One step forward, two steps back

I hate quitters. Okay, hate is probably a strong word but I really dislike quitters. I also hate quitting myself. I try to attack each task before me with the attitude that I will finish it and it will be great.

I gave Connor his soother back yesterday. Bedtime has progressively become a battle. A nightmare. It got to the point that he was in hysterics and hitting me at bedtime. He normally gets put on time out when he hits but I can't very well give the kid a time out when I'm trying to put him to bed and he's upset because his evil mother took his security away.

So yesterday at naptime we endured the same. "Connor, it's time for night night" This is followed by Connor crying, saying no and asking for his doo doo.
I remind him that his doo doo is all gone and put him to bed with his lovey. I then head back to get one of the daycare babies ready for her nap.
5 minutes later she's in bed (in the playpen in the girls room) and Connor is still in his room screaming and crying. He finally settles about 5 minutes later but he's still whimpering enough that daycare baby can hear him so she's not going asleep either (and she needed it, the poor thing was falling asleep on mom's shoulder at the door when she was dropped off)

Well, that was all the incentive I needed. I caved in and gave the boy his soother.
And he went right to sleep.
And last night at bedtime, he went right to sleep, not even a whimper. No fighting, no hitting, no crying.

So I know that even though I've sent him a mixed message and I've done the total opposite of what I would tell other mom's to do...I did the right thing.
He's not even 2. We have time and it's only in bed.

And when the time comes that we have to get rid of it for real, he'll be older, he'll understand better and I got an awesome tip from another mom. We'll go to Build A Bear and have his doo doo stuffed into a bear.