January 20, 2003 - Monday
Harry sucked his thumb the entire 6-7 minute car ride to preschool this morning. Jeremy was sitting beside hi, in the back seat doing the same and that's clearly where Harry got the idea. Harry has never been a thumb sucker and isn't at all like, as best I can tell, to becoming one at his age. He does, however, play with his lips to the extent that his lips are bruised from time to time and stick his fingers in his mouth far too much. We've been trying to break him of this habit, but it's an awkward thing. I try to pull his hands away emotionlessly as not to create some kind of 'thing,' but I'm sure there's a fine line.

"You look pretty silly sucking your thumb," I said from the front seat this morning.
"Jeremy does it," was the answer that we are sure to be haunted with for many things for years to come, I'm sure.
"But, Jeremy is a baby. You're a big boy." It didn't work.

I tried again as we got close to the school. He kept sucking. As I got Jeremy out of his carseat, I always get Jeremy first because he's on the driver's side, I reached over and pulled Harry's thumb out of his mouth. I probably shouldn't have. It would have gone away. It's not Harry's thing. But, I couldn't help it. He won. I don't know whether he knows that or not.


Comments, Opinions?