Yes, Alice is still using. We tried to force her into rehab, but the fear of a painful detox is just too much for a four-year-old to handle. Just the idea of not having binky to satisfy her cravings turns our daughter into a big messy puddle of crazy. You all know that there is nothing a mother hates more than witnessing their child suffering. I get an eye twitch just watching the kids having a little sibling spat over who got the better Happy Meal toy. Can you picture how well I do when my daughter is howling in anguish thrashing on the kitchen floor? Considering the fact that the kid is four-and a half and still has a binky I obviously do not do well. However in this situation I am more distressed by the fact that the child is ruining her teeth and perhaps deforming her jaw by sucking on the darn things.
We have had this binky fight before and over the summer restricted binky use only for sleep. Then like any addict; the kid started taking binky while she got ready for bed. Then she’d start using binky after dinner, and before long she was back to a full blown binky addiction. She was using her binky first thing in the morning and all day long. She was strung out and her life was out of control. We tried helping her cut back. Then we found her up at Walgreens turning out her Barbie’s for a Binky fix….no not really, but would be funny.
Dave and I decided that binkies were done, again. But this time we really meant it. No really. We took the binkies away and Alice morphed into a violent psychotic beast. She shouted and pounded on the couch, then she pounded on the floor, then she pounded on her mother. That kid is strong. She’s like a mini Cassius Clay hitting me right in the kidneys over and over. I calmly tell her to stop and somehow redirect her.
“Alice, stop hitting mommy.” Pow! Little fist digs into my left kidney.
“I WANT MY BINKY!” Pow! Little fist digs into my right kidney.
“Alice, I said stop hitting mommy.” Pow! Little fist digs into my left kidney again.
“I SAID, I WANT MY BINKY!” Pow! Little fist digs into my right kidney again. This went on for about 20 minutes until Dave came in and somehow managed to carry her upstairs to her bedroom. I stood in the kitchen and tried not to cry. I composed myself finished fixing dinner and left for Curves easier than usual. After Curves I went to my new writers group. When I returned home my daughter was sleeping like an angel. WITH A BINKY IN HER MOUTH. Really? Come on!
Here we go again.
