Team8s and Counting

183. It's Just a Habit

Every morning, Sack woke up with a finger in his mouth. And it wasn't just any finger, it was always one of his thumbs. And this wasn't a new thing either. Since the day he was born, Sack was always a thumb sucker. As Barf Bag knew very well, Thumb sucking is a natural reflex of babies as a way for them to calm down. Her and Donut always thought it was adorable whenever he did it as a baby, usually indicating that he was hungry, or that it was time to put him down for a nap. They always thought that he would grow out of it, as most babies did.

As he grew up, his thumb sucking never left him, even when it left his brother Sprinkle. Barf Bag and Donut always thought that one day, he was just going to grow out of it. But now, Sack was in kindergarten, and the habit still hadn't faded. Barf Bag and Donut had just brushed it off. After all, they thought that Sack was going to be busy enough at school to not do it.

However, a recent parent teacher conference proved otherwise. Sack's teacher, Ms. Tiara, had slowly started to notice his thumb entering his mouth on more than one occasion. When it was time to meet with Barf Bag and Donut, she just had to bring it up to them.

"It's only going to be a matter of time before the other kids start to notice if they haven't already." Ms. Tiara said, her voice calm but serious. "Right now, they seem to overlook it, but as children grow, they start to pick up on differences more keenly. Sometimes, those differences can lead to teasing, and I want to make sure Sack feels as comfortable and confident as possible in class."

Barf Bag and Donut looked at eachother, not knowing what to say. They knew Sack was quite quiet and reserved, and had some trouble making friends at school as it was. They didn't need another barrier that prevented Sack from having a fulfilling social life.

Barf Bag broke the silence. "We always thought he would just grow out of it. I've been thinking a little bit about more of the medical effects it can have if he continues to do it, but I never really thought about in that way."

Ms. Tiara nodded sympathetically. "It's not uncommon for children to hold onto comforting habits like this longer than expected. And while it's true that thumb-sucking can sometimes cause dental or speech issues down the road, the social aspect is just as important at this stage in Sack's development. It's good that we're catching it now while we can address it in a positive way."

Donut frowned. "We don't want to make him feel bad about it, though. Sack is a sensitive little boy. If we push too hard, it might backfire."

"Donut." Barf Bag said firmly. "Ms. Tiara is right. It's already hard enough for him being a little lonely at school, I don't need him getting picked on too. Soon enough, some of the kids are going to realize it's not normal..." Barf Bag wiped a small tear from her eye "...maybe even Sprinkle. It's one thing for the other kids to make fun of him, at least he gets to leave them by the end of the day. Sprinkle...he's gonna be in his life forever, and I don't want him thinking of Sack any differently, you know?"

Donut reached over and placed a reassuring hand on Barf Bag's shoulder. "I know, Barfy. I don't want that either. But we have to be careful, I don't want him to stress out over this.

Barf Bag nodded, though her expression remained heavy. "I know, Donut. I just want to find the right way to help him without making him feel bad about it."

Ms. Tiara could sense the conflict in their hearts and offered a gentle smile. She rummaged through the drawers in her desk, and pulled out a small, blue, stress ball and placed it in front of Barf Bag and Donut. "This is something I've used with other kids who've had habits they wanted to work on," Ms. Tiara explained, her tone encouraging. "It's a simple tool, but it can help redirect Sack's need for comfort or self-soothing. If we introduce it as a fun alternative rather than something to 'fix' him, he might be open to the idea."