little munchkin

It appears my little munchkin has been munching on too much of the wrong thing lately; namely her finger nails.
I had read that it was just a phase and not to make too much out of it -"she'll grow out of it", said the expert. The taste of hand however, somehow appealed so much that she whittled her tiny nails down to bleeding point. And at that, it became apparent that I stop acting like an osterich, and get my head out of the sand over this issue - it wasn't a phase, it was a bad, and now painful, habit!
Off to the chemist we went to get a bottle of that awful tasting polish. Olivia was more than happy for me to dab the clear liquid over her remaining nails, only to reel back, moment later, in disgusted horror, when she got her first taste of the bitter glaze. I didn't actually see her do it, but she ran into where I was with her tongue hanging out, panting. At first her extreme dramatics made me think she had perhaps gotten a hold of the bottle, and had gulped down its entire contents, but thankfully no.
A second and unforeen positive to come from the disgusting painted nails is perhaps an end to the struggle to get Olivia to use her eating utensils. She likes to use her hands (ewwww), and especially likes dipping her fingers into every condiment conceiveable. I smiled a private wry grin when I saw her licking a mayonnaise ladden finger at lunch, grimacing with exaggerated disgust and without prompting, reached for the sparkling, yet under-utilised spoon - wise are those who learn quickly to drop behaviours that bear undesireable consequences. I was proud of my girl.
I should write to the nail polish company and tell them of this new marketing angle - it is pure gold! Although I am not sure pediatricians and child welfare workers will see it that way- it could put a ding in the old profit margin - you know, suggesting a vague form of child torture and all. Well, anyway, its a pity life really isn't that easy that we can't solve a multitude of problems with a simple lashing of clear nail glaze.