Stop Sucking Thumb and Twisting Hair?

They sell a hand brace on www.onestepahead.com for thumb suckers but they cost about $60. I would google thumb sucking. My daughter who is 6 months old is a thumb sucker and I know when I googled it, a lot of info came up and ways to help stop it. I haven't been through the breaking the habit process yet but there are a lot of ideas out there that might work better. Good luck!

Yeah...that nasty tasting stuff...when my 8 year old was little she actually liked that stuff. I know..ewww...right? I've heard about hair twisting...I think...key word here is think, but not certain...it may have had something to do with OCD or something. Have you talked to her doctor about it? It may be a comfort thing too...or a feeling pain thing. You're divorced, you're stressed, she feels this and it may be stressing her. Some people have trouble dealing with loss, or like feeling the pain associated with loss, so they do little things that hurt physically just to be able to feel...most of the time it's like cutting on themselves. I don't really know alot about it or what ages it starts or anything. I would discuss the thumb sucking and hair twisting with the doctor and see what he/she says about it...maybe even try a psychiatrist...it maybe purely innocent twisting and sucking, but if there is a problem, it's always best to identify it early. In the mean time...try not to focus on it because that may actually encourage her to do it more, but instead try to focus on something that she does really well and give her lots of attention on that instead. Good luck and I hope every thing turns out ok with her...and now for you. You work hard taking care of that little one...treat yourself to warm bubble bath, soft music and candle light...you deserve it.

Children suck their thumbs and twist their hair as self-soothing techniques. It's a habit. And all of us adults know how hard to it is to stop a habit. The main thing is to not punish her for it!! She'll end up doing it MORE because it's soothing and she's stressed from the punishment! Bad cycle to get into. Praise her every single time you see her go a minute without doing it. Give her alternatives! Paint her nails with cool nail stickers... maybe she won't want to ruin the pretty fingernails. You just can't say "stop doing that", you have to replace the habit with a new one. Give her a squeezy stress ball thingy to squeeze everytime you catch her sucking/twisting. Keep her very busy with crayons and art projects and other toys that keep her hands busy. Teach her deep breathing or how to snap her fingers. Or the cool quarter trick where you 'walk' the quarter from one finger to another across your hand and back again. Praise her when you see her not doing it, ignore it when it happens (except to hand her a stress ball, or quarter or other alternative you worked out) and eventually she'll stop.

I have heard this done by a few teachers I know. A kid starting kindergarden sucked there thumb. and the kids dentist actually inserted this small piece of metal behinde the kids teeth and when the sucked on there thumb it would poke the thumb . nad the stopped. I know it sounds mean but its better than like hot sauce on the thumb..lol

I don't know if I have any advice to help you get her to stop, but I wanted to express some encouragement. I was a thumb sucker until I was 7. My parents tried everthing as I recall to get me to stop. I remember being tormented my my mothers younger brothers and school mates. Thumb sucking is a self soothing mechanism. Talk to her about school, about what makes her upset and determine when she feels the need to suck. You may be able to find a subsitute for the comfort need (eg small toy kept in her pocket she can hold for support, a piece of cloth from a part of your clothes, a necklace with charm she can touch when she needs comfort). Help her to find ways of dealing with her anxiety or stress in a way that is more appropriate and less noticeable. Remember we all have our coping mechanisms, some are more obvious than others. Just be her advocate and not her adversary. She will out grow this.
God Bless <>< J.

I know that the fact that she is twisting her hair till it knots is upsetting but be prepared for a long battle with it. I am 33 and I still twist my hair. My daughter and my son do this too. I have talked to the Dr about it because he noticed me doing it in an exam. He said it is considered a ritualistic behavior and that those are very difficult to get rid of. I don't even realize that I am doing it unless someone mentions it. I put my hair and my daughters hair up in a pony tail to reduce the amount of hair I can touch. This seems to help.. good luck.

A. T

Hey just an idea but maybe she is also stressed !!! When I was younger I would scratch the back of my neck where the hairline is until at times it would bleed!! Not all the time but it was frequently enough that my parents noticed and took me to the dr. He said that it was stress related and that eventually I would stop!! I did!! The sucking the thumb could be for comfort but I may be wrong I did not catch how old she was so it may not be that !! My husband sucked his thumb until he was 11 or so!! Good luck!!S.