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on being a parent

So we've been in this process of trying to get Madeleine to stop sucking her thumb for a long, long time now. We actually started trying right after her 3rd bday. She'll be 5 in November.

I can't remember when but a while back we got her to stop sucking her thumb during the day. She loved sucking it while reading books or watching something. That was hard to stop but we did it. Then about 2 weeks ago I decided I would try to get her to stop at night. It fell on the same week as Phil being in Hong Kong and Lily giving up her pacifier. She got really excited about stopping because I bought a Barbie kitchen that she could have if she didn't suck her thumb for 3 nights in a row. It was very, very hard but that kitchen was a huge draw for her and so she stopped.

Yesterday afternoon she confessed to me that she's been sucking her thumb all along. She had been lying to me/us every day about it. I had my suspicions because for the last few nights when I'd check on her she'd have her head under her pillow or blanket. But I was really surprised that even before the Barbie kitchen she had been lying.

I am really, really grateful that she told me the truth. I think that's a really good sign of our relationship. But, man, it's hard to see sin so active in such a little person.

So what do you do when your child tells the truth about lying? In the book of Joshua, God made you confess in front of a whole nation and then killed you and your whole family. Phil, and I weren't that heavy-handed in our punishment. Together we decided that for 3 nights she'll have to have that bitter paint put on her thumbs (she'll suck either one). She cried and cried about it last night. Thank God, she finally fell asleep while reading books in bed. I really didn't know when or how it would end.

This morning she woke up happy and proud that she fell asleep without sucking her thumb and said, "We can do that every night now!"

Being a parent sure is taxing.

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