Seeking Help for My "Thumb Sucker"

I have no idea but when you find the answer let me know cause my daughter is 2 1/2 and still sucking away. We let her know it is not good for her teeth etc., but nothing seems to help. What can help her stop the habit?

I just read this on babycenter.com so I thought I would post it for you:

"One study of thumb-sucking suggests that as many as 94 percent of infants drop the habit by their first birthday."

Don't worry about it. My youngest daughter, now 30, stopped herself when she was about 12. It didn't seen to affect her teeth, and it was a comfort when she was tired.

Hi, E. - just one more mom chiming in with - don't worry about it. My kids' doctors agreed. If her tooth makes her thumb uncomfortable, she'll stop. With my younger daughter (now almost 6), she stopped night-time thumb-sucking at about 3 years old; the skin on her thumb was dry and uncomfortable, and I explained to her that it would stop hurting if she stopped sucking it. She was ready, and she did.

I think 9 months is too young to break this habit. And in all serious why would you want to do so? All babies need to self sooth, and my first two kids hated the pacifier, and didn't self soothe easily. Now my third is a finger sucker, and he by far is my easiest baby - sleeps through the night, and never cries for too long. At 14 months, I wouldn't even try to get him to stop, and figure that I won't until it becomes a problem. He still plays, and talks and does what he's supposed to be doing at this age, so finger sucking is fine by me. The bad thing about pacifiers is - so I've heard - they lose them, so they wake up looking for them and when they can't find them you are supposed to, and some kids like to have multiple pacifiers with them at all time. One of my cousins kids had to have one in her mouth, and one in each hand at all times. Too me that seems far more of a hindrance than one(or two) thumbs, that are always attached!

Hi E.,
There are probably a ton of tips out there. Think of her thumb sucking as a way to soothe herself. The one good thing about her thumb, versus a paci is that you don't have to worry about losing it, or dropping it - its always there.

I was a thumb sucker until I was about 7 years old. My parents tried everything, a glove, this stuff that you would "paint" on the thumb, tape. I sucked through everything. I don't feel that I am emotionally scarred because I sucked it for so long. :-)

On a serious note, see if there are other things that she might like to soothe her. My younger son also hated the pacifier, but took to a "lovey" - a little blanket. Perhaps you can find something else to soothe her. There are also little rubber "toys" with vibrating teethers. If its an oral stimulation she's looking for, something like that might work (my oldest has oral motor stimulation issues, so I can relate).

I wish you luck,
B.

I wouldnt even try right now, i think its too early, but there is a "device" in the One Step Ahead catalog for thumbsucking.

Both my daughters sucked their thumbs and always held onto something else as they did it. Eventually - they both ended up only sucking when they slept - and did not quit until they were almost 6. When we were ready - we talked about it - and decided it would be the day before their birthday. Then we took away (promised temporarily - and we did return about 6 months later) the blanket/baby doll that they used to hold when they sucked.

The funny thing I learned - since my daughter was talking by this time - as she was trying to get to sleep - she said - "but mom - now what I do with my hands". We suggested tucking them under her pillow.

Yes - both girls ended up in braces - but almost every child I know has had braces - whether they sucked their thumb or not.

I would let your child sooth herself with her thumb - at least for a while longer. I have no idea if this had anything to do with my girls becoming confident young women - but it definately didn't hurt them.