I'm cleaning up my daughter's room while she and her mom are away visiting relatives, and I'm trying to decide what to do about her mutilated Mickey.
My two-year-old ate the face off of her Mickey Mouse doll. It's like she was trying to be current or something. So now we've got this Mickey doll that she refuses to play with because he's got no nose and there's stuffing coming out of his eyes.
I ask her, "Why don't you play with your Mickey, Addison?"
"Mickey owie," she says.
"Why does he have an owie?"
"I bite him. Sowwy Mickey. Sad."
She's very apologetic, but she still won't go anywhere near him.
My older sister had a thing for biting people, and it regularly got her sent to the principal's office. I think it was her way of being friendly.
I think I'm going to keep this Mickey around just in case Addison starts going through a real biting phase. A lot of kids do, I think.
"Remember how you bit off Mickey's face?"
"Yes."
"Did it make him sad?"
"Yes."
"Are you going to stop biting people, or am I going to have to make you sleep with Mickey tonight?"
"No! I stop! No Mickey! Not ina bed!"
Alright, kiddo. Glad you see it my way. Sweet dreams. Try not to think about Mickey -- he's just up on the shelf. Watching you.