21 Days to a New Habit

So on Mother’s Day Alicia had finally had enough.  Connor has been struggling about sucking his thumb for about 7 years now.  It was cute when he was 2, at 9 I was about to go crazy.  He has had times of abstinence, but not really these past 2 years (basically since we moved.  I blame his 1st grade teacher…I wonder why?)  It has been extremely frustrating for all involved.

This past winter/spring, he had added picking at his forehead to the thumb-sucking.  He has a couple of scars from stitches, and was re-opening them.  I put band-aids on his head to stop it, but as soon as they fell off he was at it again.  We tried making him wear gloves.  Doesn’t work well with warm weather and and active boy.

Finally Mother’s Day I lost it.  I wrapped his thumb up in medical tape and told him that the next day we were going to the pediatric dentist to have a retainer with spikes implanted. (Yes they exist, and no it isn’t as bad as it sounds…Thanks for the info Katie!!)  Well, it freaked Connor out a little bit and as we were getting ready for bed he told us he was going to go a week without sucking his thumb. 

Surprise of all surprises he went the whole week!  He informed me that he was over sucking his thumb.  I told him it takes 20 days to form a new habit.  So he said he would go 21 just to make it stick!  We used medical tape for the first week and half, and he has gone the rest on his own willpower.  Wahoo!!  I’m so proud of him.  Hopefully that last day really made it stick!!