How to stop the thumb sucking?

[granmahen]

My dh was a two middle fingers sucker (looked so cute) and broke herself around 4th grade (with a short setback after the S.F. earthquake in the 80's...I was sucking my thumb too there for a while) and so chose a pacifier for her first baby, thinking it would be easier to break. I remember my dgd coming home from kindergarten, throwing down her backpack and declaring "I need my bink". She too broke herself of it around 2nd grade (she was worried about sleepovers). Her mom rewarded her with a cuddly toy she took everywhere for a while. Now in 5th grade she is a well-adjusted, self-assured young lady and I think it's because we didn't make a big deal of the bink, though many family members did. I mean, who doesn't need a bit of security now and then, especially little ones. I'd look certain people in the eye and say "what about that drink in your hand" or "that cigarette" or whatever they used as a stress reliever. Please, who has more stress than little ones in this big confusing world. Hmmm, where's that chocolate I hid?

 

[bluey]

I sucked my thumb until 11 and I turned out OK...err...

 

[bkreugar]

Quote:
I SOOO agree with this.WHY do parents get so determined to break them of what they consider "a bad habit" when for the kid it is a coping mechanism? Adults can drink or smoke or whatever but what does a kid have? Granmahen I am SOOO happy to see I am not the only one with this thinking.

Neither one of mine was a binky or thumb sucking kid.For mine it i thier blanket.Both have a specail blanket they were wrapped in as a baby.For each one THAT is thier lovey and anxiety reliever. Pretty sure they won't go to prom with em but if they come home to it SO WHAT!

 

[Hen_House_Rocks!]

My oldest had trouble with thumbsucking. When she was three it was starting to affect her teeth, so I bought a product at Walmart in the pharmacy deptartment. It was called "Thum" if I remember right. It was like a clear nail polish that tased awful. It worked great for us. I painted it on once, and within a week she didn't even try to suck her thumb anymore. (The stuff wore out after day 2 but she didn't test it to find out!)

 

[bluey]

My Dad put mercurichrome and/or iodine on my thumb and told me that I'd die of poisoning if I sucked my thumb and I still woke up with my thumb in my mouth! Scared that I was going to die at first, but it certainly didn't break me.

Ya gotta love the parenting techniques of the 70's...

 

[Marbleheader]

Quote:
Crapitis. LOL

 

[deb1]

Some of the cures listed here sound worse then thumb sucking.

Even if your child sucks their thumb until they die of old age, there are so many worse habits to worry about. I'd rather have a husband who occasionally sucked his thumb then one who drank heavily or even smoked. Sorry. That is just the way that I feel.

My daughter had a stuffed animal that she loved. It used to annoy me when perfect strangers would tell me ways that I could break her of carrying the toy around. For goodness sakes, she was not quite three when she left it behind in a restaurtant while we were traveling across country during a military move.

So, she was only one and two years old when these strangers would approach me with unasked for advice on how to rid her of her comforting mechanism. The worst thing was that even when I tried to say that I didn't care how long she carried the thing around, they would continue with their unwanted comments.

I especially got angry when people who obviously smelled of cigs told me why she should throw that thing away. Um....why does an adult get a coping habit that will kill them but my daughter can't have one that won't hurt her in the lest bit?

 

[mom'sfolly]

My son is eight, and now has a thumb sucking appliance. It is considered a Stage One orthodontic applicance; stage two will be braces. It merely makes it a little uncomfortable to thumb suck. If a child is not ready to stop, it will not work.

Most physicians and dentists are not concerned about thumb sucking until the permanent teeth are in. At three your child is still very young. I would not be too concerned about stopping it.

 

[raroo]

Quote:
I never sucked my thumb, but I did sleep with my teddy bear until I was 19.

I think a three year old with a favorite stuffie is completely normal, I can't believe strangers would say anything about it! During tough times in my childhood, sometimes my bear was the only friend I had. No child should have to give up their stuffie, especially a toddler! I would have been a lonely little girl lots of times if I'd been forced to give up my teddy.

After being packed away in a box for several years, he now holds an honored place on a shelf in our room. My hubbies childhood teddies are up there too.

 

[ams3651]

gee...its beginning to sound not that unusual to be thumb sucking past the toddler years.....maybe we arent that weird after all