Almost as soon as she could, Peanut put her thumb into her mouth. It gave her peace, it made her happy and it helped her sleep through the night. Pacifiers were spit out with a venegence that sent them popping loudly into the side of her cardboard KELA-box bed. Her choice was her thumb.
And, its been that way ever since.
Now, as she approaches her third birthday, I thought it was time to start weaning off her thumb. Sure, the pediatrician suggested I try it earlier, but the last year was filled with so much change for her from a new little brother to two new homes, I thought if her thumb helps her through it, that's fine with me. Her dentists have never made an issue of the thumb-sucking, but I think the sooner she can stop, the easier it will for all of us.
We started with a small talk about saving thumb for only bedtime. Then, we added some incentive to it -- the Princesses would reward her for her hard work. Yes, once again, I've recruited our friends Pink Princess (aka Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella, Ariel and Jasmin to help our cause.
Every morning, Peanut finds a little surprise from the princess who visited during the night: a coloring page and stickers dedicated to the princess. These lovely ladies also place a sticker on her wall poster and promise bigger rewards for the weekend.
So far, its worked like a charm. Peanut carefully puts her hands in her lap even in the car -- a very tempting place to suck your thumb. Sometimes she literally bursts into tears with longing, but fights the urge. I am extremely proud of her...as are the princesses.
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