Ask:
I read the thread about how to get rid of a pacifier, but I got to thinking how do you get a child to stop sucking her thumb?
My DD#1 sucks her thumb constantly and I don't know how to get her to stop. She'll be 3 in July and starting preschool in Sept, so I would like to have her weaned by then.
Any tips or suggestions??
thanks
Answer:
My son has the same problem. He's 15months. I given up really. I try every method out there. Hot sauce, pepper, putting a big thick bandage around his arm area so that he can't put his thumb to his mouth, pacifier none works so far. The pedia just told me that when he is ready to give up his thumb he let it go. I wouldn't stress out about it. I know people say about their teeth is going to be in an angle but its just baby teeth it will fall right off when he or she turns 7-8 yrs old.
Answer:
my ds sucks his thumb but only when he has his stuffed bunny and that has to stay in his bedroom. I wouldn't even attempt. Any attention you bring to it the more they'll do it. They say it can cause there teeth to be crooked because the baby teeth lead the way for the permanent teeth. But I already know with dh's teeth and mine they will most likely need braces like I did. I would just try to keep her hands busy so the thumb doesn't go in.
Answer:
A friend of mine broke her 3 year old of her thumb sucking habit by using the solution you put on kids nails to get them to stop biting their nails. One or two tastes of that nasty stuff and she stopped for good!
My 19 month old sucks his thumb all the time and our dental hygenist told me I should break him of it by age 2. However, his is clearly still a comfort issue and not just a habit. I'm hoping he'll start to wean himself off of it naturally then I'll be able to just help him along a little.
Answer:
My twins, were born with their thumbs in their mouths.
It took my girl 3 years until she stopped alltogether, by herself. She used to have it in her mouth ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT, and she went cold turkey. I was shocked.
My twin son, lasted a bit longer than her. He started getting sores on his thumb , that's how bad it was for him... So I started putting a band aid, with some medicine on the thumb, and everytime he wanted to suck on it, he'd take it out , and ever since, he stopped completely!!!
Answer:
In the baby isle at Walgreens, they sell a product called THUM. It's that nasty stuff that you put on their nails. There's nothing really harmful in it. Mostly vegetable oil and cayanne pepper....and laquer....which is wierd but I guess safe since people have been using it for years.
Good luck!
-Lucky
Answer:
A kid a daycare stopped after he had broken the skin from sucking his thumb. It hurt, so he stopped. I hope DD drops the habit/comfort before it hurts!
Answer:
Well, my "baby" is almost 14 and she still sucks her thumb when she sleeps!
Answer:
Please stay away from hot sauce or anything that will cause a child's mouth to be in pain.
I think she will grow out of it on her own. Maybe give her a sticker whenever you catch her not having it in her mouth. That way she gets positive reinforcement instead of the negative.
I bit my nails (and still do) when i was younger and my mom tried the yucky nail stuff also put band aids on my fingers....never worked.
Answer:
My cousin used to suck his thumb - so much so it left him with a HUGE overbite as the jaw moves to accomidate the thumb. His parents had to pay a fortune just to have his teeth fixed.
Yea, good luck with nail biting - still do it when I am stressed. My mom also tried everything, but nothing ever did work.