Friday, July 25, 2014

Positive Peer Pressure

Makayla is a thumb sucker. She took a binky just fine as a baby, but as soon as I weened her off the binky, her thumb went right back in her mouth. The dentist is beginning to express concern about her teeth. He suggested we point out people who she admires and don't suck their thumbs so she will want to stop. It usually helps for a moment. Yesterday Makayla was a bit tired and cranky. She lay snuggled in my lap and sucking her thumb.

"Hey, thumb out," I said gently, then asked, "Do you want to be like princesses and fairies?"
"No," came her instant reply.
"Do you want to be like your sisters and brothers and parents?" I tried again.
"No," she answered sullenly.
A thought occurred to me. Recently we watched Mulan so, "Do you want to be like Mulan?"
"Yes." she said.
"Does Mulan suck her thumb?" I pressed on.
"Yes!" she grinned around her thumb.
"What?! No she doesn't," I said. And Makayla giggled with her thumb firmly stuck in her mouth.

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