That little grown boy

I don't know where that sweet, mute child I once nursed went.  In his place is a still nursing, talkative, 11-days-to-two-year-old child with a personality for which I am at a loss of words to encapsulate a description.

He should have been weened by now, right?  I think my colleagues who stopped breast feeding at three-six months had the right idea.  But I wanted to be the champion, wanted to make it to the one year mark.  Except that now he's going to be two, and he's still at it. 

The child can tell me he wants to nurse ("Want night-nights Mama. Peeez?") and helps provide it - in public, in private, he couldn't care less as he tugs at my shirt.   It's time to stop.

The child finishes his suckling (wrong term? I dunno) and politely rearranges my shirt as he says, "All done, Mama. Tay-too, Mah-ma."  He waves at me as he heads away to play. It's time to stop.

The child hugs me and says, "I luh you, mah-ma." In the hopes that I change my mind about whether this moment is appropriate for "night-nights."  It's time to stop.

Okay.  So how exactly do I go about that? 

Dear La Leche,


I don't want my son coming home from kindergarten and asking to nurse instead of getting a juice box from the fridge.  I don't want my son to inherit the nickname my Nanny still carries in the family circle (Titty-pie).  How on earth can I get him to let go of the desire to nurse without letting go of the bonding cuddles we share?  Help.

Mommy Rachelle

This is a boy who just this morning did the following:

He took off his own wet diaper.


He brought me the whole bag of clean diapers. Then he unfolds one.


He changes his mind, and walks away as he says "poo poo" - code word for potty.


He saunters into the restroom.


I follow.


He says, "no, leave alone."  and waves his hands at me.


He goes into the bathroom, climbs onto the toilet.


He repeats  "leave alone" because he saw me coming to help him onto the comode.


So reluctantly, I leave and a minute later, I hear the flush of the toilet and he comes back.
Then he takes the soiled diaper and tosses it in the trash.


He picks up a different clean diaper, carefully unfolds it, and tries to put it on himself.

And still, he wants "night-nights."