Tags

If you see my daughter Anna, age three, walking around with her thumb in her mouth and her other hand down the back of her pants, you might think, "That's gross." I don't blame you. She has a very weird habit.

But it's not as gross a habit as it may seem. Really, she just has a fascination with tags.

Yes. Tags.

Those things that stick out on the inside of your clothes, telling you the brand name and sometimes giving you washing instructions.

Anna likes to hold on to tags. Thumb in her mouth, other hand holding onto whatever tag is available: the one on her shirt, the one on her pants, the one on her underpants. Heck, even the tag on my shirt or Sophie's shirt will do. She's not too picky, as long as she's got a good grip on it.

Sometimes we're in the car and Anna will throw a screaming fit, all because, "I! Can't! Reach! My! Tag!" Her words are garbled because she doesn't take her thumb out of her mouth as she's screaming.

The other day I picked out a cute shirt for her to wear that she hadn't worn in a long time. "I don't want to wear that one," she said. "It doesn't have a tag."

Sure enough. The clothing designer, assuming tags bother most children, had printed the information on the inside of the shirt.

So, I picked out a new shirt. "Look, this one has a nice tag on it."

Anna smiled and was happy. I've learned that if I want her to wear a tagless shirt, I have to pick shorts with a very big tag so that she has something to hold on to.

Now it's your turn. I'd love you to tell me about a weird habit you know about. It can be your child's, your own, your mother's aunt's grandson's friend's.... Just help me out by letting me know my little Anna isn't the only one in the world with a weird habit.