19 Month Old and Weaning from Finger Sucking

Don't rush him. He's still a baby. My child was a thumbsucker until pre-teen and is now a normal, productive 40 year old.

Ask to please remove your fingers and take them away from his mouth. This is ongoing for a while, then start giving time limits(in the store, short ride) and praise. Give him a sucker when you are home and can clean him up, when he does do good. Then move to only for sleeping, or upset. Take them out of his mouth when he falls asleep. As he progresses he is getting older, by 24 months (or a little longer) he will understand being a big boy. Then you have potty training!! Good Luck, and Merry Christmas!!

My daughter sucked two fingers until she was a year old. At that time, she no longer wanted a bottle and did not suck her fingers anymore. She wanted her big girl cup and her thumb. She's now 10 and I'm still trying to break her from her thumb completely. Her month is so messed up they were talking about having to break her jaw and reset everything. Of course I put a stop to that, so now we are looking at braces for about 5 years.
I have been told by many doctors and dentists that if I can break her from it in her sleep she will stop doing it during the day. I started about 6 months ago, and we are almost there. I take her thumb out of her mouth and put her hand under the pillow. If your son is not sleeping with a pillow, put his arm around a favorite stuffed animal. After a while he will not suck his fingers as much during the night and you will notice he will not do it as much during the day. He might get attached to the stuffed animal, but that's ok. My son still has a bear that he slept with from the time he was 5 months old until he was 4. He's not 13. I hope this helps, and good luck.

I would personally suggest leaving it alone for now. My daughter is 29 months and she sucks her finger. It is a self-soothing technique that is really great to have. There is no indication that any damage is being done at this point, so don't worry. There is no rush and you could end up harming him by trying to take away his ability to comfort himself.

My son sucked his fingers until he was four. I took him to the dentist at two concerned about his oral health. They did Xrays and told me he was not doing any damamge right now. We went back every six months until he told me it was time to kick the habit. We tried everything but ended up using a TSA (thumb sucking assistant), It is like a retaniner the dentist puts in so their fingers dont fit. It stayed in for about 6 months and he was done. It was very emotionally hard for him. Good luck.

Just keep taking it out. All day and night. When you check in on him while he sleeps take them out and so on in the daytime. Takes awhile but it works. I never used the drops that go in fingers do not like the idea but this worked for me with my child same two fingers.

Speaking from experience, it is going to be almost impossible to keep your sons fingers out of his mouth! My daughter sucked 2 fingers until she was just over 5, despite begging her to stop. We tried many measures, sock over the hand at night, some finger nail polish that tastes bad (it only tastes bad for a minute, but devoted finger suckers will fight through the yuck!) I found telling my daughter to stop just made it worse. Your son is still too young to reason with. I know there are many germs out there, but be diligent about hand washing and using sanitizer. Kids touch their faces all the time anyways, the germs would be introduced through other mucous membranes anyways. There are some devices that you can get through the dentist, but I doubt they would do them at your sons young age. I go into the elementary school a lot and I see several kids in kinder, first, even second grade that still suck their thumbs. My daughter didn't stop until she had her tonsils removed and the doctor told her she wasn't allowed. I just think you will have to wait till he is old enough to reason with. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Hi my son was a thumb-sucker and he just stopped on his own. I don't know if we just got lucky but he stopped he is 3 now. He just stopped sucking his thumb about a month now. My advice to you is don't pressure him the more you pressure the more he will rely on finger sucking (sucking is their comfort.)

Good luck,
Elisa

My 20 month old also sucks her fingers. Actually, all my children put their hands in their mouths, including my oldest. They have sensory issues. As the PP suggested, you could get something else for him to chew/suck on. You can get aquarium tubing in various diameters at the pet store, attach it to the key ring on a plastic coil key ring bracelet, and he has an instant chew toy!

I don't plan on trying to break my 20 month old right now, my cousin sucked her fingers until she was 10 and her mom drank from a bottle until she was 12, and neither had the orthodontic issues they warn about!

I hate to say it, but I agree largely with the rest of the mom's. I have a 5 year old who has huge sensory issues. Her pre-school teacher even suggested that she still be able to chew & mouth things? I was kinda blown away.

Let me also give some back story, at around 2 - 2 1/2 I took the binky away from her. A few weeks later, she started sucking her thumb!! I had been shown who was boss!!! I then tried to get her off the thumb w/ No Bite, a NASTY concoction made for nail biters, it worked, but only for a short time. Oh yeah, & she would throw up b/c she didn't realize it was on there until she gave it a good taste! No luck there. Then, every 6 months I would ask the dentist if we needed to intervene. There are a couple of devices they can use to make the sucking less enjoyable. He continually told me she wasn't ready & that she would need braces anyway, due to the previous thumb sucking. It's a completely natural thing & I know that people say things, they do to me. It urks me, but what business is it of there's. Do right by your boy, he'll be just fine!! Good Luck!!!

My oldest was a thumb sucker. He did it until he was 12. At 5 when school started, he only did it when he got home and when he went to bed. We talked about how other people thought it meant he was still a baby if they saw him do it. So he was very private with it. He does not have the typical protrusion on the front teeth like most thumb suckers get. His poor thumb would get raw and had a huge callus. He would rub the end of a pillow, WOOBIE. I still have that pillow.He actually thought he had stopped long before he actually did because he was only doing it in his sleep. Until we showed him pictures of it, he did not believe it. Then it just stopped. He is now 18. They are only young once. Try to enjoy it while you can. Most kids do not go that long with their bad habits. Be loving and kind and encouraging. You want to be able to look back at this time with a smile. There are many other struggles ahead. Sorry don't mean to ramble, time goes by so quick. I guess I am feeling melancholy with the holiday season. Good Luck and GOD bless!!

my 2 1/2 year old daughter has been doing the same exact thing. i've tried to get her to stop but i havent been too strict with her about, im very curious to see what responses you get

I've heard more than once from more than one doctor to not worry about it. The first day of kindergarten will break that habit if he hasn't by then. ??

I'm hesitant to make a suggestion. Personally, I don't think you should try to break him of the habit. As tactile as you describe him, I feel you are messing with what makes him himself.

If anything I would suggest getting him to transfer this habit to something safer than his fingers. I had a occupational therapist who suggested some plastic straws or piping. In particular the piping used to connect the water supply to an ice maker. You need to keep it sanitary but it might work.

In your shoes, I would certainly worry, especially with entering a school or day care, about getting infections or ringworm or something.

Good luck.