binkie" too. She only used it at nappy time and at night.However, she used it until she was almost 3.She had it until the "Binkie Fairy" came in the middle of the night and took all the binkies for all the other babies that REALLY needed them. When she took the binkies she left Amelia a beautiful Little Mermaid sippy cup that she was to drink some water out of every night right before sleep. I made a whole big deal about it that she was so proud of Amelia and so were daddy and myself. I made a big deal about the cup, etc. It worked for us. I just switched one thing with another. A month or so later...she didn't even need the sippy cup.
Wow. I think Bryn likes her chupon (that's what we call it) just as much! She only gets it at night, so she often tries to trick me into giving her one. I never new one year olds could be so sly.
I also have no plan for taking it away but want to soon. Let me know how it goes!
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