In April, my (then 7-year-old) son developed what we called "chicken neck." He had a weird twitchy thing going on in his neck. Can't describe it. Not popping, not jutting forward, but kind of a jutting forward/sideways. Happened a lot. Looked stupid (especially playing goalie). Drove me crazy! I was about ready to take him to the doctor to make sure it wasn't physical, like an undiagnosed sports injury. A nurse friend (also a mother of same-aged children) felt his neck, didn't feel anything wrong, suggested waiting until school was out and see if it subsided. Possibly nervous habit. It did.

But it was immediately replaced by what we call "the face" or "the face thing." The best I can describe it is that he sticks out his tongue, licks the mustache-area, and immediately wipes it with the bottom lip. It's chapped constantly. He has a constant spit slime on his upper lip. I've nagged him so much that he now compulsively wipes it with the back of his hand. I fined him. I nagged him. I compulsively added chapstick or vaseline. I threatened him. I smacked his hand. Nothing worked.

He had his routine 8-year-old checkup today. I called ahead to alert the doctor to be watching for it so we could discuss it naturally, rather than my "tattling." Of course, the boy didn't do it! I could see the doctor looking at me, rather sympathetically, like "well, what do we do now?" The child is busy, but he loves everything he's doing, doesn't want to quit anything, and still has time for homework, play dates, TV, video games, and free-play. Swears it's not nervousness making him do it. (And refuses to believe he looks completely mental doing it!)

So tonight I finally looked online for similar problems. (Don't know why it took me so long.) Yes, my pound of Vaseline at night, both as healer and preventer, is good. Olive oil works well, too. But a potential culprit that fits his M.O.? Dehydration!! From sippy-cup-addict to refuser-of-all-fluids-pushed-constantly-in-an-arid-climate? TOTALLY FITS!!

 Tomorrow is a new day ...