Despite what it says in the parenting books, one of the best tips my mum gave me was to teach my kids how to soothe themselves by sucking on their thumbs/fingers - instead of a pacifier.

Of course I initially got all paranoid and imagined my son with wonky front teeth and a thumb in his mouth at the age of 14. But it kinda made sense. I don’t exactly want to pull over by the side of the freeway whenever my son spits his dummy. Much easier for him to find his own fingers.

My first son constantly had his fist in his mouth. And it was so cute when he’d look up at me with a mouth full of fingers and go “AUGH ARRH”. But he stopped doing it after a couple months.

Sean’s finger sucking and slurping is really REALLY loud at night. It upsets the cat. And I’m constantly woken up in the middle of the night going “OH MY GOD WHAT’S THAT NOISE?”. But then everybody quickly goes back to sleep. And everybody is happy.

Stumble This!