One Thumbsucker is (Mostly) Done!

Both of my girls are thumb suckers...always have been.  An ultrasound picture showed Lily sucking her thumb.  I couldn't get either of them to take a pacifier; their thumbs have always soothed them.  There are some definite pros to this when they are younger, but now, ugh, it's just frustrating!  We have been trying to figure out what to do to get them to stop.

 

We made a discovery with Mia.  If she wasn't holding Glowie (her Glow Worms, of which she has three), she didn't suck her thumb.  It is only when she holds Glowie.  So, about a month or so ago, a new rule came into play: Glowie must stay in bed.  No more car rides or playing in the playroom...only bedtime.  For a couple of weeks, Mia tried to sneak her out every now and then, but mostly she stuck to the rule.  And you know what?  She hasn't been sucking her thumb.

 

So, a few days ago, Ryan and I upheld our end of the bargain for when the girls stop sucking their thumb.  We took Mia to the Disney Store at Town Center and told her to pick out whatever she wanted.  We figured she couldn't pick anything more expensive than braces!  While she walked around and pointed to everything (seriously, everything) in the store and said "I want that," she gravitated to a few items that we rewarded her with.  First, a little plastic Minnie Mouse camera.  Second, a Captain Hook dress-up outfit (they had just brought out all of their Halloween costumes), Third, a pirate sword and hook.  Fourth, a set of interchangeable hooks for Captain Hook.  Here she is all decked out!

She loves it!  I have to say, she's pretty stinkin' cute too, isn't she?  She has carried that sword around all evening today.  She even took it when we went to visit my grandmother.  She loves pretending to be a pirate!

Now, I realize that she holds her Glowie and sucks her thumb at night, but I'm okay with that.  It's comforting and it helps her sleep.  But during the day, there's no thumb coming near her mouth, and I love it!  Yea Mia!