Recently I was gone in the evening, and I arrived home to a blessedly peaceful house with both kids sleeping. Zoodle had been having some sleep issues, but he was doing just fine that night.
Zoodle still loves his binkies. These days, binkies are for bedtime and naptime, so he's always excited to get them when those hours roll around. He likes to sleep with as many as possible--one in his mouth, the others in his hands.
The Engineer confided in me, "I told him if he got up for any reason except to go potty or because it's morning, I'd take a binky away. He did get up and I had to take one away, but after that he stayed in bed."
Brilliant. An immediate consequence is great for my 2-year-old, and this is one consequence that he doesn't like! This technique is working really well. We haven't had to take away more than one binky on any night. We aren't implementing this plan in the middle of the night (at least not yet), but it's working great for bedtime, and I'm starting to use it at naptime too.
Part of me says, Ooh, but this won't last forever. What happens when we decide he's too old for bedtime binkies? But I've learned a few things in the last 4 1/2 years of parenting, and this is one of them: Nothing works forever. So you just do what works at the time, and figure things out as you go along.
Hooray for a smart, creative husband! And hooray for sleeping children!
4 comments:
I've always heard that engineers are smart. Good thinking!
That's a good one! Too bad I can't take my son's thumb away when he won't go to sleep. It is attached so that is sort of a problem.
It is funny how kids evolve. What works, what they like, their favorites...they all come and go. They keep you on your toes, that is for sure.
Way to go engineer!! Brilliant!!
Well, I am glad that it works for now! As you said already, it won't last forever....
But Coqui also doesn't like when I take his privileges away! Immediate "punishment" is always best....
Hooray!
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