Weaning

For a while now, my daughter has been telling me I have no milk.  And nursing is ANNOYING.  More annoying than ever.  I'd rather nurse a newborn and have that toe-curling pain.  Maybe.  But, really, it's annoying.  It just feels irritating.  I don't know how to describe it.  We've been telling little A for a while now that if she learns to sleep in her bed and quits having milk she might get a trampoline.

The other night, we started a sticker system for sleeping and no-milk nights.  She gets one sticker for going to sleep with no milk, one sticker for going to sleep in her bed, and two stickers for sleeping in her bed all night.  She has not had milk since Monday morning!!!!  It's not been the easiest thing for her.  She did ask for milk less last night than the night before, so maybe we're getting somewhere.

Honestly, I never thought I'd be bribing my kid to quit having milk.  But, I also never thought I'd be nursing an almost 3 1/2 year old!  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  No really, you can judge me if you want, but it has come to the time that I am no longer physically comfortable nursing.  I wish it didn't annoy/hurt/irritate me like it does and I wish I had milk.....because, that stuff is MAGICAL!  It does put her to sleep so easily.

Another incentive is to help little A learn to sleep by herself.  With a new sibling coming this spring, I don't think we can physically handle struggling with two non-sleepers.

So, what's the incentive?  Well, I mentioned she gets stickers.  She has the potential to get 4 stickers/night.  She has three stickers for 2 nights of sleeping (the first night no milk & going to sleep in her room, the second night was only no milk).  When she gets 80 stickers she gets to call Santa and tell him she wants a trampoline.  She is VERY excited about calling Santa.  Since it's only September, we figure we have some time.

What do you think?  Are we bad?  Is this terrible?  I hope not.  Please don't be rough.  I have no other ideas on how to gently wean my lovely daughter who happens to be addicted to my milkies.