This past week we realized that Little Brother, who is three and a half, hasn't been sucking his fingers! He started this habit not long after he turned one. That was almost two and a half years ago.
This kind of dramatic change certainly wasn't on my radar. We can't think of any reasons to explain it. The last picture I could find with him sucking his fingers was from about a month ago.
I'm amazed that he just stopped without any prompting. I'm even more amazed that as much as a month has gone by without me noticing this major shift that was happening right under my nose.
I guess I always expected Big Brother, who is five and a half, to give up his finger-sucking habit first. My reasoning was that if I could manage to get Big Brother to stop first, then I'd work on Little Brother next. All the while, Little Brother was working it out for himself just fine, and Big Brother is still sucking away.
I guess it goes to show that all children have their own set of sensory issues and develop at their own pace. Perhaps this experience will help me to remember that cajoling and harassing a child to do something (or stop doing something) before they are are developmentally ready doesn't do anything except drive us both crazy!
Although I'm thrilled that Little Brother has outgrown this habit naturally without a single bit of muss or fuss, I have to admit it's so, so, so hard to see yet another little piece of his baby self disappear.
I want him to grow up, but I want him to stay little.
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