My Daughter Sucks on Her Fingers

Hi, Yes they still do make the nail polish for sucking thumb. It is called Stop the Bite! We found it at Wal-mart in the nail polish asile. We had to really hunt for it but that is where we found it. My son is also a thumb sucker and now he says his thumb is the yucky thumb. I do recommend that you follow the label. We weren't putting on the 4 coats a day. That is the key to it though. Hope i was helpful. Good luck.

I have to suggest that you just let her grow out of it on her own. There is no reason to freak out. Kids are exposed to germs and it is actually good for them so they can build immunities. Just wash her hands if you are concerned about them being dirty.

hi, i would like to suggest that you rub something natural that is safe to ingest(like wasabi, a mild chili, ginger, sour lemon, etc.)on her hands rather than that special type of nail polish (if you find it) because those might contain nasty chemicals, preservatives, food coloring, etc.

I am sorry but at 22 months she still needs to suck on something. Especially that she does not see you much.This is her way of soothing herself. I applaud you for doing a great job raising your daughter on your own. I did it for three for a long time and know all about jerk dads. Anyway on to your munchkin, give her a pacifier!..or a lovey she hang on to when you are not there. spray your perfume on it or anyother scent she knows you by. it should ease it a bit. everytime she sticks her fingers in her mouth switch to the blankie or paci, she should eventually stop sucking her fingers.

My daughter sucked on her fingers until she was about 4 1/2 or 5. We tried talking to her about it and the damage she was doing to her teeth but the truth is, it comforted her during tough times and even our dentist said if she stopped within a few years her mouth would remodel (it did - you can't tell she was a sucker). We even tried luring her with the reward of wearing nail polish if she stopped (almost worked). In the end, she stopped when she was ready. The only thing I insisted on was that she only suck at home. As she got older I tried to limit the sucking time even more - like only when she was upset or at bed time. The more we pushed, the more she pushed back. Maybe that's just my daughters personality but, that's what happened to us with the finger sucking issue. I hope that helps.

My son was a major sucker until he was 6 so I bought him a pair of those cheep thin knit gloves from the street corner vendor for a dollar and called it a "Magic Glove" I put it on his hand and just like magic he stopped sucking. That is until he removed it, but as it was helping I decided to tape it gently at the wrist ( Clear packing tape works best, not tight just enough so they can't pull it off) and it started staying on at night. after a week I stopped with the tape and the sucking decreased measurably. Whenever we catch him sucking wh have him put it on. I also kept one in his cubby so if he sucked in morning meeting his teacher had a sign for him to get it. Two other suckers ended up getting their own "Magic Gloves" and after a while it became quite fashionable to wear to meeting.

Be careful not to let her replace the oral fixation with substitute...We went through breif phases of sucking on the collar of his shirt, and another genius gave him a chew toy which only excellerated the need to have something in his mouth.

Only use the glove on the sucking hand.

usually people say that if u put hot sauce on the childs fingers and they try to suck on it they would taste the hot stuff and might not do it anymore

I have to agree with Holly - my daughter will be 2 in March and she sucks her fingers also, especially when she's tired or hungry. I just try to keep her hands as clean as possible. Sucking her fingers is a comfort for her. I wouldn't want to take that from her, especially since it causes her no harm as long as I'm diligent about making sure nothing too awful goes in her mouth via them. If a little harmless dirt or dust does, it's not ideal but won't hurt her.

I wouldn't recommend that stuff. But to not make such a big deal of it and to help make sure that if she's going to stick her fingers in her mouth to wash them first. Help her to know about germs that could be there. don't punish, but lovingly encourage her to not put her fingers in her mouth when they are not clean.

I am sure they still sell the bad tasting nail biting polish. I had a friend go thru the same thing with DD, but her daughter was much older, she tried everything. Finally they purchased a golf glove, the kind that velcros on and put that on her at nitetime and it broke her of the habit. Since it was velcro'd on she coudn't take it off in her sleep. Good Luck!

C.
Mommy to Jessie, K. and Julia
www.timetochangethediapers.com
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Hi, K.!

I have to agree with others that have responded. My daughter, Abby used to suck her 2 fingers -- even at my 5 month sonogram she was sucking on fingers! I used to wash her hands if we were going for a drive or walk in the stroller because that's when she typically would suck (tired or upset). I used to go in at night and gently pull her fingers out of her mouth when she was sleeping and just let them rest on her lips. She's going to be 4 next month and somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 she just stopped doing it. Her love language is touch so we cuddle at night and I try to give her some hug time in the morning.

Just want to encourage you that she could grow out of it herself.

My daughter would bite her nails and have her fingers in her mouth too. I did by that special nail polish but it didn't really work for me. I actually realized that her fingers went in her mouth when she had new teeth coming in...so instead I would give her something to chew on.

K. - Both my sons put their fingers in their mouths mostly when teething and one of them as a bit more of a habit...he was not a big pacifer person and fingers washed or not were always handy! I like the idea of a pacifier with a touch of your perfume as a comfort item because every child loves the familiarness of Mom when she is right there or not!

As for the polish - I have used "Mavala" purchased at my local pharmacy - not large national chain type. Our pediatrician recommended something called "No Bite" that I could not find so Mavala did the trick. I used it fro a short bit and was not concerned about chemicals because it did the trick pretty easily. If you find that her "fixation" lasts consitently beyond any teething spell - try chewing gum if you can teach her to not eat it. I always get it back from my now 26 month old and he understand he will get more at another time if he gives back the one he has at present.

Hi,

First - I just want to say how remarkable you are to be raising a child on your own. One day she will be a grown woman who is the most amazing friend you could ever wish for! Right now, though, she is still so little and she is trying to cope with mommy being at work, adjusting to different care-givers, and feeling the stress of keeping your little family afloat (even though you may be hiding it well).
The finger sucking may be a way for her to comfort herself amidst all the changes and challenges she is experiencing. Some children (and adults) need to suck or chew on something in order to relax. It may even be a subconcious need. Distractions may help - such as games or activities that require both hands. A small car or trycicle that has handle bars for two hands, a favorite toy that she could tickle or toss with both hands, coloring where she needs to a crayon with one hand and steady the paper with the other.
Regarding the yucky tasting nail polish - you can probably find it on the internet. But before going that route, I would just continue to show her lots of love and gentle encouragement. You may even choose to ignore it altogether, since she may start to internalize negative feelings about herself if she is scolded for a behavior she has little control over. This could cause bigger behavior problems as she gets older.
One thing is certain though, she will grow out of this and one day both of you will have forgotten all about it.

i'm using "Mavala Stop" which seems to work. you can get it at amazon.com
good luck.

Hi K.,

I've been reading a lot about finger sucking lately, and trying to decide whether or not to give my baby a pacifier. My 4 month old sucks her fingers too. Although I'm not concerned at this point, I learned that the best way to combat the finger or thumb sucking is to give her something to do or hold that distracts her from her fingers. The worst thing to do is to take her fingers out of her mouth, as that will encourage it more. Hope this helps!

Don't bother buying the stuff you put on their nails, it does not work. Kids hate it at first but still put their fingers in their mouths. Eventually they actually get used to the taste. Even the home remedy's that include hot pepper don't work. She will grow out of sucking her fingers when she's ready and nothing you can do will stop her until then.

As for her father.........he may not be there physically (and it sounds like she is better off without him) but you should be getting some sort of financial support. If not, get it! Take him to court! All judges hate dead beat fathers! I know it will cost money to do that but in the long run it will make you some money.....money you need to help support your daughter!

K.,
Does your daughter suck on her thumb or a pacifier? It seems strange that she would start now but my niece and nephew both sucked on their two fingers between their index finger and pinkie finger instead of their thumb. I remember the nail polish you are referring to but I don’t know if its still around or what it’s called. Sorry I’m not much help, but I just wanted to tell you are so lucky to have the support system you say you have. I have a great husband, but almost feel like I can relate to you because we both often feel like single parents. We work opposite full time shifts and he goes to school. We have two children (a boy 6yrs. and girl 18 mos.) and do not have a great support system. I feel like I never see my children because of my schedule. I can only imagine how difficult things must be for you, but be grateful that you have your sister to care for your daughter instead of a stranger. You are lucky to have her.

K.

I too have a 2 1/2 yr. old that sucks his fingers. The doctor told me that because it is not his thumbs, this is okay. Obviously as mothers we do not like it and it does seem to be a tad bit disgusting. But, they do still make that nail polish and it is made by Sally Hansen. You can by it at any hair product store or any place like WalMart, KMart, or the such.

S. D.