My 4 year old daughter still sucks her thumb. How do I break this habit? She doesn't intentionally do it. She used to suck it to go to sleep but for about 2 years she puts it in her mouth sometime (subconsciouly) in the middle of the night. She doesn't mean to do it and when she wakes up she immediately realizes what she is doing and pulls it out.
I sucked my thumb until I was about 8. I stopped when my mom would put a sock on my hand when I went to bed at night. I dirty sock worked best for me! I didn't want that in my mouth!
Good luck
Hi D.
My personal opinion on this is if she is not intentionally doing it and is stopping as soon as she realizes I would not worry about it she will eventually stop on her own.
My son has the same issue. My coworker and my dentist recomended a thing they place in the chils mouth (I think it is called a damn?) This does not allow the child to get the suction between the roof of the mouth and the thumb. It does not bother the child in any other way. We have tried reward charts and everything amaginable, but like you said they are doing in with out even knowing they are doing it. There is also a thumb gard that you can get to put on that will help her stop. I looked at this for my son, but he is starting kindergarden and we wanted somthing that non of the kids would notice and make fun of him for. good luck
Why is this an issue at all?? She'll grow out of it.
I sucked my thumb at night till I was nearly eight years old and stopped completely by myself at that time. My teeth are straight, my thumb is normal and there was no such thing as pacifiers when I was a baby. One of my three kids sucked his thumb and is a normal adult. He quit at some point, I guess, because he doesn't do it now!!
It seems like a non-issue to me!
My daugther's dentist (she just turned 2) told us that we should start breaking her thumb sucking habit now. He told us the best way that he has found is that when she is up during the day and puts her thumb in her mouth, we are supposed to say..."Oh look, you are showing me a sign that you are tired, lets go lay down until you are done sucking your thumb." Then put her in bed, and when she is done, she can get up. It takes consistancy, but this way, it is not a negative, just reminds her that she shouldn't be sucking her thumb when she is up. He said that this will just make her aware of what she is doing, without making it a power struggle. Hopefully it works for you. I haven't started yet...... too tired to be consistent with it this week :)
