Suggestions for Stopping Thumbsucking

I sucked my thumb until I was about 5 years old and my parents found that the only way to get me to quit was to bribe me with a new doll. It worked. I stopped sucking my thumb, got the new doll and never had any other problems. Hope this helps.

My daughter sucked her thumb till about 5 1/2. She was only doing it at home when she was relaxing, but I too was worried about her teeth. I tried various things for at least a year...the taste-bad stuff, making her where a glove at home, etc. Nothing permanently solved it. I had made it clear that it could mess up her teeth and then she'd need braces which hurt. And she was aware of the social stigma, she never did it in public. I think it really has to do with timing and when they're ready to let go.

So I started making less of a deal about it, just matter of fact. Whenever I caught her doing it I would reach over and take it out, over and over again if necessary, but I wouldn't say anything or I'd just say "stop". It helped a lot! She started to do it less, or if I came in the room and caught her she'd pull it out herself (with a guilty grin :) ). Then one night we had a heart to heart about how it made her feel good, etc. I related two instances of how her brother and her father both had bad habits that made them feel better, but really were not good for them, and so they stopped. Then I put hers in the past tense also. It went something like this..."Remember when Ethan used to bite his nails, but it wasn't good for him so he stopped?" (She said yes) "Remember when Dad...(similar thing)"...she said yes. "Remember when Kyla (her) used to suck her thumb but it wasn't good for her so she stopped?" She laughed and smiled, and then fell asleep next to me without sucking her thumb. That was it for good, she never went back. And after a week we let her pick out a gift for accomplishing something difficult. And her teeth are great, by the way! :) Every child is different, but for us, once I made it matter of fact instead of hyped up, she relaxed and let go. Wish you the best!

S.,

My Godson was a thumbsucker, mostly after his Mom (and me as babysitter) tried to wean him from a binkie. For the most part, as I understand it, it's a comfort issue. When there is stress or uncertainty they pull out the thumb. For my friend and her son, our Pedi Dentist recommended redirection and careful attention to when he was doing it. Since, I was watching him I made a journal of the times when he did suck his thumb...tired, cranky, upset about something...the usual stressors, but mostly right before nap or bedtime.

My friend worked with the Pedi to develop a redirection game plan that included, handing him a cup of water or toy or suggesting things like 'hey let's read a book'. It took us several months, working consistenly to get him to stop but, the redirection worked and helped him become more active too.

Also, since your little one is older (my Godson was 3.5) you should talk to her and be repetitive about it. Start by asking her why? Then, show her other things she can do. It's funny how five year olds react when someone asks them the how/why of something they do...but, work with her. Maybe even try a rewards chart, or some kind of points system. My older cousins have a jar that they put coins in when they bite their nails...they are twins, so they rat each other out when one or the other does it at school. The cash goes into a savings for them.

It will be okay! Don't worry she won't be doing it forever, it just takes time and patience and A LOT of guidance.

My girls sucked their thumbs until they were 7. We got them each one of those squishy squeeze balls they sell at athletic stores to improve your hand strength. The balls are usually covered in balloon like material and are palm sized. My girls both stopped sucking their thumbs in about 3 days after getting the balls. We couldn't believe it, but it worked. I had found this as a suggestion in a parenting book.

Good luck.

My daughter sucked her thumb until she was 6 years old.
I sat down with her and explained that she was a big girl. Then, we made a chart together. The chart covered a two week period, and was broken up into morning, afternoon, evening, and night. She got to choose the stickers for the chart.
She also chose bandages.
1. Each day, I put a clean bandage on her thumb.
2. I would check her thumb to see she wasn't sucking it -- if not for the entire time outlined, she got a sticker on her chart.
3. When the chart was full, we took her to the store and she got to choose something. (My daughter chose a pack of gum). (Or, you could go out somewhere to celebrate-- ice cream, hamburgers -- let her choose).
The real trick is to make the whole thing exciting for her. Don't get upset if she slips. When she does get it right, let her put the sticker over the place she slipped up on.

Hi S.,

My younger sisters were thumb suckers until about 7 YO. They did it most often when they were upset or tired and needed some comfort. My mother allowed them to do so until they were ready to quit, as that is what their PED suggested at the time.

My (almost) 3.5 YO is a sucker and she has stopped for the most part. She will do it when she is tired and I can now tap her on the leg and shake my head and she will take it out. Sometimes I just tell her to hold my hand and we hold hands for a bit until she runs off and plays.

Since it is a soothing thing, try to help her take it out and offer her a little cuddle for a bit.

Best of luck.
C.

My daughter is almost 5 and has been a major thumbsucker since she was an infant. Her pediatrician tells me not to worry about it because everything is correctable and he went through the same challenges himself with 4 of his own kids. My dentist on the other hand has a fit everytime he sees my DD because you can already see the changes in her jaw structure because of it. He said the only positive is that she doesn't have a thumb preference so the changes are balanced.

I was a thumbsucker myself and I have memories of my parents trying to get me to quit, so I know the challenges they present. Anyway, I decided to address it with my daughter, but in a low stress, she needs to take the initiative way. This is what I have and am continuing to do:

First, I said she can only suck her thumb in bed. Whenever I caught her sucking her thumb I told her she needed to go to bed. She would often choose to go to bed and I would find her in her bed on her own just so she could suck her thumb. If I would remind her about sucking her thumb, she'd get mad and say, "I WANT to suck my thumb." I never made a big deal out of it and tried to give her the power to choose.

I also learned that when I caught her sucking her thumb it was often because she was tired/bored. Frequently, I would have to make the effort to engage her in an activity...play a board game, dance, etc.

We tried painting her nails and wearing bandaids on her thumbs (at her request), but then she said it wasn't worth it because she'd just suck her thumb anyways.

I took my DD to Toy's R Us and offered to buy her any baby doll she wanted (she LOVES dolls) if she stopped sucking her thumb for a month. She was excited and motivated, but that time frame was too much. What has finally worked is that I started doing smaller time frames and rewards.

I told her that if she stopped sucking her thumb for a week I would take her to a ceramic painting shop she enjoys and she could paint whatever she wants (it helps I had a coupon!). I told her she could have 3 warnings for the whole week. She needed all 3 warnings, but she did it! The second week I told her I would take her to pick out her own Easter dress. Again, I gave her 3 warnings. She only needed 2. We bought her a beautiful Easter dress, something I would've bought anyway, but she got to pick it out!

I have not told her about another reward since and she has reminded me about the baby doll. So, I told her that if she is thumb free for a month we'll go buy her a baby doll. I have yet to see her suck her thumb once. She's not even sucking it in bed!!!

I'm optimistic, but not holding my breath. My daughter is very stubborn, but this is the process that is working for us. Every child is different. I hope you find something that works for you! Good luck!

Hi S.-
I have 5 yr old twins who suck their thumb. Really, they only do it when they are relaxing or calming themselves down and holding their lovie. Does your daughter have a lovie? Usually, thumb suckers are holding something soft while sucking their thumb. That is the key! Eliminate the lovie. So far, it seems to be doing the trick. However, I can't control what happens after they go to bed. But it's true what other people are telling you about giving up the thumb when they are ready. I know people who sucked their thumb until they were 8 and it didnt affect their teeth. Another strategy would be to somehow scare them with what can happen if they don't stop sucking. Like, getting sick. If she keeps it up, she'll need another shot. Or tell her , kids will make fun of her at school if she keeps it up. However, at age 5, the damage is probably already done with the teeth placement. I can tell, my boys teeth are changing. Also remember, thumbsucking is comforting. At least she can self soothe. There is so much you can do. The thumb is attached so when she is ready, she'll give it up. Good luck! V.

Hi S.,
My son is 5 1/2 and still a thumb sucker. He really justs sucks at night, and when he is really tired. We have talked about it a lot and he is just not ready. I don't think it is worth it. I have two friends who have teenagers who sucked their thunbs until about 8 and neither of them need braces or bite work. There is more to the dental piece than just thumbs and pacifiers. I figure I don't want anyone to take away my comforts of coffee and wine so he can have his thumb:):) I think it is true that they will give it up in their own. Also, if she can wash off the nasty stuff tell her to wash off all the germs before she sucks her thumb each time!

Hi S.,

All three of my children sucked their thumbs. We have tried everything with my eldest(now 4 1/2 year-old) daughter and nothing worked. As she got older, the daytime thumb sucking faded away (without any pressure from us). We always talked to her about how bad it is for her teeth etc. She still sucks her thumb at night time to time. I think your daughter will stop this habit once she is ready.
Good luck!

M.
www.royaldanceparty.com

Hi S.-

I would try the thumb guard again, she might have been too little for it the first time. My daughter sucked her thumb until 3rd grade and we had to intervene as well. The dentist recommended putting this appliance in her mouth that was similar to a retainer, but had spike like points on the roof. It made it so she couuldn't get a suction when she closed her mouth. Well, my daughter played with that instead and broke it. We then tried the thumb guard and it worked for her, but a few months after she quit she started sucking her thumb again because she wanted to see if she still had the need. Well, apparently she did!! So we used it again for maybe 2 weeks, and it worked. She's now 13 and hasn't sucked her thumb since!

Now about her being 13... That's a whole other story! :-)

Good Luck!

For S. H - We tried thumb guards and everything else too. Our doctor and dentist told us she would stop by the age of 5. Our daughter stopped sucking her thumb at the age of 8. She stopped sucking her thumb when she was ready to stop. It just happened. This is my advice to you. Kids suck their thumb as a sense of security. So your daughter will stop sucking her thumb when she is ready to stop. I know it hard but but it's true. Our daughter will be 10 this month. She has minor teeth problems due to her thumb sucking but nothing major. However, she never got sick from sucking her thumb. Just wanted to share our experience with you and hope that it helps. BN

Hi S., Thumb sucking is a strong habit, like nail biting and smoking, the longer you allow it the stronnger the habit beomes. There was a five year old girl in my sons kindergarten class who sucked her thumb some of the kids made fun of her, made her cry, and she still didn't stop. She also may end up with scar tissue on her thumb that will resemble a bad burn scar. For you mamas who are rading this don't let your baby's/tots suck their thumbs nip in in the bud at first sign. J.

My daughter was an avid thumbsucker, but we got her to stop right before she turned 5. We used tape on her thumb to remind her not to suck. And we used a sticker chart with really great rewards! She got something small everyday for not sucking. She also got bigger gifts every week for not sucking. And she got really big gifts for going a whole month without sucking. We did this for 2 months (the daily gifts were phased out the second month). She stopped sucking her thumb immediately. She really loved the rewards. This was 4 months ago, and she has still stopped. She's not a thumb sucker anymore.

Now, I will say that I think this was a huge success because she wanted to stop. She was hugely aware that it was a babyish thing to do and the other kids at school weren't doing it anymore. So she was on board.

Someone else posted that people shouldn't let their babies or toddlers suck their thumb. I do not agree at all. It's a very natural was for babies to soothe themselves and many need it. Most give up the habit naturally. And almost all kids give it up on their own by the time they're seven. Yes, it can ruin their bite, but I think the cost of braces is much cheaper than psychologist bills!

Good luck!

most kids don't like garlic and so in our family they would put garlic powder in clear nail polish and put it on the child, it worked every time!

My son is extremely head strong so things that work with many children just did not work with him. Therefore, we consulted Heidi Widoff, an orofacial myologist. She is great and gets most kids to stop their habit in 24 hours. Her # is ###-###-####.