The power of the thumb

After a whole week of meeting her chores and completing each challenge -including the giving up of the thumb - Madam has finally earned her Moxie Doll. The same night that she achieves her goal I check on her before I go to bed and find the sneaky little digit firmly wedged in its home.

Tonight as I get her ready for bed I tap her thumb.

"You have to stop sucking this baby."

Her eyes narrow.

"Do you want another Moxie Doll or not?"*

"Hmmm. I think one Moxie Doll will be enough."

"Well that's not the only reason you need to stop sucking it. If you go to big school next year and you suck your thumb then the other children might laugh at you."

She shrugs indifferently.

"Well that will be their problem."

"You don't mind if they laugh at you?"

"No. Laughing is fun. If they want to laugh at me then they're having fun. We laugh at each other all the time at school because we're so little and we do silly things. And laughing at each other is funny."

Back to the drawing board.

* A second Moxie Doll has been promised if she can stop sucking her thumb permanently.