No Confidence!

My 2 year old sucks his thumb as well and I have tried rewarding him but it hasn't worked. He does suck him thumb when he is nervous or scared so I try to be very calm with him and remind him he does not need his thumb and to tell me when he is upset. It is working but it is aslow process.Goog luck,Elke

My son is still a thumb sucker at 5, but it is slowly becoming less important to him. There are some things that you can paint on their nails to make the taste bitter, I would try that.

Try putting a Band-aid on her thumb, this worked for my daughter who also had sucked her thumb since the womb. We had to do both thumb because she decided to use the other one when she couldn't have the other.

S.,

Since you mentioned you are looking for a part time job, I thought I would mention that I can help you with the opportunity of a lifetime. If you are interested in creating your own business instead of working for someone else, outside the home, I hope you will contact me. I can certainly help you on your way to create something fantastic for you and your family that can offer you many of the following; financial freedom, #1 Training program, free travel opportunities, creating your own schedule, time leveraging, residual income, bonus for a luxury car and more!

Please let me know if you are interested, I would love to help you and your family change your life for the better, all while working from the comfort of your own home.

Look forward to speaking with you!

Hi Stephanie,

I am responding to the thumb sucking dilemma,

My suggeation is that there is a special nail polish you can buy for nail chewing, it tastes horrible! I think if you can find this and apply it to your daughter's nails, if she puts her thumb in her mounth and gets a load of that nail...she will take it out of her mouth immediately. My other suggestion is to have her wear mittens to bed. You may need to tape them on...I don't like that idea so much though....

J.

I wouldn't really worry too much about the thumb sucking, I did until I was 5 and I have perfect teeth, I think it's more of a genetic thing.......when she goes to kindergarten she'll realize that it's not the thing to do......does she have a blanket that she carries with her...I did and that also went away at kindergarten......I think that if it was a real problem , you would know it....as far as the weight problem...go to the gym and get a few sessions with a personal trainer and change your diet, I know it's hard with the ids pretty much eating junk sometimes, but you can get on a good track if you really put your mind to it.....go for walks everyday....also talk to your personal trainer about the (Inflamed abs)....I've never heard of that and I've been in fitness for a while....let me know how you do.....it's al about slef confidence....you know you have it deep down inside....you just have to find it again...you can do this.....Kim

Hi!
This is somenthing that worked for me and I have to say that it happended by mistake.... She did't suck her thumb, but she liked to pick and bite her finger nails... And I had really tried to stop her from doing it... One day my oldest daughter polished my 4 year old finger nails blue and knowing that my husband won't tolerate that, I grabbed the nail polish remover. Later on I realized that after using the nail polish remover on her finger nails, she stop from putting her them in her mouth. She told me that her fingers tasted weird.... She was right! I tasted them and they were bitter and that taste prevented her from doing it again.

Jessica O
Mother of two girls
9 and 5

There are many things out there that work, but the best on the market is ECRINAL - Health and Beauty - ECRINAL Nail Products - BITTER NAIL SOLUTIONS with Bitrex. It is used for bitten nails and for children who suck their thumbs and bit their cuticles. It is made by ASEPTA Laboratories, Monaco.
You put the clear polish on her nail like a "Big Girl". The minute she puts her finger in her mouth it will come out, it has a bitter taste. I used it on my son and also my husband because he was always bitting his cuticles and nails were looking very ugly. This stuff truely works and I am grateful for the mom who turned me onto it. Good luck.

I have a friend who went thru the same thing! It is so hard because that is their security blanket. Anyway, they bought a golf glove that velco'd on and used it at nite. It helped provide a barrier and didn't come off like other mittens or gloves. Good Luck!!

I have a similar problem, DD who is 2.5 uses a pacifier. She has a horrible overbite and I don't know what to do! She is pretty high need and it is all I can do to keep her calm sometimes during the day. She definitely uses it at nite to sleep and naptime too.

C.
Mommy to Jessie (9), Katie (7) and Julia (2 ½)
www.TimetoChangetheDiapers.com
Adorable, affordable cloth diapers and reusable items for babies, kids and Moms

Dear S. F.,
I was a stay at home mother when my six girls were young. They range from 8-15 now. I work as a teacher in the school where they attend. Four of my six girls were thumb suckers. We tried everything to get them to stop. My dentist told my it was not necessary until they turn seven-when the perment teethstart coming in then damage will occur to the mouth and teeth. So for many years we told the girls that when they turn seven they will get a thumb blocker in their mouth unless they choose to stop before that. None of them chose to stop befor age seven. We took them to the dentist after their birthday he applied a metal bar in the roof of thier mouth that kept them from putting their thumb in their mouth. The first two nights were very hard-no pain-just couldn't get to sleep without the thumb. It took four months and no more thumb sucking from any of the girls. Our third girl had to have it but back on for one month when she got to the third grade. She felt a lot of pressure with her school work and went back to the thumb. The twins teeth and mouth were in real bad shape. Their front teeth went straight out. You could almost put your finger in the opening when their teeth were closed tight.The roof of thier mouth was the shape of thier thumb. Two mnonths after the thumb blocker was removed their teeth just came back down and they have a beautiful smile and a normal mouth. The dentist said in most cases young teeth will return back to normal before all the perment teeth come in. It worked for us. None of our girls have any cavities. I make sure they bursh two times an day and they eat fruit three times a day. I hope you find some peace.

Hi S.,
A friend of my neighbors said she used that nail biting stuff and put it on her daughters thumb. It tastes real bad and that got her daughter to stop. I don't know if she consulted with her Dr first but I remember her telling me about it and I thought of that when I read your message.
You have to reapply it. But she said after a few times, her daughter stopped.

K.

This might sound silly,i also sucked my tumb, and my older siblings told me that if i did not stop sucking it, it would get smaller and smaller and disapear, i remember been so afraid, they would say "look it's getting smaller it will be gone soon" I stopped!!! My two are only 3 months, but i will tell them this also if they start the tumb sucking, LOL
It worked for me

I just received from the orthodontist a thumb sucking glove that is supposed to help them stop. I used it last night for the first time. My son says that it hurts his hand but it also hurts his heart, because, the thumb has become his friend (and tastes good). The orthodontist swears by this glove. Try this! Good luck!

Try Barbeque sauce. My daughter used to bite and I used barbeque sauce. Usually that young, they don't like it yet and it has a twang but it isn't hot. She only needed it twice and she stopped. Try dipping your daughter's thumbs or just putting some on her tongue everytime you catch her with her thumb in her mouth. She will become conditioned and want to stop on her own in fear of "the sauce". Good Luck!

Hi S.. You might try putting mittens on her at night (without the thumbs, of course). If she can't find her thumb, she can't suck on it. I know you don't want to give your 3 year old a passifier, but it may be easier to take away. If you let her get used to sleeping with one (don't let her have it during the day), you can take it awar from her once she's asleep. My 4 year old step daughter sucks on her fingers, and we're trying the passifier thing. I wish I could tell you more, but we just started it, too.

Also, if you're interested in working at home, I can help you get started with your own home based business. My husband is in the military, too, so I never have to worry about having to quit my job when we move- it goes with me.

Good luck!

S.,
I wish I had advice about the thumb sucking. I had kids with pacifiers and although it was a struggle, we got rid of them. Can't really get rid of a thumb, huh?!

I just noticed that you said you were interested in a part time job, so I thought I would send you a little info. I imagine that you feel a lot of stress with all the things going on in your life and need a little something just for you. Believe it or not, your kids might benefit from it too.
I actually work full time and have a 6 year old and 4 year old. I wasn't quite feeling that fulfilled at work and had been guilty for a long time of spending all my extra time taking care of others and not me. I did all the extra activities and committees for the kids schools and just plain ole' took on too much. I think that was leaving me stressed and I didn't see how much it stressed my kids too.

Anyhoo- a few months ago I went to a BeautiControl Spa party. (now I have to preface this with- I typically am not a fan of the house parties where you go buy things- pampered Chef, Mary Kay ,etc., but I wanted to support a friend.) I was immediately hooked! This was a new concept- I went and got to try new spa products, do relaxation and actually take care of me! WOW! This felt great! I decided that in some small way I was ready to start looking after myself and my kids were going to start benefiting from me doing that. ( I can't take credit for this thought- my doctor was telling me to take care of me for years, I just didn't have the courage to listen.) So I got some products for me to wash my face with and some incredible brown sugar bath scrub- I couldn't believe that I actually took a few extra minutes to use them.
anyhoo- to make a long story short. I joined up with the company so I could get more products at a discount and so I could spread my message of "taking care of me" and help others realize that we don't have to go to a big expensive spa 2 times per year just to treat ourselves. We can do it every day if we want. I am doing a few spas here and there when I SAY I want to and I am MAKING MONEY!!!
This is the best thing. I am so happy that I am doing this. Someday I may even make enough to stop working full time where I am and start Spa-ing all the time! It's really not that lofty a goal- at least I see that now.
Here's the weird thing- my kids are more patient. They love that I am doing spa stuff and I am getting more help from my husband. He expects me to take time to take care of myself and encourages me to do it. Maybe he always did, but I didn't see it because of the guilt issues. Who knows- all I know is my life is 10 times better and I feel 100 times better. Think about coming to join me on this journey. Part time work can be on your time and can make you feel great!
If you want, check out my web page at www.beautipage.com/snuggleyourself.
And email anytime!
-K.

Hi S., I am a grandmother for the lst time and learning things anew. My children are 32 and 30. Both sucked their fingers. Alas, no matter what I tried I could not get them to stop. I even bought, I think the name is "thumb stop". Didn't help too much because my kids were too old by the time I tried it. They stopped by the time they were in the 2nd grade. Now, my grandchild goes for his thumb all the time. I give him the pacifier as much as possible.

As far as confidence goes, praise your children as much as possible and give them each some one on one time every day. Let them join sports and YOU practice with them.

Weight, we all have that problem. My daughter has been trying to lose 20lbs since the birth. Really hard, but she cut out all carbs and eats lots of protein. She is a teacher and brings veggies as snacks for herself.

Honey, I've been there and I know that you can get depressed. Just remember, each day will be a little bit better. Until high school!!! ygh! Good luck.

Hi-
I have to give you all the credit in the world to start...
It definately seems like you could use some pampering & out time!!

Have you tried support groups, or depending on where you are there might be a local womens group that gets together to play cards etc 1 or 2 nights a week.
Try hanging outside in the yard and say "Hi" to people that walk by,(neighbors)introduce yourself if they don't know you.
Get some sunshine, it's been proven to improve mood and happiness. (I love outside). Try enrolling in a creative class, it brings out so much.
Pamper yourself and Always Tell yoursself that you are a wonderful person and no one else can change that thought! (No Matter What!!!)
Hopefully this helps!, J.
p.s if you want to chat drop me a line!
email is ____@____.com.

This is a TOUGH habit to break! I have an ultrasound picture of my 4 year old sucking her thumb in utero. The dentist told her the same thing at her last appointment. I bout a product called "Thum" at Rite Aid. Its a nail polish that has a bitter taste. She still sucks her thumb at night a bit, but it is not to the extreme that is was.

There is also a plastic Thumb Guard that can be worn on your daughter's hand to make it impossible to suck her thumb. I think I saw it at onestepahead.com. The dentist also mentioned it as a last resort since it is so expensive. I think some insurance companies will pay for part of it.

Good luck with this. I am now working on breaking my son's habit! One word of caution.....my daughter became extremely moody and acted out for a while while she was struggling to find another coping method.

One Step Ahead had something in their catalog that might help. It's a thumb guard type thing. Check that out.

I would try to help your daughter curb her thumbsucking habit so that she does it only at night or when she naps. This will help the structure of her palate, but ultimately there isn't too much to be concerned about until her permanent teeth come in.

There is a great book written by Pam Marshalla called How to Stop Thumbsucking. This is a very parent-friendly book.

Regards,
K. Crow
Speech Language Pathologist

S., as a nail technician I don't recommend nail polish remover or nail polish. Nail polish should be a reward when her fingers are NOT in her mouth. Maybe that would work. Other than that, you have some good advice on some appliances since your need is immediate due to her mouth. I do agree that from a comfort standpoint, you may need to replace it with a special doll, or stuffed animal.

I read that your husband is in the military and you are craving a part time job...I am a mary kay consultant and we have many ladies in the military who travel alot that this is a perfect choice for. We have no territories, you keep the customers you have and when you move, you just add more customers and so on and so on. It's a great way to meet people in new places as well. You can get more information on my website: www.marykay.com/nmcgarty. Good luck with your daughter and have a great day. N.

Hi,I am a mother of four girls, and one of them was an avid thumb-sucker. One had a soother, two had no vices. They are all grown up now, and the one who sucked her thumb grew out of it on her own. I realized it was a comfort habit, and was doing this while in the womb. I saw it in the ultra sound picture, so I knew ahead of time she would be sucking her thumb. I also was told she needed to stop, but I did not stop her, and her teeth are very straight, and even. The dentist told me that if my daughter had her thumb in her mouth and her pointer finger across her upper lip, it actually would press on the upper lip, and keep the teeth straight. This is what she did anyway so there were no problems. Good luck, relax and you little girl will gradually be busy enough to stop. It will get less and less on its own, and even if at night she sucks her thumb, the damage will not be extreme. My daughter who is 22, still finds herself waking up with her thumb near her mouth, lol, and realizes she was sucking her thumb. W.

My daughter sucks her thumb and so did I with no mouth problems. A psycologist told me that sucking is a way for self comforting and very good for them mentally and emotionally, maybe braces in the future will help. You will have to talk further with your dentist and deside what is better it sound to me she may need that comforting with the chaos in your home.

Hi S.,

Wow, you sure do have your hands full. Maybe this might help in some small way -- I happen to see a device in a magazine that might help your daughter stop sucking her thumb. It's from One Step Ahead, a company I have ordered from many times with no problems. The device is called a Thumb Guard and although I don't have any experience with it, it looks like it might do the trick. It's a bit pricey at $75 but if it works and helps your daughter break the habit, it might be worth it. Read the reviews to help you decide -- it looks like it works for most but if your daughter really fights it, she may be able to take it off. Here is the web site link:

http://www.onestepahead.com

Then under the search tab on the site just type in Thumb Guard.

Good luck and hang in there!
-L.

Hi S.-

I was a thumb sucker when I was little. My father stopped me by putting some foul tasting liquid on my thumb. They also make a device for thumb sucking. It looks almost like a splint and you put it right over your daughter's thumb. You should try looking online.
Good Luck
K.

Put a sock on her hand when you catch her at it, she will be able to use her hand but cant get that favorite thumb. make a puppet game out of it if you have to.

HI THERE, MY DAUGHTER IS 18 NOW BUT SHE WAS ALSO A FINGER SUCKER. SHE WOULD SUCK ON HER LEFT RING FINGER BACKWARDS ALL THE TIME. I FOUND THE MORE WE MADE A BIG ISSUE AND FUSSED ABOUT IT THE MORE SHE DID IT. i WOULD SIMPLY TELL HER ITS DIRTY TO DO THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE ALOT OF GERMS ON OUR HANDS AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. I THINK SHE WILL STOP ON HER OWN AS SOON AS SHE STOPS GETTING SO MUCH ATTENTION FOR DOING IT. BEST OF LUCK AND I HOPE THIS WORKS FOR YOU! Another thought is to buy the stop nail bitting polish and if you have to apply when she is sleeping so she is not aware of somthing being on her fingers. it tastes very nasty and that might be a way to mget her to leave her fingers out if her mouth.

S.,
My daughter who btw is also Stephanie, sucked her thumb non'stop. Finally when she was 5 years old her dentist gave her a "habit breaker" which is a metal contraption they temporarilly attach to the roof of the mouth. It worked perfect and after just three months she was "cured". Hope this helps.. Also not sure if any dental ins. cover this. Mine did not and it was pricey at $500. that is also alot less than braces would be later on caused by thumbsucking.
B. B.

She needs something else to pacify her,

try putting 2 mittens on the same hand

my sons grandmother used had to put masking tape ( the thick painters tape kind) on it aswell because her son would suck thru the mitten but the tape on the outside was a good deterent,

Annoying to the child but helpful for the times when he couldn't control the sucking urge.

nothing else really worked, because the hot peper and things wear off, or they build a tolerance to the taste.

During the day is easier becasue lollipops work well, however it still contributes to the sucking urge so start with pops, then work to reeses peices candy or M&M's less sucky kind of candy, and then healthy treats.

the night is the most difficult to control.

Good luck

M