Need advice please - breaking a 4 year old of finger sucking

[toystorymama]

Help please! My 4 year old started sucking his fingers a few years ago while he was sleeping. Since his baby brother was born he is now doing it more, even during the day.

Telling him to stop isn't working. It almost seems to be making him want to do it more. I am at a loss and so frustrated. Advice please!

Thanks in advance!

[maestramommy]

Hmmm, my almost 4yo has been sucking her thumb since 3 months of age. doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. I know it's tied to her lovey. She only sucks on it when she's touching it, although for maximum relief it's draped over her sucking hand so she can inhale it at the same time. What IS it with my kids and inhaling their lovey while sucking??

[janeybwild]

I think you should stop all attention on it right now. When life has calmed down, try again. Seems attention seeking perhaps right now.

To break a habit you have to be motivated. So, you have to find his motivation. Telling him to stop will not work. For my DD at age 3 1/2 it was a new lovey with her name embroidered on it and a chart (some bandaids/fingernail bitter polish helped her to overcome the sleeping sucking). The only reason we even attempted it though was because she was motivated to try to do it after a visit to the dentist where he showed her what was happening to her teeth.

[longtallsally05]

No advice, but I suspect that in two years I'll be facing the same problem; DS is an avid thumb-sucker. I saw this in a catalog and it looks worth a try. If you get it, please post an update on how effective it is because I'm very curious.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=5894&cmSource=Search

Good luck!

[SoloMelody]

Hmmm, my almost 4yo has been sucking her thumb since 3 months of age. doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. I know it's tied to her lovey. She only sucks on it when she's touching it, although for maximum relief it's draped over her sucking hand so she can inhale it at the same time. What IS it with my kids and inhaling their lovey while sucking??

:yeahthat:

If only there is a solution! It is so tied to the lovey, wondering when she will give up the lovey.......

[94bruin]

Hmmm, my almost 4yo has been sucking her thumb since 3 months of age. doesn't look like it's going to stop any time soon. I know it's tied to her lovey. She only sucks on it when she's touching it, although for maximum relief it's draped over her sucking hand so she can inhale it at the same time. What IS it with my kids and inhaling their lovey while sucking??



Not just your kids, lol! Both of mine do this, too. I think my 5yo has really lessened her hbit as other animals have cone into her life. My 2 yo will suck with almost anything soft and cuddly.

[MoJo]

So this means I'm going to have an even harder time breaking my almost three year old, who chose the thumb over the paci at 3 months, but who has never been attached to a lovey. . . right? And her 9 month old sister, who never liked the paci or a lovey, but who loves her thumb.

[Twoboos]

I thought DD1 would suck her finger forever. She started sucking age 12 or 18mos.

Finally she went to a princess dressup bday party where she got her nails painted for the very first time. I think it was a 4th bday.

I told her the gorgeous orange nail polish would come off is she sucked her finger, plus it would make her sick. And she was done. It was one or two rough nights, but there were no slips. It was like a miracle, I hugged the other mom the next time I saw her!!

Sorry OP, I know that doesn't help with a boy. ;) But it might work for a girl!

[ladysoapmaker]

I don't know if this will help. I was an avid finger sucker as a child. I don't ever remember anyone making a big deal out of it. (I remember being gently teased about it.) I was around 5 or 6 and our dentist told me I needed to stop sucking my fingers or I would get buck teeth. I stopped that night. My mom still tells the story about how the dentist got me to stop. She says she hadn't even brought it up to him yet. I can count on both hands the amount of times I sucked my fingers afterward.

He will grow out of it. Just don't make a big deal and from what I understand until his permanent teeth come in there really isn't too much harm.

Good luck,
Jen

[Jo..]

My 2.5 year old sucks her arm and there is a perpetual hickey there. Her ped said to leave her alone, and different strokes for different folks.

FWIW, she puts herself to bed like clockwork every night, whereas my 4.5 year old is a daily struggle.

I think any self-soothing technique is valuable, and I would not worry.

[jenstring95]

My DS was a finger sucker from about 4 or 5 months until 4 or 4.5yo, and then he pretty much seemed to quit cold turkey. I used to ask him not to suck his fingers when I saw him do it outside of bed, but I never made a big deal out of it. The pediatric dentist we saw said to take away his lovey (a blanket) to get him to stop, but there was no way I was going to do that. He really just stopped on his own, and when I asked him why, he said that he guessed it was just because he is getting bigger. (I will say his incidence of putting other random stuff in his mouth increases from time to time, though.) Also, he was really proud that the next time we went to the (different) dentist, we mentioned that he had stopped sucking his fingers, and they gave him a special prize (a CD case) for "habit breaking". Maybe you could see if your dentist does that and whether it would be an incentive? In any event, I just wanted to let you know that they can just stop very suddenly on their own. Now if my DD (3.5) could start breaking her finger sucking habit... :rolleyes:

[chays]

When DD was almost 3, we used these thumb/finger guards. They worked unbelievably well, but you really have to follow the instructions. DD had her thumb in her mouth 24 hours a day. I had to sleep with her for the first 2 nights because she was unable to soothe herself. I never had to discuss the thumb-sucking with her so it was not a negative experience. She just wore her colored "bracelets". After a few days, I was able to loosen them so much that they would just slip off, but she wore them anyway. Hasn't put her thumbs in her mouth since! Also, we did do both hands because she switched thumbs the first night!

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=5894&cmSource=Search