Thumb Sucking - Brownwood,TX

There is a product at any drug store just for Thumb suckers. I do not know the name of the product since my daughter is 9 now. The product looks like clear fingernail polish with a yellow tint, and all you have to do is use the brush to cover the thumb and the taste is "AWFUL". Ask the pharmacist for the aisle the product is located on.

I've worked for several orthodontists and they all agree to not worry about the thumbsucking. They will typically quit when they start school (the other kids don't do it). Also, if you make them quit this habit, they could pick up another more harmful habit. So, just let them suck, they will quit when it's time for them to. (I wish my parents had had this advise when I was a kid sucking my thumb)

Our middle child, a boy, just turned 5 in December, and has always been a finger sucker. I told them that when he turned 5 he would need to stop b/c he will be starting K later in the year and none of his friends at school will be sucking their fingers. He started a two day a week pre-K this year, and never, and I mean never, sucked his fingers while he was there. It has been gradual since the start of Pre-k , but he began to suck them less and less, and finally was only at night, in the car, or when watching TV. Well, I am happy to report that the gradual decline has continued, he had his 5th b-day with the above mentioned reminder, and now three months later falls asleep at night without sucking his fingers! If he gets disturbed while sleeping he sometimes will begin to suck them, but does not use them to fall asleep any longer.

He did all this on his own, no intervention from us. I just gave him time. This is a very current situation that has just resolved for us, and I will be glad to give you further info or encouragment if you want, just message me!

my daughter just turned 15 and still when shes quiet and watches tv or is going to sleep she rubs her hair and sucks her thumb and of course i might joke about it some not much cause as i see it her teeth are ok and she is not hurting anyone

I have 10 children, seven biological, two adopted and one foster. I've had thumb suckers, pacifier suckers, blanket babies and toy babies. I have a finger sucker/blanket rubbing one right now.
I've never tried to take their 'loveys' away from them, other than sometimes saying let's leave that home so it won't get lost. If they need it, I let them keep it. I've never had one that didn't eventually give it up on their own, with no struggle. My youngest birth daughter sucked her thumb until she was seven. She was homeschooled, and eventually it was pressure from her peers at church that made her decide it was time to quit.

I was a preschool teacher in our church of many years, and a very requested teacher, because I never took blankets, pacifiers or anything else away from the children when they came to my class. It made for a very peaceful day!!

LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!!! He is not hurting anyone or anything by doing this its a self soothing, if hes doing it in public then just tell him if he wants to do then he can go to his room to do it. I personally had a hard childhood and was moved around alot and had drug and alcohol addicted parents, I sucked my thumb till I was in my twenties and married (my husband thought it was even cute), untill I felt comfrutable enough to quit on my own. And I did not have any issues with my teeth. The more my parents tried to stop it the more I did it. So my advise is make it a non issue the more attention you bring to it the more he will do it, just make sure that he is getting the stability that he needs and if really bothers you that much then give him another way to self sooth.

My daughter sucked her thumb until she was in the second grade. We tried different things to make her quit, but none of them worked. I went in her room one night to tuck her in and she had a glove on her hand. I asked her about it and she told me she put it on to keep from sucking her thumb. It worked, but only because she was ready to quit.

http://www.thumbguard.net/english/ourproduct.asp pricey, but worth it.

Recommended by my dentist for my daughter...

Go to "Whatshebuys.com" and purchase "Mavala Stop".

I used it 3 days in a row, and my daughter never went back. She was 3 1/2 at that time. I still put it on every other day for a week, but have never needed it again. (She is now 6) I have 3 friends that have borrowed the same bottle...all have been 100% successful. I put in on my daughters fingers when she was asleep so that she wouldn't know i was the bad guy.....be prepared for a few restless nights when you start...i never knew how much she sucked her fingers throughout the night! Good-Luck!

By the way...the stuff you buy from grocery stores doesn't even compare to this...i had tried that first!

When something is a habit, they unconcisiously do it and aren't thinking , punishing won't help. Stress sometimes brings it on. I have a sister-in-law that said she was very embarrased when as a teen ager, she would wake up sucking her thumb. I know this doesn't help your child stop, but it may help you understand. You could maybe gently take the thumb out, so they will be more aware of when they do it and break the habit, if habit is the cause.

My 4 year old sucks on her fingers all the time. Her dentist told me to put and ace bandage on her elbow when she sleeps because it would make it harder for her to put them in her mouth. It hasn't worked yet for us but it might work for you.

I sucked my thumb until the 1st grade. I stopped because I had to have a "butterfly" (i.e. dental appliance) installed in the roof of my mouth to spread my teeth out. From then on, I couldn't suck my thumb because the sucking action was gone. The first day or two was traumatic, but after that, I got over it. I think eventually I would have stopped on my own anyway. I was caught sucking my thumb one day at school and the kids made fun of me, so I had already given up sucking it at school. I think your son will stop when he's ready. It's a coping mechanism and he'll eventually find another way to cope.

Oh... and the crowding of my teeth was genetic. It was unrelated to the fact that I sucked my thumb.

C.: alot of times the bigger fuss you make about it the worse they get. one way that works sometimes. every child is different but worth a try get a callendar just for the child and every time you see him without his thumb in mouth quietly go put a sticker on the calendar. after so many stickers your decision i would suggest 10 stickers reward and that can be a story time are trip to park are going outside palying ball whatever he really loves to do . doesn't have to be somethng bought but can be anything simply from blowing bubbles to a hotwheel . do explain the stickers and put where he can see it often make it a really big deal when your telling him about it .

Wish I could help you with a solution. Our daughter sucked her thumb until she was 8 years old. The only suggestion we had that we did not try was the rake in the mouth that is put in by a dentist. Sounded to painful and cruel to us so we just waited and paid our 50% of a $9,000.00 Orthodontist bill for braces.
Sorry wish I could be more helpful. Might check with your dentist, they have surely come up with something in the last 25 years
J. M

my daughter will be 7 at the end of this month and sitting here reading your post, I just realized that she has quit sucking her thumb.
We tried bribery. didn't work.
My ped told me to leave her alone. that she was self-soothing and would grow out of it as she learned other methods.
It made me CRAZY!
But I finally got over it and VIOLA - she has actually stopped.

Speaking as a recovering thumb sucker the only thing that worked for me were rewards. My parents started out by giving me something I wanted after a day of not sucking my thumb. If I made it to that milestone they would offer me something for going another day. If I made it another day they would offer something for going two more days and so on until I got a really big gift for going a couple of months. It took a couple of iterations but eventually I lost the desire. Also, give him something else to do with his hands and his mouth. For me it was some sort of craft that I would do in front of the TV and sugar free gum. Good Luck!

there is a fingernail polish out there that if u bite on ur nails it taste nasty, u could try that

Ask the Wal-Mart pharmacist for a bottle of Thum (made just for this problem). Its behind the counter so you have to ask, but no prescription is needed. I hear it works on some and not on others but its not too expensive to try. It worked on my son when nothing else would.

Maybe just leave him alone about it. I was a thumb-sucker and once I was in school I quit. Guess I was too embarassed. I have a 4 yr old who sucks his thumb, too. I hate it because of germs, people's comments, etc., but there is really nothing you can do about it until he's ready to stop. We got the thumb-guard and he hated it because he couldn't really use his hand to play w/small things. He just cried when we put it on and I just didn't think it was worth it. I think when he's ready, he'll quit. I think the idea of rewarding him when he's not sucking it will probably help the most, but punishing him just isn't going to help. My aunt did that to me...hot sauce, band-aids, etc. and I just think it's ridiculous (probably hurt my feelings as a kid). I kind of felt like, "it's my thumb and I can suck it if I want to". So there is a bit of rebellion you'd have to deal with I imagine. Anyway, just my opinion, from a former "thumb-sucker"! lol.

Take him to the dentist and make sure his thumb sucking is not causing any problems. If it is, his dentist will have tips on how to make him stop, otherwise let him stop when HE is ready.