Behold the Power of Flip-Flops

They are the most beautiful thing Isis has ever laid eyes on. They are pink flip-flops, at least four sizes too big, and they are worn hand-me-downs. They arrived in a bag along with many other shoes. She wanted to wear them immediately. I hesitated. They are just too big. I envisioned the falls, the trips, the bumps, things falling from high places. But I finally decided just to let her have the damn things. Little did I know they are apparently magical.

She wears them all day long. I tell her we are going to the store and she responds, "Yip-yops?" No. The pink beasts must stay at home. So as soon as we return she trades her shoes for her yip-yops until we make her take them off again. I began to notice they were becoming a bit of a security for her. So I made a proposal.

I approached her early afternoon and asked if she would like to take her yip-yops night-night. At that particular time of day, it sounded very wonderful and she laughed and jumped and quickly agreed. Buuuuut, I continued, if you want to wear your yip-yops to bed, you have to give Mommy your binky. Man, I am freaking crafty.

So that evening as we got ready for bed, I asked her which she would rather take to bed. Yip-yops of binky? She chose the flops, we closed the door, and the binky addict crashed without her fix or even a sign of withdraw. When I checked on her later I found her asleep on her tummy with her yip-yops attached to her hands. Behold the power of flip-flops.

It has been two nights now where she takes those shoes to bed. She just hands us her binkys and puts the shoes on. In bed. Over her footsie pajamas. It's precious.

I am not holding my breath that we have resolved the binky issue. She chooses it for naps. But what I like about this is the word choice. I think it easily becomes habit for adults to make so many decisions for perfectly capable little humans. I am not suggesting that children make all their own decisions. But I am suggesting that a good amount of them might resolve potential power struggles when children feel powerless.

At first I wanted to store those yip-yops until she was old enough to wear them safely. Well that's a bunch of boringness. But I followed her cues and decided to let her love them. And because of this, we are slowly on our way to ditching one of childhood's worst addictions. What I love most about it is that we didn't do it or direct it or force it on her. She knew what she wanted all along. Parents, have your heard your children today?