Just a little thumb thing

A terrible pun, I know, apologies. Or not, I love a good pun, and even the odd bad one!

Today's post, anyhoo, is about getting Isabel weaned. Weaned off sucking her thumb that is (I haven't gone in for extended breast-feeding, don't worry!). When she was a small baby her thumb crept in and we rejoiced - a baby who settles herself at night, how marvellous! And without an ugly dummy! We patted ourselves firmly on the back, until, by the time she was about 18 months, when we realised that getting her off the thumb would not be easy. For years we've been saying "Thumb...!" in a threatening tone every time we spotted her sucking it, but all to no avail. It seems to have a mind of its own, and slips in when she's falling asleep (at night, or when dozing in the car) or, and this is where the problem really kicks in, just when she's tired. Like in the middle of her disco class the other day. She did look a right plum.

So, today was the day - we painted her thumb (and every other finger, since she got excited and thought it was nail polish) with Stop and Go. All went well until we got to bed time. I told her a story about the Thumb Sucking Fairy being imprisoned because she was still sucking her thumb, and said that if she could go to bed with the stuff still on her thumb then she would find a present from the released Fairy under her pillow in the morning. Half an hour later she was still awake, and came downstairs mumbling "I don't believe in fairies". After some persuasion and snuggling she went back to bed and seems to now be asleep. Must remember to slip a little pressie under her pillow before I go to bed - and fingers crossed she's not up in the middle of the night!