Binky Fairy
In a desperate attempt to wean Makayla off of her pacifier addiction, I decided to launch a very elaborate hoax. It began with weekly reminders of the impending arrival of the Binky Fairy, a benevolent fantasy creature who would arrive, unseen, to pick up pacifiers from toddlers who had outgrown the use of the device. The Binky Fairy would then supposedly deliver the binkies to younger babies who really needed them for comfort.
A few days prior to her arrival, Makayla received a letter from the Binky Fairy. It informed her that the Binky Fairy was making a stop at our house and requested that Makayla place all of her binkies in a bag tied to a tree in our backyard. In consideration for Makayla's binkies, the Binky Fairy promised to leave a little surprise for Makayla. The Binky Fairy ended the letter with a heartfelt "Thank you" for Makayla's kindness and willingness to part with her beloved binkies so that younger babies could benefit from the comfort such devices provide. A cartoon picture of the fairy, dressed in a pink dress and lace, with wings sparkling with fairy dust, was enough to convince my daughter of the authenticity of the letter.
The night before the big event, Makayla went to bed one last time with her favourite binky firmly in her mouth. "I'm just going to use this for now. I'm not going to use it anymore tomorrow because the binky fairy will come and take it away," she said matter-of-factly before she turned over and went to sleep. At that point, I wasn't sure how effective this plan was going to be. I had my doubts about her willingness to let go of something she loved so dearly.
The next day, as instructed by the Binky Fairy, Makayla placed all her binkies in a bag. She said "Goodbye, Binkies! Thanks for everything!" before I tied a ribbon and sealed the bag shut. It had snowed the night before and we had to walk through a foot of snow to the tree in the backyard. After posing for pictures with the bag of binkies suspended above her head, Makayla wanted to go inside and wait for the Binky Fairy.
I enlisted the help of my husband to distract our daughter while I ran outside to replace the bag of binkies with a bag filled with gifts. After a few hours, my daughter remembered about the Binky Fairy and, after noticing that the bag was now sitting on the bench under the tree, she exclaimed, "Mommy, the Binky Fairy was here!" I feigned surprise and ran outside to retrieve the bag of gifts as Makayla looked on from the window. I pretended to be shocked to find the gifts inside the bag and gave her a "thumbs up" before running back inside. Makayla was thrilled to find out that the Binky Fairy had given her a wooden bird house to paint, a new book, new markers and candy.
It has been 2 weeks since the Binky Fairy took all of her binkies away and Makayla has not asked for her pacifiers. She would, from time to time, talk about the time the Binky Fairy took her binkies away and left her a present. I'm relieved that the plan worked because I didn't have a Plan B. At least I no longer have to worry about my daughter starting junior kindergarten in a year still stuck to her beloved binky!
A few days prior to her arrival, Makayla received a letter from the Binky Fairy. It informed her that the Binky Fairy was making a stop at our house and requested that Makayla place all of her binkies in a bag tied to a tree in our backyard. In consideration for Makayla's binkies, the Binky Fairy promised to leave a little surprise for Makayla. The Binky Fairy ended the letter with a heartfelt "Thank you" for Makayla's kindness and willingness to part with her beloved binkies so that younger babies could benefit from the comfort such devices provide. A cartoon picture of the fairy, dressed in a pink dress and lace, with wings sparkling with fairy dust, was enough to convince my daughter of the authenticity of the letter.
The night before the big event, Makayla went to bed one last time with her favourite binky firmly in her mouth. "I'm just going to use this for now. I'm not going to use it anymore tomorrow because the binky fairy will come and take it away," she said matter-of-factly before she turned over and went to sleep. At that point, I wasn't sure how effective this plan was going to be. I had my doubts about her willingness to let go of something she loved so dearly.
The next day, as instructed by the Binky Fairy, Makayla placed all her binkies in a bag. She said "Goodbye, Binkies! Thanks for everything!" before I tied a ribbon and sealed the bag shut. It had snowed the night before and we had to walk through a foot of snow to the tree in the backyard. After posing for pictures with the bag of binkies suspended above her head, Makayla wanted to go inside and wait for the Binky Fairy.
I enlisted the help of my husband to distract our daughter while I ran outside to replace the bag of binkies with a bag filled with gifts. After a few hours, my daughter remembered about the Binky Fairy and, after noticing that the bag was now sitting on the bench under the tree, she exclaimed, "Mommy, the Binky Fairy was here!" I feigned surprise and ran outside to retrieve the bag of gifts as Makayla looked on from the window. I pretended to be shocked to find the gifts inside the bag and gave her a "thumbs up" before running back inside. Makayla was thrilled to find out that the Binky Fairy had given her a wooden bird house to paint, a new book, new markers and candy.
It has been 2 weeks since the Binky Fairy took all of her binkies away and Makayla has not asked for her pacifiers. She would, from time to time, talk about the time the Binky Fairy took her binkies away and left her a present. I'm relieved that the plan worked because I didn't have a Plan B. At least I no longer have to worry about my daughter starting junior kindergarten in a year still stuck to her beloved binky!
posted by Margie at 2:00 AM
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