So I have a new one. The girl, days away from 4 years, has taken to sucking on her (barf a little) big toe. I have no idea where this spawned. She claims that her brother used to do it all the time and therefore she feels entitled. While her brother DID engage in this oral occupation for a spell he was NOT using said toes for balance and stability to traverse germ infested floors--he was 5 months old and confined to his back. I tried to combat this argument with the facts, stating that the floor is gross, her feet (and big toe) touch said floor and she is henceforth putting all the ick from the floor directly into her mouth and body. She did a mental chew on that one for a quick minute and then looked at me and said, "Well Mommy, this is just what kids do!" which for me translates to "F-off! I am going to suck this nasty toe if I want to and there is nothing you can do to stop me!" Whereby she turns, leans over and continues her suck-fest. I finally had to leave the room because I was so grossed out by my own visions and manifestations of what she was actually doing. I went in the other room and vented to the Hubba as he said, "I KNOW!!! It's so gross I couldn't sit next to her anymore. I had to leave the room." UGH!
So I am beginning to think she has transferred habits. On or about the time that Hubba went out of town for his conference she was sitting on the couch and noticed that her thumb was laden with none other than a callous. She had no idea what a callous was and was kind of freaked out by it. I took a look at it and explained to her the situation. I put it very simply that all of her thumb sucking had led to the development of the callous on her hand. She asked if there was any medicine that we could put on it to make it better. I explained that only time and lack of sucking would do the trick for this go-round. She looked a bit concerned and a bit miffed. A few minutes later she made a proclamation. She stated that she would cut down on her sucking and limit it to "One day on, One day off." A self-imposed detox. I'd never seen anything of the like. I thought she would certainly break as I have never seen anyone successfully ween the first time around without some sort of outside intervention. I kind of forgot about it but then noticed she was keeping to her schedule one night before bed. That is the only time she sucks--before and during sleep. So we were reading our nightly library of books and she was sucking. I made mention of it and she said "Tonight is the night I get to suck. Tomorrow I won't." I had to shake my head and smile. I guess I know now that her "money" is going to be her vanity.
I haven't seen her suck her thumb in about a week and I am shocked. I am thinking that is what is leading to this poor sleep pattern she has fallen back into. Her "juice" has been removed and she is ailing to get some zzzz's. Without her thumb prop she is flailing. I can only assume she is now making a transference to her big toe. While I appreciate her effort to break her habit and rid her thumb of the unsightly callous she is now turning to a much more disgusting and toxic form of sucking. I am hoping this isn't a habit and truly just something to annoy me. The other issue is the fact that her brother adores every move she makes and has started trying to yoga his toe into his mouth as well. Maybe this will breed contortionists? Regardless, it is yet another page of "Battles to be Fought." We shall see where this one goes. Luckily she is not playing on a soccer team or any other such sport that would induce stinky, sweaty, toe-jammy feet so I will put this battle on the back burner for the time being until it increases in severity. Until then, I will just have to leave her to her vices and hope that she doesn't contract the plague in the interim.
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