My daughter will be 3 in less than a month and she sucks her thumb a lot. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get her to stop sucking her thumb? She also has a blankie that she loves and has to have, but it goes along with the thumb. Half of the time I don't think she even realizes she is doing it. With all of the germs going around right now I hate the thought of her always having her thumb in her mouth after she touches things.
Don't stress about this. My son, now 18, sucked his thumb until kindergarten. even then, he still did at night. he also had a stuffed animal that he took everywhere except school.
His teeth are beautiful and he never had to have braces. His stuffed animal has a special place in the top of my closet and I smile each time I look at it. Lots of good memories.
R. I know all about your situation. My middle son was 6 when he finally decided to stop sucking his thumb. My husband made such a big issue of it and so did my father-in-law. They even went so far as to tell him that only babies suck their thumbs. I think their ridicule of him exacerbated the problem. Also my son is strong-willed and won't do anything if pressured. I have read that it is best to talk to her about stopping. Help her get on board with the idea so that she feels she has control over the decision to stop. I suggest helping her remember by giving her a thumbs up signal since she probably doesn't know when she's doing it. Tell her that will be your secret sign to remind her. I hope this helps some. Good luck.
my oldest is 7&1/2!!! and still sucks her thumb, she does it even while doing her hair... she trys to do it as she prepares her toothbrush! it's crazy. she sucks it while doing her homwork!!!!!!!!!!! sometime I say GET your thumb out!!!! I know she does nto do it at school or in front of her friends, Ys who cares if she will need braces! big deal!
just let it go! and don't make it a huuge deal! GOsh your baby is only 3! even when they get hurt really bad or get a shot at the doctor... I will hole he tight and say... suck your thumb and calm down! it is soothing. it is really not a big deal!!! or you can put hot sauce on it or lemon juice on it... but I assure you in her bed at bedtime and nap time it will go bk in the mouth! you can't control it! BUT you can make her leave the blanket in the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that you can do!!!! good luck! :)
We started weaning from the fingers slowly by suggesting:
only at home, please because of germs, etc. until eventually it was only at night, then not at all.
As for the blanket, my teenagers still have theirs. They eventually relegated them to their rooms and beds. I found, however, the blanket became a barometer of their stress level and if they started holding it more than usual, I kept a closer eye on what was happening in their lives.
There is no magic cure. My DD is 6-1/2 and still sucking her thumb. She only does it during her down time. Never at school or playing with friends. Her dentist told me not to rush- she will stop when she is ready. We too have a blankie and we are on week 3 of not using it. This was completely HER idea so it has gone very smooth. It has cut out some of the thumb sucking but not much. Im waiting for the day she quits- she knows she gets a big surprise when she does! (Yes, I use bribery at this point) I dont pick on her or make fun of her ever! My 2 year old also sucks her thumb and has a blankie and a stuffed dog! Thats 3 things to get rid of- Im not looking forward to that day. Hang in there and let her decide when she is ready. I know its frustrating but the time will come. Just waiting it out is better than a daily battle with her.
my 4 year old sucks his thumb 70% of the time, which drives me nuts. the dentist doesn't seem too worried about his teeth for now and i'd hate to do the thumb guards. i'm just going on faith that he will quit on his own. most of the accepted ways (hot sauce, lemon juice, etc) he would like to suck on. LOL
I just read a book to my Pre-K class, Little Thumb.(by Wanda Dionne)
in the book the thumb doesn't want to be in the mouth for all kinds of fun reasons, it's dark and scary in there, the tongue is like a roller coaster...germs etc and
it gives better things the thumb can do make a mud pie, paint etc.
The class enjoyed the book!!
My oldest now 9 sucked his finger and he stopped on his own around kindergarten. I also mentioned to him that his
teeth could grow bucked out if he sucked his finger when his new big teeth were growing in!
Good luck!!
I worked for an orthodontist for 18 years. This is so normal. She is still so young. I really think you should let it go for a few more years. Try to encourage her in a positive manner to do something else. It probably won't work at her age. To be honest, I wouldn't worry about this. When she is a little older, you can go to the store and by her some popsicles. Let her pick the flavor. After she eats it break the sticks in 2 and tape 1 around her thumb. This works well when they are ready. (age 5-6)When she strats elementary school she will want to quit because other kids may tease her. She will probably quit on her own in a year or so.
