Breaking a Bad Habit! - Las Vegas,NV

My daughter was 7 before she stopped. We tried everything and then the thing that did it was making it a contest. My husband has a bad habit of picking at his fingers/nails. We created a contest to see who could break their habit first. It takes 21 days to break a habit so if they went 21 days w/o doing it they got a reward. (We used a bike and a golf bag) If they messed up they had to start the 21 days all over. It worked for my daughter but my husband still has his bad habit. :o)

One reason why kids suck their thumb is that their is a pressure point on the roof of the mouth that is when pressed causes a calming effect. Now that you know that it will be easier to deal with.

My daughter is trying to quit THE THUMB. We have a chart and once she quits, she will get a game boy.

We also have some rules about THE THUMB. No thumb sucking in public. It's ok to suck your Thumb when your sleeping, as you don't know your doing it.

However, if we have to have the dentist install an anti thumb sucking device she does not get the game boy.

We also had the dentist/orthodontist talk to her about THE THUMB. We have tried the yucckie nail polish, rubber gloves (only when awake), mint oil and cinnamon oil. We tried to the talk that only babies suck their thumbs and now that she is a big sister she needs to set a good example. (Her baby sister has never sucked her thumb).

BTW: My daughter is in 3rd grade and there are still 6 other girls in her class that all suck their thumbs. I thought by this age their would be some peer pressure and teasing, but not yet. One girl has started with the braces and has told all the other girls, you have to stop sucking your thumb and how painful it is to have braces.

Good Luck

I was a pacifier kid myself until I was around 3-4. What worked to get me to give it up was that my parents left it up to me, but said that when I gave it up, I could go to the toy store and pick out any stuffed animal I wanted (my favorite type of toy). I spent some time planning out what I wanted, then one day, I announced I was done!

Perhaps you can use the same tactic: find something that she loves but that doesn't break the bank, and let her know that she can choose one, or join that dance class, or whatever, when she decides to stop sucking her thumb. (At least during the day?) Maybe have her show you she can go 3 days without sucking it, put up stars on a board, and when she gets 3 in a row, off you both go to the store.

i won't be much help, but . . .

i sucked my thumb until i was 9. nothing would deter me. i quit when i finally decided to do it. no, not even peer pressure worked. and my parents tried nearly everything.

i don't think there is a way to force a kid to quit something that they need. comfort is comfort. you can try to replace it with comfort of a different sort, but i wouldn't recommend the typical harsh measures usually used by parents.

maybe get her a new stuffed animal (her favorite, her pick--take her to one of those build-a-bear shops or something similar) and make a big deal out of the animal replacing the thumb as a comfort measure. it is worth a try.

L.,
Talk to her about it making her look like a baby and that big girls go to kindergarten. Also, make an agreement with her that she can only suck her thumb at bedtime and she needs to stop eventually. Tell her to look at other people and adults and ask her how many of them suck their thumb.
Also, help her to be secure with herself. Since she is the only girl, she needs so mom and me time to shop and do lunch. A bunch of brothers will make her either a real tough cookie or the princess. She needs to find her niche in all the activity of boys. She has her own style she needs to develop.
A large family is a lot of work but the rewards are endless. I have 6 and they are all a blessing.
C. B.

I had a friend who had great success with her daughter using the thumb guard with the bracelet. They used it at night and after a few nights, they noticed she wasn't sucking her thumb during the day,and they weren't having to remind her, either. GL I'll be watching for ideas, because I've got a thumb sucker as well. He's young enough it doesn't grate on me too much, but I'd like to be prepared!

Is it affecting her speech, or her teeth. My twins(4) were sucking and it had started to become a dental issue. I had to get them to stop or the dentist was going to put an implant in that would get them to stop. It would poke their thumb when they would suck on it. Talk to her about it. My boys didn't want that in their mouth because it would hurt and it took a week to get them to stop. I put the paint on stuff on their thumbs (it helped heal it they said) which you can get at Walmart from the pharmacy. No perscrption required. Good luck. There are also thumb gards you can buy online but since she goes to school I don't know how that would work.

Hi L.,
I had the same problem with my son. He didn't stop until he was 6 - First Grade! We tried everything, and he still remembers the bitter stuff I used on his thumb to deter him from sucking. It was something I got at the drugstore, just over the counter. We talked to him until we were blue in the face but it didn't seem to make a difference.
I think he finally was just "ready" to quit. He was being defiant, he just couldn't stop. While we were relieved when he stopped, we still don't know what actually made him stop, peer pressure or the bitter stuff on his thumb! :)
Don't know if this help, but wanted you to know your certainly not alone with this problem!

I have a dd who is soon to be six and sucks her two middle fingers. It is an oral sensory issue. We have tried replacing it - letting her have a binky and giving her these chew necklaces (look like those keychain rings). These ideas were from her occupational therapist. The one thing that I have learned is the more I bring attention to it the worse it gets. We havne't found a way to break her of the habit but we have also been dealing with behavioral issues as well.

The more attention you keep giving her about sucking her thumb the more she is going to do it. Let her know that you don't like that kind of behavior but stop bringing in up to her and drawing it to her attention. I know that it bothers you but the more you give her attention either positive or negative she is going to keep doing it. When you notice she is not doing say something like, it is nice to see you not sucking your thumb and reward this and see if this will work.

A Mother and Grandmothers
S. D.

My daughter is 3 and sucks her thumb. The reality is they suck their thumb. She is in a class room with 3,4 and 5 year olds and there are several children who suck their thumb. The teachers aides try with little luck to get them not to suck their thumb. I sucked my thumb until I was 8. Only at bedtime but the bottom line is what is the problem? They, we , eventually outgrow it.

Put bitter apple on it. or anything that she doesnt liek and comes in a liquid form. Be sure to check the label and make sure its non toxic

One thing you can do is paint her nails, or dip her thumbs and fingers in rubbing alcohol or vinegar. It does not hurt them but it tastes bad so it discourages them from sucking on them. Good luck.