How to stop the thumb sucking?

[Marbleheader]

My daughter turned 3 in August. Unlike our two boys, she's a bit of a devil child, always testing and pushing us. She does NOT like to be told what to do. How do we get her to stop sucking her thumb? It's a bit of a family problem as both my sister and my dad sucked their thumbs into their teens!

Curious how have people handled this problem?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

my kids nanny stuck their thumbs in hot sauce . . . I didn't know about it until years later and never would have approved . . . but it did work. They laugh about it now.

 

[deb1]

Sometimes the more you pay something attention, the more certain children will engage in that behavior.

Three is very young. I would ignore it for now.

 

[McCord6]

If you find a solution that works, please let me know cuz I have tried EVERYTHING imagionable on my 3 year old and has had NO LUCK at all! It's not the thumb that she sucks on, it's her "point" finger. My 1 year old is a thumb sucker too. Hot sauce doesn't work, not even the thumb sucking yucky thingy that we baught works. NOTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING!

 

[Bettacreek]

Ha! I ignore it. I tried a few things once I found blisters on his fingers, but they didn't work. I tried bag balm and that thumb sucking nail polish. Neither worked worth a darn. Now, I just ignore it. Supposedly, the bag balm works very well, but, if a child is determined, then nothing is going to work.

 

[sparkles2307]

we never had thumb sucking, my mom was mean and put tobasco on her little sister's thumb to make her stop. My son is almost 6 and wets the bed every night, thats our issue.

 

[Marbleheader]

Quote:
This is definitely the advice we've been following until now, but the kids went to the dentist today and they could tell right away that she's a thumbsucker.

 

[ams3651]

Im one of those long term thumb suckers. For me its anxiety driven. I still do it unknowingly in my sleep if Im really stressed and Im 37. Even as a child, there was a lot of yelling and fighting in my family and I think thats why I held on to the habit as security. You could try replacing it was a reward when you can get her mind off it, try a blanket with a texture she likes or a special stuffed animal. I have heard the nail polish you can get for biting nails works, tastes terrible. But if it may be her way of comforting herself you may want to encourage replacing it with something.

 

[jacyjones]

I sucked my thumb until I was 11. I used to do it when I read or watched tv. I made myself stop when I went to high school - I used to sit on my hand when we had to read in class in case I put my thumb in my mouth!! I would ignore it and let it stop naturally.

 

[maplesky7]

vinegar?