How do you stop this???

My 3 yo started sucking her thumb after I stoped nursing which was when she was 6 months. She never took a pacifier. she just went straight to the thumb!!!

The Dr. kept telling me, oh it will stop just give it time!

Well, I gave it time and it has not stopped!

I have tried everything!!! That nail bitters stuff (she just licks it off!), pepper, HOT sauce- she asks for more!
I even tried wrapping up her hand in a towel like the DR. said to do!

Nothing works!
Everyone keeps telling me that this will ruin her teeth!

How do you get them to stop????

My 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter both still suck their thumbs at night, when they're sleeping. I have no idea how to get them to stop. As long as they don't do it during the day, especially at school, I haven't worried too much about it. But if someone knows of a good way to break this habit, I'd like to know too!!

My DD started sucking her thumb when I took the pacifier away when she was about 12 months old - that was one piece of advice I got from the pediatrician that I wish I had ignored, LOL!

She might never have stopped on her own, but when she was 7 years old she needed a palate expander, because sucking her thumb so much had actually changed the shape of her upper palate and jaw, and her dentist didn't want to wait any longer. The palate expander had a little thingie on it that kept her thumb from fitting in her mouth, and that's what it took to finally get her to stop.

The first week or so after she got it, she had a terrible time sleeping because she relied on her thumb to go to sleep and to stay asleep.

I don't have any advice for you to help her stop, but the sooner she does the better, so you don't end up with dental issues (and big bills!) when she gets older!

Laura.

Oh Man!!!

Ok- We really need someones help!!!

I can't imagine having to go thru expensive dental procedures!!

For our 7 year old, the dentist hasn't seen any problems with his palette - yet. But he has already stated that he will probably need a tooth pulled and braces. There is no space between his baby teeth, so the adult teeth growing in (8 of them), have pushed the baby teeth out of the way. My daughter so far has only lost 2 teeth, and seems to be doing OK.

With that said, I still want them to stop sucking their thumbs!!

I don't have any children of my own but I was a thumb sucker until right before I started kindergarten.

I think my mom was really worried about me starting school still sucking my thumb, she was afraid that the other kids would make fun of me. I can remember I wanted my ears pierced really badly before I started kindergarten (I wanted everyone to think I was a "big girl"). My mom saw this as an opprotunity to get me to stop thumb sucking by making a "deal" with me. I had to stop sucking my thumb for two whole weeks then she would take me to get my ears pierced. I did it though, I wanted my ears pierced so everyone would think I was a "big girl" more than I wanted to suck my thumb and two weeks was a very long time for a 4 year old since I had no concept of time anyway. My mom took me to get me ears pierced at the mall and she told them to do both ears at the same time since I don't tolerate pain very well, she was right! I took off running through the mall. My mom had to chase me down, and drag me back so she could pay for my new "big girl" ears. Well enough time had passed that I wasn't sucking my thumb and I was so happy about being a "big girl" that sucking my thumb didn't matter anymore, I had forgotten all about it.

Boy was I thankful that my mom made that "deal" with me. When I started school there was another girl who was a thumb sucker and she sucked her thumb all the way through elementary school and middle school, she moved away before high school started. My best friend and I still wonder if she is still a thumb sucker. It's the most vivid memory we have of her. I think she had braces at least 2 times too.

So the day I graduated high school my mom gave me a card and inside the card were the very earrings that I'd had my ears pierced with 14 years earlier and a note that said, "You can do anything. I love you."

Leave them alone and they stop when they're ready. Hannah my 7 year old sucked her thumb a lot last year. if you nag she does it more. It's been hard work to hold my tongue but for a year I've done so. Now it's very rare she does suck her thumb. Only really when she's tired or is feeling insecure

I have two thumb suckers ages 2 and 3. although I would love for them to stop, I have decided not to stress and not to nag. I agree with missbaritone. I have never heard of one sure way to make them stop. once I asked our dentist what I could do, he chuckled and said "start saving for braces!" Our pediatrition said to tell them if they want to suck then thats fine, but they have to go to their room to suck. i did try that, but i was always sending dd to room, and i kind of felt mean, like i was punishing her for a habbit, I would rather send her to her room for doing something disobedient.....

my brother was a huge thumb sucker. I think my mom put vaseline on his thumb once and that stopped it. Either that or castor oil (that's what I was always threatened with!)

My son stopped for a little while, but then he started up again...seemed to coincide with when I started working more hours at work..He's getting better again...he mainly only sucks on it when he is sleeping...or wants to fall asleep....don't know what I'm gonna do, his front teeth are starting to be affected.
He's 6 years old now. He started sucking his thumb soon after he stopped wanting a pacifier. We had someone tell us that he sucked his thumb because we took his pacifier away too soon...which I don't believe for one second because he was the one that would spit the pacifier out when he was 4 or 5 months old..
I would have rather that he stayed with a pacifier so that it would be easier to wean off of.
My oldest nephew is 8 months younger than my son and he sucks on his two middle fingers.

Wow hearing these stories almost freaks me out. My son just turned 2 and still uses a pacifier.Is he the only one? I always allowed it figuring I could always take it away unlike his thumb. But now I can't get it away from him. He SCREAMS and won't go to sleep. he only wants it when he's tired.We almost had him off of it totally until he was around a girl who used one. Seems like he regressed!!!! So I guess I need some advice too. HELP US........

Thanks

My 7 year old never took a pacifier - would only suck his thumb. He is still doing it, but mostly when he is tired. I have tried EVERYTHING to get him to stop, but no luck. Now my 2 year old daughter is a thumb sucker too. AHHHH I remind them to take their thumbs out when I see them sucking, but other than that I am stuck. My 6 year old son never sucked his thumb. He had a pacifier until his 1st birthday, and then we got rid of it. No problems. (Go figure... Every kid is different I guess.)

My daughter started sucking her thumb when she was two months old and is now turning eleven in Nov. and still does it!!!!!!!!!

My younger one had a pacifier which she gave up at around three. It made her teeth funny,like shaped around the pacifier, so that when she tried to close her teeth together, she couldn't.
We got her out of that around three, and that problem has corrected itself and her mouth/teeth are beautifully formed now.

As for my almost 11 year old, she has a slight space between her front teeth, but so does her dad and he never sucked his thumb!!

I am soooooo glad that my child is not the only one!

Her teeth are actually forming around her thumb! (does that sound right?)

There has to be something that we all can do and someone out there just has to have the "secret"!

Well, don't look at me. My 3, almost 4 year old still sucks her thumb. My latest tactic is I told her if she stops that I will take her to the store and buy her almost any toy she wants. She is remembering this one and really trying. But now I have another problem. She has started mouthing things again!!! So now I'm worried she will choke on something!

I just can't win

[/quote]

I used to work for Santa at our local grotto. We had a lot of kids who used to come in and do a 'trade'. They gave Santa their dummy in exchange for a present. The promise always was if they didn't use it any more until xmas eve when Santa came he would leave extra presents.[/quote]

Thanks...That sounds like a fantastic idea!

I forgot this when I posted earlier, but I did have the dentist tell my daughter to stop sucking her thumb. He is real good with kids, and really got down on her level and talked to her about it. He said whenever you want to suck that thumb just put it behind your back!

Not that that stopped it, but now instead of saying get your thumb out, I can say "what did Dr. Bob say?". It kind of pushes the blame on someone else. know what I mean?

good luck to all and remember it really will be okay. We probably would of all had to pay for braces anyway!!!!! But, do try to get that thumb out when they talk so it will not mess with speech development...
donna

I have a 1 year old who can't get that thumb out of his mouth! I sucked my thumb till 4 and my older brother was almost 9.

Has anyone else tryed to put anything on the thumb? (hot sauce, mustard??)

I sucked my thumb for ages as a child and my parents were always trying to stop me. They painted horrid tasting stuff on my nails which I just sucked off and bore the horrid taste just to suck my thumb. Then they used to smack my hand out of my mouth which hurt and just made me hate them, in my child way. Then Dad told me it would give me tongue cancer (thanks Dad). I sucked in with less and less frequency until I was at university (I know, I know!!) Even now (I'm 30) I find it sometimes in my mouth if I'm very tired. Honestly I don't think it matters one jot, leave the kids to it! One thing I used to do though was push my teeth in slightly with my thumb as I sucked as I was so worried my teeth would stick out. They don't.

Please don't do anything horrid to her thumb, this would just make her think you are horrid for doing it and won't put her off one bit.

My daughter started sucking her thumb at two months and is now two. She also loves the hot sauce, and soap doesn't seem to bother her either. She has a callus on her thumb already. My mother used to babysit alot when I was little and she said that she used vinegar on all the thumbsuckers and it worked. I haven't tried it yet, but it is worth a try.

My 4 years old started when she was 6 months old, I used to be worried about it, but her doctor toll me that her palette looks fine and that I shouldn't worry until she starts loosing her baby teeth.
Now let me ask you, does anyone have a tipy toe walker?? (did I spell it right?)
My daughter walks on her tipy toes all the time!! The doctor says there is nothing to worry about it, that is just the way she likes to walk!!

I just came across this thread and had to respond. I have four kids ages 8, 7, 5, and almost 3. They were/are all thumb suckers. My 8 year old seriously has an oral fixation. She is always sticking stuff in her mouth if it's not her thumb. My 7 year old no longer sucks her thumb and I don't even remember when she stopped. My 5 year old only sucks her thumb when she's tired. She doesn't suck it to go to sleep only during the day when she's worn out. My almost 3 year old son started off as a finger sucker. He sucked his pointer finger, weirdest thing I've ever seen and darn cute as a baby. Now he sucks on various fingers or thumbs LOL.

So, what you need to decide is how important is it to you that she stop? I've heard varying and opposite opinions on the matter from dentists so it kind of goes back to what do you care about. In our case, both dh and I needed braces (me badly so) so since we figure our kids are going to need orthodontic work anyway, what's the big deal if it makes them happy.

I tried putting various things on the thumb too with my oldest because at the time I thought I had to (first child syndrome, listening to everyone else and ignoring your own instincts). Nothing really worked for any length of time. Now, with my son, he developed a really nasty callus on his finger and it would split open. I found some nail biting stuff in the nail section and it's called BITE PRUF and is made by RO-PEL. This stuff seriously worked for me. I guess it stays on much longer than the other kinds. It helped long enough that his finger could heal, which is probably why he'll suck whatever finger or thumb he wants now because he had to find a substitute.

But, if there isn't an urgent dental or other need to stop, the best thing you can do is ignore it. It's much harder to ignore it, but it's the most effective. Sure, not all kids will stop on their own, but the majority will. I strongly believe kids suck their thumbs out of some need and it helps calm them. Give them their own space and they usually find other ways to soothe themselves. Making a big deal out of it almost always makes it worse.

If you do choose to try and get her to stop, make it no big deal. I use to just smile and wiggle my thumb at my daughter and that was way more effective than if I said anything or sounded disappointed.

Oh, the thumb-sucker's thumb

May look wrinkled and wet

And withered, and white as the snow,

But the taste of a thumb Is the sweetest taste yet

(As only we thumb-suckers know).

--Shel Silverstein

I thought my DS would never stop sucking his thumb, but lo and behold when he was around 5 he just up and quit on his own. We didn't bother him too much about it until then. I was afraid that maybe he would be made fun of in kindergarten, but by that time he only did it going to sleep. Then stopped entirely.

Now my little one--turning 4 Sat--is a hair twirler! He whips his hair into a little tornado on the top of his head. I thought he would DIE if we ever cut it short. But DH took him to the barber and they buzzed it right off, and he was fine.