giving up binky files/giving up binky.pdfhis mother laughed and said, “but winston, you just gave...

GIVING UP BINKY

Copyright Lori Jo Oswald, Ph.D. www.wordsworthwriting.net

NOTE TO PARENTS: Giving up a pacifier can be a difficult move for a toddler. This book is designed to print and enjoy with your child. This book has been tested and critiqued by my own binky-loving 3 year old. This book is designed for toddlers from 1 to 5 years of age. It can be printed on your printer or read on the computer. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lori Jo Oswald is a writer and editor living in Alaska. Her Ph.D. is in English, and her dissertation focused on children’s literature.

The Binky Book 1 www.wordsworthwriting.net

It was Tuesday at last, and when Winston woke up, he knew it was a special day. It was his birthday! And all his friends were coming over for a party!

There would be a cake.

and ice cream


and presents

and lots of balloons!


And best of all, his friends were coming over for his party!

Winston was very excited! He decided to wear his Spiderman shirt for his party. But then, suddenly, he had a sad thought. He remembered that his mommy and daddy had said today was a special day in another way. It was the day…


…he would have to throw away his binky.

“Mommy!” Winston called. His mother came into his room and said, “Good morning, Winston! Happy birthday!” “Mommy,” Winston asked with a worried voice, “do I really have to throw away my binky today?”


“Yes, Winston, today is the day. You are a big boy now. Binkies are for babies.”

“But I LIKE my binky!” Winston said.


“That’s okay, to like your binky!” Winston’s mother said. “When people are babies, they have baby toys, and baby things like binkies and bottles, and baby clothes. But when we get bigger, we get to have new things and do lots of new things.”

“Like what?” Winston wanted to know. “Well,” said his mother, “as we get older, we can walk, and run, and color, and build towers with blocks, and build train tracks, and do flipper-doodle-doos, and eat all kinds of foods. And we couldn’t do that when we were babies.”


“But why do I have to get rid of my binky today?” “Because your birthday is a very special day. It means that you are growing up. Also, because your teeth are in, it is best for your teeth to stop using the binky. You don’t want to have crooked teeth, do you?” “No,” said Winston. “I like my teeth. They help me eat lots of things! And I like to brush them and keep them clean and white!”


“And,” said his mother, “it’s hard to understand you when you talk with a binky in your mouth, and I want to understand everything that you say!”

“Because it’s your special day, I’m going to let you choose a special present at the store after you throw away your binky.” “Any present?” “Any present!” “Cool!” said Winston. “Can we go to the store now?” “As soon as you get dressed!”


Winston was excited about going to the store with his mother. He put on his Batman underwear, Spiderman shirt, blue pants, red socks, and Cat in the Hat tennis shoes. He needed some help from his mother getting his shirt and shoes on, but he did everything else all by himself. His mother said, “Are you forgetting something?” Winston said, “Oh yes, I need my coat!” So he put on his blue coat.


Then his mother said, “Are you forgetting something else?” Winston thought for a long time. Then he said, “It’s time to throw away my binky.” “Very good!” said his mother. “You are such a grownup!” Winston walked to the garbage can and took his binky out of his mouth. “Goodbye, binky!” he said, and then he threw his binky away.

“That was wonderful, Winston,” said his mother, and she gave him a big hug and a little kiss on his forehead. “I’m so proud of my big boy!”


Next, Winston and his mother went to the store. There were lots of people in the store, and Winston liked looking at all the toys and food.

His mother picked up a big cake at the bakery for Winston’s birthday party, which would be later that day. The cake had a picture of Spiderman on it. Winston was very excited to see that!

Then, Winston and his mother went to the toy aisle so that Winston could pick out his special present for giving up his binky. Winston looked and looked and looked.


First, he looked at the puzzles because he liked to do puzzles.

But that wasn’t exactly what he wanted. So then he looked at a wagon.

But that wasn’t exactly right, either.


Third, he looked at a ball. But he had three balls already at home.

Then he looked a bicycle, which he really, really, really wanted.

Then he looked at a green choo-choo train, which would be nice to add to his collection.


Then he looked at an airplane and a car.

Then he thought about getting some crayons so that he could color.


He even looked at Mr. Potato Head because it looks so funny.

Then he looked at some books, especially some books about Dora the Explorer and Blues Clues and Barney.

“Do you see a toy that you want?” his mother asked. “I like all these toys and all these books,” Winston said, “but I don’t see what I want here. Follow me.”


Winston grabbed his mother’s hand and led her back through the store to the aisle with baby foods and diapers. Then he pointed at something. “I want THAT,” he said. Do you know what Winston pointed at? Yes, it was a binky!

His mother laughed and said, “But Winston, you just gave up your binky!” “But I want another one.” “I think I should tell you a story,” his mother said wisely. “Oh good, I like stories,” Winston said. So here is the Binky Monster story that his mother told him, right there in the store.


Once upon a time, there was a monster who lived in a cave on a big hill overlooking a town”

“Was it a bad monster?” Winston wanted to know. “Oh yes, a very bad monster, named Bubbabugabay!” “Bubbabugabay! That’s a funny name,” Winston said. Yes, but we’ll just call him the Binky Monster. Because one day he took all the children’s binkies away from them.”


Well, the children, who were at school that day, decided to get their binkies back. So they asked their teacher if they could go looking for their binkies. The teacher said, “We’ll all go together!” So they put on their coats and walked up the hill behind the town.

When they got to the monster’s cave, the children yelled, “Give us our binkies back!”


But the monster roared, “NO!” The children discussed what they should do. Cole said to the other children, “Let’s go get our binkies!”


But Little Sally, who was very wise, said, “I think we should just let the monster keep the binkies. We don’t need them anymore!”

The other children thought that was the best idea of all. “He can keep our binkies, for all I care!” said Sam. “Yes, only babies need binkies,” said Charlotte. “Let’s go play,” said Billy. So, the children started down the hill.


Then the Binky Monster came out of the cave and said, “Aren’t you going to try to get your binkies back?”

“No,” said the children, “we don’t want them anymore. We are too big for binkies, anyway! If you need them, you must be a baby monster.”


“Boo hoo, boo hoo,” cried the monster. “I’m not a baby monster. I was just trying to get you to come play with me because I’m lonely up on the hill.” “Well, we’ll play with you, but not if you take things that aren’t yours and not if you’re mean.” “I promise I won’t be mean! And here are your binkies back!” The monster handed the children all the binkies—there were 10 binkies and 10 children.

The children looked at all the binkies in a big pile on the ground. But no one picked their binky up. The binkies looked kind of silly lying there, and anyway, the children were having too much fun today talking and looking for the Binky Monster and going up the hill. They had forgotten all about sticking binkies in their mouth. Sally said, “I have a good idea.” “What?” said Christopher.


“Let’s bury all our binkies in a big hole and say goodbye to them, so we can be like grownups!”

“That’s a great idea!” said the Binky Monster. “Can I help?” “Sure!” said the children. So the Binky Monster and then 10 children dug a big hole in the ground and put all the binkies in the hole and said, “Goodbye, binkies!” Then they all went and played.


First, they went to the Fair.

Then they went ice-skating at the rink.

Next, they went to see some cows at a farm.


It was getting late in the afternoon, so the children said goodbye to the Binky Monster, and they went home. When the children got home, their parents were so happy that they gave up their binkies that they all got special hugs and an extra book at story time that night.

“The End,” said Winston’s mother. “Wow, that was a cool story,” Winston said. He thought for a while. “Well, I guess I don’t need my binky after all. If all those children can give them up just like that, I can too!”


“Good, Winston! I’m so proud of you,” said his mother. “Now, let’s go pick out your special birthday present, and then we’ll go get ready for all your friends to come to your party. What a big day this is, and what a big boy you are!” Winston picked out a very special present. It was a teddy bear that he could hug at night if he missed his binky.


But it turns out, Winston didn’t miss his binky for very long at all. That is one of the wonderful things about growing up. There are so many new things to do and places to see and friends to meet, that all the things that he liked as a baby—his bottle, his diapers, his stroller, his rattle, and, of course, his binky—were not important anymore.

And for his birthday, Winston got a very big boy present indeed…his first bicycle!

THE END I hope you enjoyed our story! Please send your comments to the author at [email protected]. And check back for more books soon to help toddlers grow wisely and well:

• Giving up the Bottle • No More Diapers! • Sleeping in My Own Bed • Going to Playschool

We would love to hear your requests for topics, based on your own experience and your child’s needs. Just let us know by e-mail us at [email protected] or by mail at Wordsworth, PO Box 4083, Palmer, AK 99645.

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