Stop Thumbsucking

Maybe rewards? A sticker chart might help.. with a bigger (dollar store) prize at the end of the week...

Have you tried painting her nails? Maybe she would not suck her thumb if they looked pretty and sparkly with nail polish she picked out?

My cousin sucked her thumb until she was... okay, she still does it to go to sleep and she is 19! Her thumb is badly deformed and she has had thousands of dollars in orthadontic work. I know you don't want to hear that, but I guess my point is that in some people habits are VERY hard to break!!
Try asking your pediatrician/dentist too.

Hugs,
Amanda

Although my son does not suck his thumb, my six year old neice does.
I know my sister has tried bandaids, go to the store and let your daughter pick them out, and always keep one on her thumb.

My sister got divorced, and her ex never followed up with this when their daughter was with him. But perhaps if you can keep a constant watch it may help your daughter. And be as positive as you can.

Hey Audra,
i am in the same boat with my 4 year old daughter. i was going to start working on it with her at nighttime first because this is the main time she does it and the dentist said that nighttime sucking was the most harmful thing for her teeth. a girlfriend of mine bought a slightly larger size of pajamas from old navy or gap or something with long sleeves. then she sewed the sleeves shut and put her in bed explaining that it would help her not suck her thumb anymore. it only took a couple of days, i think, before she stopped whining. i know it sounds kind of cruel but i was going to try it. my daughter has been saying she wants to stop sucking her thumb though, so i think she would work with me a little bit. she only started saying this because she has been playing with some older kids and wants to be like them. i wish you the best of luck.
I.

Okay this seems extreme, but the fact that she sucks so hard she blisters her lip worries me too. This is for after you've tried positive reinforcement, the other suggestions, and her doing it on her own.

Ask your dentist if she can make her a palatal crib appliance. the dentist places stainless steel bands around 2 top teeth (molars) and takes an impression of her mouth. Then about two weeks later, it comes back from the lab and they cement it in place. It has a bar that coveres the roof of her mouth, so even if she puts her thumb in, she'll get no suction. Now, the first night is the hardest (REALLY HARD). that thumb is comfort to her and when she can't suck on it, it's very scary and she'll cry ALL NIGHT (be prepared) After one month, the habit should be broken, and the dentist takes out the appliance. it does no damage to her teeth. In fact, it helps because it will prevent thumb sucking deformities and braces later on. When the appliance comes off, make sure she knows that if you catch her sucking her thumb even once, it goes in again for another month. This way, the thing is always in her mouth and always working, since you can't watch her 24/7. when she first gets it in, her mouth will salivate a lot and she'll talk like daffy duck for a few days, but in the long run, it's not that bad. your dental insurance should cover about half the expense and believe me, it's way cheaper than braces. I have a five year old who went thru this a year ago, and is so proud now that she doesn't suck her thumb anymore--it was worth that first night of crying hell.

It looks like I might be on the other side here about this. My son who is also almost 3 1/2 sucks his thumb and always has. I dont really worry about it, because it is his security and it would be just like a pacifier, although, by one, I would get rid of that, and you cant do that with a thumb. My girls never sucked their thums. I did till I was 11. I hate though that you said she is sucking so hard and giving herself blisters. That really is not good. I dont know what to tell you. My sister used that bitter stuff too years ago and I dont think it worked right away, but my nieces were alot older then this too. She had 3 kids and all girls sucked their thumbs.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

I have a 31/2 year old thumb sucker too! I sucked my thumb until I was 11. At 11, I had dentist put a contraption in my mouth that had two prongs that would stab my thumb if I even put it in my mouth, that did NOT work. Another orthodontist put in a device like the other mom described and he had me sign a contract so I felt all big and that is what got me to stop. I am thinking that maybe a colorful sticker contract, simple enough for our little ones to understand might do the trick! When I construct one I will let you know and pass it on!