How to get DD to stop sucking her finger (at least temporarily)?

[cmo]

DD just turned 2 last month, and has been a finger sucker for at least a year. Instead of sucking a thumb, she sucks her middle and ring finger (together) on her left hand. This week, I noticed that the side and base of her whole nail on her middle finger is starting to separate from the finger and flake up, and is in danger of being peeled off. It is obviously bothering her as she holds it up to me and says 'boo-boo', but she continues to suck on it, and my fear is that it will not be able to heal if it is always getting wet and sucked on. She is not yet verbal enough to really talk about this. Regular band-aids get pulled off in a matter of minutes. Today I tried waterproof first aid tape, which has stayed on for a couple hours. What I'd really like is to break this habit, but I'm doubtful because my older 2 DCs (age 4 and 5) still suck their thumbs, despite efforts to persuade them otherwise!

Any BTDT advice or suggestions would be most welcomed and appreciated!

Thanks,
Chris

[Twoboos]

DD1 sucked her index finger from the time she was 18mos to almost 3 years. The thing that got her to stop - nail polish! I was totally against nail polish, then she went to a princess dressup party where they did the girl's nails. The thought the orange polish was sooooo beautiful, LOL. And I told her sucking the polish would make her sick. It was a hard few days but she hasn't done it since!!

Good luck.

[fauve01]

I bought this stuff from Amazon and it WORKS.
http://www.amazon.com/MAVALA-Stop-Bi...6494590&sr=8-1

it wears off about every three days, so we reapply. it tastes AWFUL. DD whined the first afternoon, but she slept fine that night and every night after. and she sucked her thumb a LOT (story time, sleep time, tv time, anytime she was listening, etc). now she doesn't.

before i ordered it, i talked about it with her. at first she said "NO WAY i don't want that." i said OK. then the next day she told me she wanted me to order the thumb stuff i told her about. i ordered and then we waited. i think it was good it was sort of her idea. also before i put it on her, i told her i wouldn't be able to get it off once it was on--we'd have to wait for it to wear off, so i asked if she was sure she wanted to stop. she said she was, so when we did it. then when she want it off i reminded her we/she said she was going to try it.

good luck.
anne + DD 10-03