Big Girl Christmas
posted on: 09:55 PM December 18, 2007
When my daughter was almost three years old, we decided it was time to finally give up her last bottle. We had weened all but the night time bottle and we only let it go on for so long because her sister was born so close behind her. We felt it was important that she still have something that brought her comfort too.
Being empathetic parents we didn't want to just take them away from her cold turkey and so came up with a plan for Christmas time. We told her that Santa needed her help and the North Pole had run out of bottles for the baby reindeers. Santa wanted all the big girls and boys to leave the bottles they didn't need anymore under the tree so he could take them to the baby reindeers. She was thrilled to help Santa and didn't even bat an eye when we put all of her bottles out beside the milk and cookies. She went to bed Christmas Eve feeling like a hero and never asked for her bottle once.
Santa was playing along with us because the next morning all of her bottles were gone and in their place was a thank-you note from him alongside a new pair of big girl underwear. She was already potty trained, but continued using pull-ups at night because of the bottle we all still clinged to. From that Christmas on she wore those underwear like a medal and never looked back.
It's been 5 years and she still proudly remembers how she gave up her bottles for the baby reindeer. One day she'll realize that it was us and not Santa, but something tells me it will always remain a memory that makes us all smile.
