My son is a big thumb sucker. I am trying to work with him on breaking the habit. He is currently 2 1/2 and he has always sucked his thumb. I am concerned that if he continues with this habit it could affect his teeth. I am looking for suggestions on how to get him to stop sucking his thumb. All suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks,
A.
Hi A.,
If you look back to my post on 1/31/07 you can see all of the great advise I got on the same subject. Mine is almost 5 years old and most moms said not to worry and that it's not as harmful as I was thinking.
Good luck and take care.
D.
Hello A., my name is C., and I am a stay at home mother of 5 children under the age of 5. I have a four year old daughter that is a major thumb sucker, so I know exactly how you feel. My pediatrician always tells me that you have to be persistant about removing thier thumb from thier mouth and saying WE don't do that, so that they know as adults and people in general, we don't suck our thumbs. Also, I spoke with my children's dentists about the effects on thier teeth from thumb sucking because I thought my daughter already has damage from thumb sucking, he told me that they usually don't worry about thumb sucking damaging thier teeth until they start to get thier permanent teeth in. I have been trying for over two years to discourage my daughter from sucking her thumb, but no matter what I do or say, she still does it, that is her security, just like my other daughter, she sucks on her blankie and that is her security, I think they all have something that makes them feel secure, it's just that we as parents may not like the security they choose. All I can say is be persistent about letting her know that WE don't do that and pull her thumb out of her mouth and try not to get discouraged by it.
I REALLY DO NOT HAVE AN ANSWER....I AM GOING THRU THE SAME THING WTIH MY 2-1/2 YEAR OLD BOY TOO. HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME CHECKING IN.
I never had a problem with my kids sucking thier thumb, but I have heard that sticking the thumbs in lemon juice, or something "yucky" will help. Good Luck!!
You could try offering a reward if he stops thumb sucking for a certain amount of time...but I don't know if he's old enough for that sort of thing. Remember 2 years ago when you were praying for him to learn to "self-soothe?"
I offered a reward for two weeks of dry undies when my son was potty training (he got a couple of Thomas trains) and it worked well. It depends on the child, but maybe you could try to offer a reward for a set time period of no thumb sucking.
He hasn't had this habit for very long, so thankfully it probably won't take too long to break.
My step-daughter sucked her thumb until she was 7 years old, and one day, she just stopped, so it is something that kids grow out of.
A., I too was a thumb sucker and my mom tried everything. The dentist told her to put tobasco sauce on my thumb, or tie mittens to my hands. But until I was ready to give it up I would just keep sucking despite the taste. I learned I could eventually suck the taste off. So you can try some of those things but it may not work till he's ready.
