My daughter is almost 22 months. She has sucked her thumb from early one. I have never encouraged or discouraged it. She used her binky as a chew toy, and enjoyed her thumb. So i just let her do what was comfortable for her. I know that kids will give up the thumb sucking on their own. my problem right now, is that her thumbs are starting to look dry and cracking, and look like they are starting to bleed. She doens't act in any pain at all, but i don't like the looks of it.
I did give her a binky to suck on, and she still just plays with me. my 3 year old niece has binky's so she plays with them there, and knows what they are for. She won't take it, so i know I can't switch her to something else.
Is there anything I can try to help her stop.
Thumz. CVS carries it, just about any drug store carries it. Either it will help the problem or she'll get used to the nasty taste.
If it hurts, she will stop.
My sister stopped sucking her thumb around age 3... But it was only AFTER her thumb got slammed in a door. Ouch. Not the recomended way of breaking the habit.
You could try putting some "no bite" polish on her fingers... just a dab on each. It may cut down on the amount of time her fingers spend in her mouth.
Its her comfort thing. Some people have blankies, some play with hair, some suck their thumbs. She is still really young. I wouldn't worry about it for a few more years. But the cracking fingers in the winter will be a hard fix. Try a highly moisturizing lotion and put it on her with mittens/socks at night and naps. (pin them to her jammie/ shirt arms so she can't get them off easily. But she may take her whole shirt off depending on how highly motivated she is.)
Since she is not even 2 yet she will fight you and you may have to bandage her fingers if they do start cracking and bleeding.
None of my munchkins have really been thumb suckers so I don't have any secret tips on winter thumb sucking... But like I said before. When it hurts she will let you deal with it better. Before that it will be a fight.
I wish I had more for ya! Hopefully someone will...
My son sucked his thumb, too. It looked gross... cracked and sore. But it didn't seem to bother him. A thumb isn't a pacifier. You can't take it away...it's attached! : ) He stopped all on his own when he was two years old. He'll be five next month and his teeth are just fine! Your daughter will likely stop on her own too!
S.; thumb sucking can also hurt her teeth it can push her teeth forward if used for a long time, you can simply teach her that only food goes in her mouth and she is making her thumb look icky and you can simply say we dont need to suck on the thumb any more and gently pull it down, or you can ask if you can suck on it too andput it in your mouth, she will laugh, and pull it back, every time she puts it in her mouth you can grab the other thumb and put that in your mouth, hahaha thumb sucking can be one of the hardest habits to break ive seen 7 - 10 year olds not giving it up, you can also paint her little finger nails and make them all pretty and tell her dont put the paint in your mouth, or you can just say "yucky" when she does put it in her mouth, keep up the good work, D. s
Once a thumb sucker, always a thumb sucker! I swear my daughter sucked her thumb in the womb (she got the hiccups a lot) and pretty much has sucked her thumb ever since, she is 3 1/2 now. It's a comfort thing.
Pretty much every winter my daughter has gone thru what yours is now with the awful red looking thumb! BUT she never once complained about it. I had tried putting lanolin on it, as I see 1 other mom also suggested, but she only fought me on it.
If it does start hurting her, she'll stop, and then you'll be able to put something on it to help it heal!
I would try using Lansinoh. It's Lanolin for breastfeeding mothers. I used it on my nipples when I was breastfeeding- when they were dry and cracked- and it's safe for babies. I still use it on my daughter's lips when they are so chapped that nothing else will help- actually, anywhere that has an owie- it works great, although it's a little sticky. It does have a weird scent, maybe she won't like it and stop sucking all together? I wouldn't try to get her to start on something else, though. It will help with the skin being chapped- I am sure of it! Good luck.
For many sores, I just cut open a vitamin e capsule. You can easily mix some of this with olive oil and apply at night (cover her hand with clean cotton socks) after freshly washing hands.
At daytime, olive oil alone is best to apply.
Vitamin E is very healing... most wounds that I or my son have heal twice as fast using it. Olive Oil will not harm her system in the daytime, either. But it will soften the skin and keep it moist as long as you apply it often.
Most moisturizers and balms contain Mineral Oil/ Lanolin and this actually dries the skin even more. It acts as a barrier but not in a good way as it blocks the pores of the skin (I am hyper sensitive to it and I break out every time I use these type of products.).
You can also find some very good, make at home recipes if you pick up a book from the store or library - or google natural skin care. Most of the stuff is in your kitchen and works better than anything you can purchase in the store. (I make my own balm for myself and my son - it works every time.)
there is something at the baby store that you can wipe on there that makes it taste grosse so it helps break them but most kids still don't break from it that i know of. You can try wrapping it with a band aid with some neosporin or something but i don't know how well that will go over its. just becaue of the change of tempature outside and her sucking. Maybe try hot sause on the part not effected that might help break her unless she likes spice stuff. Good Luck
I have a thumb sucker too. the same age actually. When she's tired she'll suck on her thumb and grab a hold onto her hair with her other hand, it's kind of cute. Anyways, what if you put some lanolin on it? you know the stuff you put on your nipples to soothe them when you nurse? just a thought, it might help protect her thumb some and it's obviously not harmful to babies if women use it while nursing.
