Thumb Sucking - Littleton, CO

My youngest, now six, was a thumb sucker from birth. We let her go until she was three and then started incoutaging her to give it up. It was/did cause dental problems (we consult with an orthodontist in a few weeks). Because they say they are soothing themselves by sucking their thumb, I would first try and find out if something is upsetting/stressing her. If you want to try a product to help her stop, try "Stop the Bite" by Hoof. I got it at Wal Mart in the nail care, for & $2.74. It was great.

this is some thing that worked for my daughter when she was 9 yrs.old and still sucking her thumb.She started when she was about 2yrs after I took the pacifier away from her.I took her to a orthodontist because I was conserned about what the thumb sucking could do to her teeth.He said, if she was to quit now she wouldn't have any problems.I'm thinking what do I do!I've tryed so many things like socks on her hands and bandages on her thumbs.He told me to try the reward system,takes 6 weeks.She has to go the whole 6 weeks,if she stopped for 4weeks and started sucking her thumb again,you start all over again.You can do daily ,weekly rewards but there has to be a big big reward that she can look forward to at the end of the 6 weeks.My daughter was going to be 9 at the end of her 6weeks.She wanted a 10 speed bike so bad because her older sister got one on her 10th Birthday.We told her before that she had to wait till her 10th birthday.Well then when we asked her what the one big gift she wanted after 6 weeks with out sucking thumb,of course she said the bike!So we gave it a try.We did small daily things like the first to do some thing before her siblings or special treat when I came home from the store.Then a weekly reward was a special day with mom or dad at the library or a over night with a friend.Now this was back in the early 90's so the rewards may seem out of date but you can do any thing you and your child what to.Just remember they have to go the full 6 weeks.my daughter did it in the 6weeks but for some it may take a few trys.It does work so good luck1

I have twin 4yr old boys who just recently stopped sucking their thumbs. The dentist told me that they would have to have a retainer put in their mouth that would poke their fingers, tongue etc. I then sat the twins down and explained this to them and that this would hurt them if they did not stop the thumbsucking. I bought the Stopsit stuff from Wal-mart to help with the transition. They thought that the stuff was to help heal their thumbs(their idea not mine.) It took about a week and they stopped. Their thumbs have healed and they are fine. They didn't want to have the retainer put in their mouth. They even talk about it now. I hope just talking to your daughter will help. Good luck!

stick her thumb in so nail polish remover ever time she sucks on her thumb. when she stops for a long period of time reward her with some thing like painting her nails!

My number 3 daughter started sucking her thumb at age two when we make a long distance move. Has something happened in your daughters life that was a big change for her? It has been awhile ago so I don't remember exactly what we did to get her to quit. Good luck.

I have a friend who used the Thumb Guard for a few days and it did the trick. To me it sounds like something happened that bothered her at 3 1/2 that she started then. Maybe some digging might help. I started at that age and it was psycologically caused. Working through the issues stopped the thumb sucking. GL

My daughter is 5 and we used the Thumb Guard. See this link for more info:

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

As they say 21 days breaks a habit and this worked for her. She wore it 24/7 and no more thumb sucking. It's around $75, but I figure what's $75 to having dental problems and braces later.

I am 41 years old and sucked my thumb until I was 8. I only sucked it at night or when I was tired. I have not had any dental problems at all. My 2 babies, ages 1 and 3 both suck their thumbs. I think they both will out grow it in their own time. I asked the pediatrician and she said it doesn't always cause dental problems. Alot of dental problems are genetic. Thats just my 2 cents. Good luck.

An herbalist once told me that if you grind your teeth it is a sign of parasites. All of us have them it is just a matter of taking herbs to get them out of us even little ones. I don't know if thumb sucking is the same theory but you could ask an herbalist.
Good luck, I never had a thumb sucker but a husband and son that chews on their shirts and grinds their teeth. I am working on the herbs for both now.

Accept the fact that she will have to have braces, Having been a thumb sucker myself I can tell you there is nothing more comforting, besides getting hugs and kisses. leave her be! to her thumb, she will grow up to be one of the more secure adults you probably will ever know and when your all grown up weather you sucked your thumb or keeped your blanket will not matter.

Often little ones will begin sucking their thumbs around the time the bottle is taken away. Thumb sucking habits are very hard to break, distraction is the best way to move forward, without too much to do over the habit. Eventually they will forget it and if brace's are needed later its less pain than insisting they don't do it because you don't like it. LOL..I know I had a thumb sucker who kept at it covertly even when she was 12, she grew up and married another thumb sucker and they produced 3 little thumb suckers who are now in college. Good luck and don't stress .. OK?