Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Our Finger Sucking Journey

Our Finger Sucking Journey

To start our journey of finger sucking I am going to start from the very beginning.  When our oldest daughter was born my husband decided NO binkies were allowed.  I didn't question this decision he has a son and I figured he knew something I didn't.   At 4 months old on the very same day I pierced my daughters ears she started sucking her 2 middle fingers.  At the time this was cute, adorable even.  This habit was her way of soothing herself. 

As with any kids or at least from my experience I didn't think too much of her habit.  At the age of 4 I started worrying that she was a little old to still have this terrible habit.  I asked her pediatrician about the habit.  Her pediatrician didn't seem to think it was a problem and kept telling me that because it was her fingers and not her thumb there wouldn't be any damage to her mouth.  She also told me that when she started school she would stop on her own.  As she started attending school the finger sucking did not stop, we worried about her getting teased or criticized.  I personally was criticized by other mom's because I have allowed it to continue.  If only it was that easy!  Those of you reading this I am sure know what I am talking about.

She is 7 now, our goal for this year was to get her to stop by her 8th birthday.  This winter was when the straw broke the camels back.  It has been a bad winter with lots of colds, flu's and allergies.  We had the same flu circle our house for about 4 weeks.  That is when I put my foot down.  I don't know if this is what really happened but it seemed like she was sharing this flu around because of the bacteria she was spreading from her fingers. 

We have tried ever trick we could find such as  making her wear a glove, fingernail polish, rewarding her, reminding her that her hand is in her mouth, putting a splint on her finger. We tried taping her 2 fingers together. We even tried getting frustrated with her. I was on the verge of asking a doctor to put a cast on her hand.


Everyone of these methods was a Big Failure
Being at the end of my rope with how to help I asked a different pediatrician (he recommended the Nasty polish) and I also got on the Internet to search any other options we hadn't tried. The NASTY fingernail polish (mivala) was the only thing we haven't tried. I started reading the reviews and was getting the feeling in your stomach of nervousness to use this. I was feeling like it was abuse. To me it was like putting her hand in poop. With that uneasy feeling I got creative and wondered if putting fake fingernails on her hands would work. I went to a salon and they said they wouldn't put acrylic fingernails on her they said she was too young. Dang it another idea gone. Then I thought what about the fingernails you put on yourself. I took her to the store and let her pick out the style of nails she wanted.  I figured if I made it look fun they we might be successful. She had so much fun picking out her nails and then spending the time to put them on. We went home and put the nails on. 

**Note**  The first nails we bought were press on nails.  We bought the nail glue as well but let me tell you from trial and error.  Don't put nail glue over the top of the press on nail glue.  If you can only find small enough nails in press on use alcohol to get the glue off first.   I did however find petite nails at Target these work perfectly for my daughter they were even short so they looked like real nails.  

As an update we put the fake nails on March 20, 2011 and here it is March 30, 2011 and she has not sucked her fingers since I put them on.

I will be honest the first night was the most difficult and heartbreaking.  She went into anxiety and kept asking me how am I going to get to sleep.  Night was always the worst for her finger sucking.  I suggested for her to rub her ear since that was also a smoother with her fingers.  I also asked if she could think of anything else that would help.  For a last resort we had a baby doll's binkie, she put this in her mouth but I think it was more of a joke.  The next morning I praised her she had successfully made it the first night. 

On a better note; I asked her at about 5 days in what she was doing at night to help her sleep.  She answered with the sweetest voice, "I prayed for help to be able to sleep."  She melted my heart.  I will continue to keep everyone updated on our success as we journey on.....by Amber a mom-stuff mom

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Mom-Stuff helps you get ready for Easter

Mom-Stuff Team has been busy getting Easter ideas ready for you and your family fun. Easter this year is on April 24th so you only have 4 weeks to get ready.
Bunnies made from Plastic Easter Eggs . . .
Our Easter Traditions
In our family uses every excuse to celebrate. Holidays are always fun with our family. While growing up as a little girl we always had picnics and Easter egg hunts. . .
Easter Recipes
Cupcake baskets and 10 ways to use up hard boiled eggs. .
Easter Kids Crafts
Easter is such a fun time for kids. Help them make some fun crafts. We have craft ideas for all ages. . .
History of Easter Traditions
Have you ever wondered how Easter traditions got their start the Easter bunny, coloring eggs, egg hunts, Easter lilies? What do these things have to do with the resurrection of Christ? I decided to find out. . .

Thanks to all of our new members. If you have not joined there is no catch totally free to join. We have decides it is our goal to make the world a better place one mom at a time. Come over to mom-stuff.com and help us create a  happy, supported and helpful place just for moms.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

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International Women's Day

Today is the day!!! It's the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day and The WIN is hosting the largest gathering of women in the history of the world to celebrate this day!

You can JOIN US ONLINE and watch the entire event live-streaming from Los Angeles, CA... for no cost at all!


Watch Deidre Hall (Days of Our Lives) Paula Fellingham (WIN Founder and CEO) Lisa Nichols (The Secret) Lauren Chapin (Father Knows Best) Tamilee Webb (Buns of Steel) and other experts...


Simply log onto
www.InternationalWomensDay.org and ENJOY!!!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Do you want GMO in the food you feed your kids?

I heard this interview last night and was furious at the attitude taken by Organic Valley and several organic organizations on the topic of GMO alfalfa, which the FDA wants to permit unconditionally. The transcript is available at 
http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=134162035

In the interview on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" about the introduction of GMO alfalfa into dairy feed. In the interview was the following segment: 

     Mr. GEORGE SIEMON (Chief Executive Officer, Organic Valley): "You know, there's reality, and  there's perception. And perception is consumers are saying they don't want any pollution in organic products, and whether that's realistic or not is another matter, but for sure consumer perception is a real concern."

My letter to Organic Valley is below. I encourage you to write one of your own!

Frankly, the quote sounds as if your company agrees with Charles Benbrook (Chief Scientist, Organic Center) that if we insist on milk and eggs from animals that eat absolutely no GMO genes, we''ll have to get that food from Europe. Apparently you are acknowledging the superior European standards, and willing to support lesser quality in our country. My reality is that I do NOT consider GMO acceptable in any degree in my organic purchases. My legitimate interests and preferences should not be discarded as "perceptions" that simply need to be worked around. Don't assume my ignorance, indifference, or passivity as a consumer. I am one of many, many, who wont "settle" for GMO foods in any form.



Sincerely,

Kim Welborn

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Welcome March

March is the month of the buds coming forth.  Quietly they have worked for months to develop, and now they are ready to burst.  Most won’t actually open this month, but they are pregnant with promise.  Hope is in the trees and in the birds they are now beginning to welcome to their still-bare branches.  This is a time for watching the pieces come together, for potential.  Life is stirring.  Everything necessary for trees to blossom and leaf out is present, just as it is within us.  The branches are busy now putting effort toward the blooms to come; we can occupy ourselves in similar fashion.  Everyone in March thinks spring will be here any day.  It’s a time inherently full of creative effort: we color eggs and hide them, we make kites and fly them, and the sky plays with new cloud formations.
A bud contains within its tiny space a fully formed leaflet, which will enlarge and expand as it shakes off the tiny covering of scales, which protects it as it forms.  We often have a similar covering on our minds. We hold back many of the ideas that come to us, even those that are truly inspired, as a protective measure for our egos or our hearts.  Only by opening them up do we have a real opportunity to know whether or not they will “amount to something”.  Imagination consists of courage added to an idea.  Ideas are ways to integrate various parts or pieces into a new whole, the main message of this month.  Courage is being the first bud to open, even if it might still be cold and there’s no one to notice.  Great artists are always original. Buds don’t ask whether their leaf will look like anyone else’s.
This is an excerpt from the Leaves of the tree of Life by Kim Welborn and mom-stuff’s own Dianne Murray.
March is the time to rejoice in being a part of this glorious world. Let’s celebrate the wonderful energy of March.