How to Stop Thumb Sucking - Hutchinson,KS

Oh M., I feel for you dear. I have the experience of being on the flip side of your dilemma.
I was a thumb sucker until I was 10 y/o.
Up until I quit, my mom tried everything possible to get me to stop. Remembering the talks we would have about it, I completely understood and agreed with everything she said. Of course, when it was time for sleep, the comfort of that thumb impaired any reasoning we discussed. Not that I was determined to go against my mom's wishes, it's just that this is the way I learned to fall asleep. Period. It's difficult to re-learn something so fundamental... especially the older you get.
The only thing that got me to stop was when I had to get braces. (yes, the thumb sucking was a reason I had to get braces, but also my top jaw grew a lot faster than my bottom jaw... not normal for a 10 y/o to get braces) They affixed a device to the upper teeth that had prongs pointed straight down from the roof of my mouth... looked like a medieval torture device. :( I had to re-learn a lot of things with having this. How to swallow... apparently, I was doing it wrong; how to eat; how to fall asleep because up until that point, thumb was my tool, my comfort, my crutch.

I REALLY wish I had some magical advice that would help you.
The point of this response is more for moral support. You're doing it right. She will remember the talks, the concern, the care and love you are expressing now. Even though the behavior continues, don't for a second believe that your efforts are in vain.
Keep praising her, telling her she's a big girl, etc. It will go a long way, though it might not have the intended effect of quitting the thumb.

Maybe if you take her to a dentist, they might have suggestions for you and your daughter....

I wish you both the best!

Google thumbguard. I bought it for my 5 yr old. He was ready to stop because a few of his friends in kindergarten had stopped. He wore them for atleast 3 weeks, even longer during the night and has completely stopped. Even better, his front 2 teeth have shifted back. My 3 yr old is currently wearing them on both hands (box comes with 2) because she immediately started sucking the thumb without the guard. Goodluck!

I'm at my wits end with my 5 year old and thumb sucking. Her dentist said that if she hasn't stopped by her next check up, he's putting this thing in her mouth that kind of stabs her thumb every time she tries to put it in there! Sounds medieval, but I'm desperate! We've tried putting bandaids with tabasco sauce on her, everything you've tried, telling her I'll paint her nails but she can't suck on the nailpolish (she did it anyway!)... tried taping her thumb to the rest of her hand... tried taking away toys, I mean we've literally tried everything. GOOD LUCK!!

On a side note, I was a thumb sucker. My dad said he'd give me a dollar every time I DIDN'T suck my thumb. He said I stopped right then and there, and my mom made him stop paying me because 'no 5 year old needs $30!!!!!' LOL

Try Sally Hanson "Stop nail bitting". It was made for nail bitters but it does work for sucking thumbs also. It taste crappy. You can tell by the look on their face. You just keep applying it as often as you can. It will not hurt your daughter. She will get the picture after enough applications. Good luck

We had our daughter pick out favorite bandaids and put one over and one around every night and she got a sticker on a reward chart if they were still on in AM after so many stickers she would earn small prize
gradually getting to more stickers to earn larger prize. we only concentrated on night at first-after conquering that daytime was a breeze!

http://www.yourhandaid.com/

My 5 yo used this to stop thumbsucking the summer before she started kindergarten. She wore it for 6 weeks and never sucked her thumb again, worked like a charm. We preferred this over the plastic versions because our daycare provider said they had seen kids learn to suck their thumb over the plastic which really wasn't possible with this. Plus it breathes and isn't as noticible as the plastic ones.

One Step Ahead sells a thumbguard that I think is successful for a lot of kiddos.

When you figure this one out let me know. I have a ten year old that still does it and I know a man in his early forties that still does it too. The thumb or finger is not like a pacifier where you can take it away. It is something that I think they have to be mentally prepared to stop doing. My twelve year old stopped on her own but it was because she decided that it was time.

Right now you are the one that is ready for your daughter to stop and she doesn't see anything wrong with it. Sucking her thumb is providing comfort for her in some way that she is not able to express right now. So give her some slack.