Thumbsucking Dilemma

[momma_boo]

DD has been a thumbsucker since she was a little baby. We never hindered it and it wasn't excessive - at nighttime and when she's tired or cranky.

She developed a bump on her favored thumb and recently, it got infected. The ped had to lance it and put her on antibiotics. So for about 2 weeks now, her favored thumb has been covered and taped up to prevent access to it. The first few nights were rough (lots of wakings) but she adjusted to it. The last few days, she's suddenly discovered the joys of sucking her other thumb.

My initial plan was to keep her favored thumb covered (even though it is pretty much healed) just to try to break her of the habit.
But now she's switched to the other one. Would it be really really mean to bandage up both thumbs? Or should I just let it go and let her stop when she wants?

Those w/ kids who were/are thumbsuckers, what would you do?

Thanks!

[MartiesMom2B]

Our dentist told me not to worry about the thumbsucking and she should outgrow it by the time she goes in to kindergarten. So I'm not going to worry about it until kindergarten. He said that she's not going to give it up until she's ready.

-Sonia
Mommy to Martie
& Li'l Girl Bunny to come Feb. 2007
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[SammyeGail]

I am so sorry her little thumb got infected, that sounds painful.

I don't think thats a bad idea, its pretty good IMO. I was a thumb sucker and don't know when I stopped, but it wasn't very early because I can easily *remember* sucking my thumb.

You're her mommy and you know what's best for her temperment. You can always try it out and see how it goes : ).

Samantha

[Emmas Mom]

I've got a thumbsucker here & we took her to her first dentist appointment a couple weeks ago. We were told that it's already pushing her teeth out & collapsing her pallette(sp?), so she really needs to stop. I got the ThumbGuard from OSA (her pediatrician also recommended this). It works great when it's on, however, she immediately switched to her OTHER thumb & so I have to make sure to put them on both. They work fine when they're on but keeping them on 24/7 is difficult. She's very attached to her thumb! :+

Here's what I'm talking about:
http://www.onestepahead.com/product/117/984/117.html

[janeybwild]

Mom of a 16 mo thumbsucker here. Our ped suggested that for toddlers, to only worry about thumbsucking outside of bed time. So, if she sucks her thumb while playing, say "its not sleepy time now, you don't need to suck your thumb" or something like that. If she persists, then she must be tired and time for a nap? Don't have any BTDT adivce on when/how to stop it altogether, but my gut is to let it go for now.

[katerinasmom]

I think every kid is going to require a different tactic. My DD was a 24 hour a day finger sucker (the middle and ring fingers of her right hand). She sucked so much that I hardly ever had to trim the nails on those two fingers because they didn't grow anywhere near as fast as the unsucked ones. Her sucked fingers were also swollen at the ends and had a callous-like bump (for lack of a better term) on each. She basically stopped cold turkey at 2 1/4 years old when my FIL used a marker to put a tiny black dot on her middle finger and told her that if she sucked her fingers her whole mouth would turn black. After that - no more finger sucking. I guess she was just ready and needed a little motivation. Now if we could only lose the blankie too. :)

[Wife_and_mommy]

That's good advice but the few times I've told dd to remove her thumb for a picture, it automatically turns into a game. I'm going to try it though. When dd's not sucking her thumb she's picking at a callous on her top lip from sucking said thumb. Drives me nuts.


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[randomkid]

I'm no expert and I really can't say for sure that this is a cause and effect thing, but my stepdaughter sucked her thumb (and carried a blankie) until she was 5yo. We tried to get her to stop, but had no luck. We kept telling her that big girls don't suck their thumbs and she would be the only one in school that did. Nothing worked...until she started school. She stopped cold turkey the first week. I do think all the talking to her beforehand helped her to realize that other kids weren't sucking their thumbs. Now, she is 13 and her teeth are a mess. I know some of it is not related to her thumbsucking, but I think some of it may be. She now has braces. Like I said, I'm not sure that her problems are related to thumb sucking, but if you are able, I would try to stop it now since you are already somewhat in the process.

Good Luck!

[miki]

I did start telling DD not to suck her fingers when it wasn't time for her to sleep and it worked after about a month. But I was doing this when she was less than 1 yr old--when she would listen to what I said and not be sassy or defiant.

[jacksmomtobe]

DS is a thumb sucker. I think since your dd is still in the normal range of when kids suck their thumbs that you should let her continue for now and see if it fades on its own. Thumb sucking is such a cause of comfort. My ped said kids normally stop between 2 and 4. Our ped dentist wasn't too concerned at this point. They say that school often leads to kids stopping though one of dh's friends daughters was in 5th grade and still did it. She went to a private all girls school and the other girls who had done it as babies started to suck their thumbs again. I think that story is a anomoly(sp??) She is now however in college and does not suck her thumb. :)

On a similiar note my brother and his wife were over this weekend and they asked if dd used a pacifier. I said no I think she is going to be a thumb sucker like her brother. My brother then proceeds to say "You know what they say you can lose a pacifier." He's said this comment to me about 10 times. I don't judge those whose kids use pacifiers. Whatever works for you. Pretty funny coming from the brother whose parental judgement has been questionable at times. I just let it bounce off my back.

Good Luck with whatever you decide to do!

[momofmany]

my dd, now age 9 was a thumbsucker. She sucked all the time until she was about 3, at which time she was able to understand that she could only suck it when she was in bed or when she was holding her blanket. (touching the silk on the blanket was a reflex to suck for her). We had to stress this for several weeks until she got it. She sucked it at night until she was about she was about 5. She gave it up when she decided to give the new baby her blanket to use. I think like all things with children they have to be at a readiness to level to stop.

Another note - the dentist asked her once if she sucked and she said yes with some hesitation. At a future visit he asked her again and she proudly said "no more." For what it is worth, she does have teeth issues, however our dentist said it's more related to her jaw and not to thumb sucking.

Good luck - this will pass.

[AngelaS]

My oldest sucked her thumb until age 4. Then she just kind of stopped. She kept the lovey that went along w/sucking her thumb, but stopped sucking her thumb. She's now almost 9 and her teeth are fine.

My second is 4 and her teeth are shifted from her thumb. Her dentist told her to stop. I started putting a sock on her hand and taping it on. She switched thumbs. I started socking and taping both hands. She took them off or sucked thru the sock. She started spending MORE time sucking her thumb when it wasn't nap or bedtime. This went on for several months.

I decided it wasn't worth the stress to her or I. I try to stress that she has to go sit on her bed if she needs a moment to suck her thumb and cuddle her lovey. Since I tried to get her to quit, she does it more frequently. Her lovey HAS to stay in her bed, so that helps.

Sooner or later, she'll quit. Genetically, she didn't have good odds of having straight teeth anyway, so she might as well enjoy the security that her thumb brings for now. She's only going ot be 4 once.

[MelissaTC]

My DS is a thumbsucker. He is well aware that he shouldn't. And he tries not to but I think most of the time, he doesn't even realize he is doing it. He has definitely done it less and less as time has gone on, especially now that he is in 5 days a week preschool. The dentist told me that it has not caused any harm to his mouth yet and he is not concerned until 5-6 years old. He said most kids will give it up when they are ready and that kindergarten seems to cause that. They give it up due to peer pressure (no one wants to be a baby).

We have talked about it with Matthew. He has been told that if he wants to suck it, he has to clean his hands and then go do it in his room. I told him that I understand how hard it is for him to stop but that he is 4 years old now and it is becoming inappropriate.

Good luck!