To Binky or not to Binky

Living up to the Gaedeke name, Max expertly arranges his binkys first in alphabetical order followed by how they lie in the color wheel. Along with all the other societal pressures a parent faces, when to give up the binky now rears its ugly head. The crooked teeth controversy aside because no one can seem to agree on that one, do you wait for them to give up the binkys on their own or do you try to intervene? I realize seven at one time might be considered slightly excessive and when we're out in public he normally only has one in his possession at a time. People say, "How old is he?" and I say three and they say, "Oh, I thought he was a lot younger because of the binky." And inside my head I say, "Oh really? I thought you were a lot dumber because of the cigarette in your hand." See, here I go. I'm feeling judged so I judge right back. Doesn't really get me anywhere.
When you have a new baby, the binky seems like a good idea. Often they cry and after a diaper change, a try at feeding them and about 6 others things, you stick in the binky and wonderful silence returns once again. Pretty soon they, (and you) come to rely on the binky and if you've ever left home w/out one, you know that you either need to turn around or buy one at the first store you see. Hopefully they have the right size and color because that becomes very important as well. It seems that the yellow binkys feel very different from the orange which is different from the blue which is very different from the orange one with the blue ring. All are equally important though and Max's choice of them seems to depend on his mood and the moon's gravitational pull. My point is that I have grown to love the binky too. I see the comfort that it gives my son during times of stress or when he's tired and just needs to relax in the same way we might sit down on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea, (or a cigarette if you're a smoker. I'm ok with that really, but there is pretty good evidence that it will rot your lungs, heart and slowly kill you).
For now, I think I will take it slow and watch for signs that Max is ready to stop using it on his own. Other three year olds are not so quick to judge as we adults are so he hasn't felt the peer pressure just yet. He leaves it in the car when he has preschool because he wants the teacher to be able to understand him when he talks and he knows that the binky makes that difficult. I imagine that concept will expand to the grocery store and other outings. Kids should just be allowed to be kids. Our job is to keep them safe and love them well, their job is to play and I think all the other little details will just fall into place.