Thumb Sucking Help!!

I sucked my thumb until I was 9. And had to have $8000 in orthodontics. My mom got me to finally give up the thumb by soaking my thumbs in tobasco sauce right before i went to bed. To this day, just the smell of hot sauce makes me want to vomit. But after 3 days, it was sionara thumbs!

Hello. We tried all sorts of ways to get our daughter to stop sucking her thumb. One of my friends recommended oraly no bite nail polish. It's clear and has a very bitter taste. We put it on all her fingers and that night was the last night she sucked her thumb. That was our last resort but I almost wish we had done it sooner. Hope that is helpful.

I'm glad you brought this up as I have a 4 year old daughter who sucks her thumb too!! She was a preemie and was "conditioned" in the hospital to take the pacifier - not my first choice, but anything that made her happy and content was OK by me. She took the pacie for about 3 months until she realized her thumb was better and always with her, LOL. Now she's 4 and still sucking the thumb, but only at quiet times and bedtime. We've been telling her for months that big girls don't need to suck their thumb and that it is "yuckie" - this approach seems to be helping, but I'm not sure about the long haul. I think its about averting their need for the thumb into something else; she has a blankie and other sleep aids that make her comfortable in bed so I'm not sure what else to do in this case.

I have a thumb-sucking DD, so I read this with interest. I think Monica has some really good tips, but it is limited how you can apply it if you work outside the home like I do - can't expect her daycare provider to do this, so it needs to be adapted.

We're telling my daughter that she can only suck her thumb if she is tired and wants to go to bed - so far that has cut down on it some. She twirls the hair on the top of her head while she's doing it, too.

One thing I wanted to mention is that you shouldn't worry about it affecting his teeth - it won't until he is 6 or 7, and I'm sure he'll be weaned off his thumb by then!

Hi A...

I myself was a thumb-sucker... till I was 10. As I got older I really only did it when I was bored or when I went to bed. My parents tried everything to get me to stop but nothing worked. Until one day, 1o years later, I touched a frog. My Mom told me that frogs had warts and if I sucked my thumb I would get warts in my mouth. What 10 year old little girl wants warts in her mouth???!!! So that's how I stopped. I did wind up needing braces, but my older thumb sucking brother sucked his thumb till he was 6 and he did not. Since your little boy is only 2 I really don't think it should concern you. I have a friend who's son is 6 and he still does it.

Good luck!!

K.

I had two thumb suckers and two pacifier babies. With either case, it is best to let them suck their thumb only on their bed. This will limit their desire to suck their thumb all teh time. It will be to your advantage to remove a lot of fun things from his room so you don't make it a desired place to be most of the time. When you see him sucking his thumb, just simply tell him that if he wants to suck his thumb, he has to go to his bed. If he wants to continue to play, he has to take it out. Say this in a matter of fact way, no "sweet talking" and then go back to whatever you were doing. If he refuses to quit thumbsucking, physically put him on his bed and tell him when he is finished, he can come out. Then walk out. Do this for as long as it takes. Be firm and don't plead with him, this is business. I did this with each of my children, pacifier or thumbsucker and when they were a year old. It didn't take long before they realized it was more fun to be off their bed. You can also use the yucky tasting stuff to put on his fingernail or use a band aid to cover up his favorite thumb. Persevere, you are training not just their behavior, but their character. Blessings.

A little about me: I am a 41 year old homeschooling SAHM of 4 children, 1 girl and 3 boys between the ages of 14 and 8. I have known my husband since we were in 6th grade together, 30 years ago, and will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this September.

"Mavala Stop" I put in on my son's thumb once & he never sucked on it again. He had been sucking on it for 3 1/2 yrs. I found it on whatshebuys.com & it's really cheap. My friend's children's dentist told him about it.

Hi,
I have a 15 month old who has been sucking her thumb since she was 4 months. She also would play with her hair while she was sucking her thumb. I asked the doctor about what damage it would cause to her teeth and was told that as long as she stopped by 4 there wouldn't be any damage. She has 10 teeth now and I have noticed that her front teeth seem to to be pushed out a little. The doctor told me there is really little I could do to get to stop at this age. It has gotten so bad that while sucking her thumb she has now started to pull her completely out.

I wouldn't worry about it. Both my kids had pacifiers and my doctor told me to get rid of them by 3. My sister and neighbor both have thumb suckers. Ususally around 3 you can start to remind them to do it only at bed and quiet times. Hopefully he will wean himself around 5. I don't think there are amy real drastic measures you can take that won't traumatize him. I think kids are great at working through these things at the right time for them.

Please don't worry about thumb sucking at 2 1/2... he is fine. My goodness... 5 or 6??? Yes... 2? No. Relax and enjoy the time.

Try putting things on his hands. Like lotion, lemon juice, stuff that isn't going to hurt him, but doesn't tast the greatest. I have a sister-in-law that has recomended this stuff called bitter apple. I'm not farmiliar with it but she has 5 kids and says that it helps for things like that; and also if you have pets that chew on things. I know thats a little off topic, but you know.
If he won't let you put things on his hands try to do it when he is sleeping or just try to be descreet about it.

Hi A., Relax honey ! Wasn't it great God gave him his very own pacifier, think about no binky to throw away or lose. Don"t worry , my oldest son now 49 was a thumb sucker and he was the greatest kid. He was always helpful, caring and finding his own nitch in life. He was a closet thumb sucker until he was 11, lol Anyway the Dr. said not to worry usually by 7 they are ready to give it up. Thats the time second teeth start coming in and probably won't be affected By the way he had the straightest whitest most beautiful teeth of all my children. Hope this helps!

Here is my experience... about age 2 1/2 or 3, we started limiting thumb-sucking to bed only. It took a lot of reminding, but our daughter finally learned that she couldn't do it outside of bed. Then we had to work on sucking it at night. We tried the paint (which she said, "ooooh - spicy! and kept sucking) and a million other things. We are now at age 4 1/2 and doing all right. Now that she's old enough to reason, we discuss the "cage" that her friend's brother has to deter him from sucking and to widen his palate where he misshaped it (we don't want that, do we?!). We use medical tape wrapped around her thumb to remind her not to suck at night, and so far it is working all right. She still misses it though and sometimes takes the tape off. But now, we give her a treat every morning that the tape is still on when she wakes. It is a slow process, but will be worth it. Best of luck.