Thumb Sucking - Gilbert,AZ

I sucked my thumb until I was around 7, and what my mom finally did was to tie (with string) little socks to my hands so I couldn't access my thumb. They were tied loosely, but tight enough so I couldn't take them off. It worked!

In my experience the bigger deal the parents make about thumbsucking, the longer the child sucks the thumb. I sucked my thumb until I started K and was too embarrassed to do it at school and stopped. My mom never pressured me and made me feel that it was my decision and that I was the one in control. Same for my younger brother. Don't worry about it now, she's only 2. She will quit eventually. She won't go to college with her thumb in her mouth.

Why would you have a five year old sucking her thumb when that is about three years away?

This is a comfort/ soothing technique. Sit down and make sure she is not under any stress or changes to provoke it.

Does she have a comfort toy? If not, go out and help her pick out one.

Otherwise, I do feel the bigger the issue you make of it, the more you impact it. I personally would let it go for a while after introducing a comfort toy/blanket to help her feel better.

And, if you obsess that she will do this years from now, then you WILL draw that to you. You will put that fear / thought out there, and by making the fuss over it, it just may come true. Thoughts can become a reality. (I've read "The Secret, watched the Movie and yes, I do believe it as it does work.)

I had a finger sucker and we tried everything we could. She just needed to suck. I feel your pain. I can remember checking on her even as a teen and I would catch her sucking her finger. Her teeth are crooked, her jaw bone didn't grow correctly it is recessed and the only way to fix it is to break it and wire it shut to heal, and her finger is bent crooked. So, I know it is a bad thing for kids to do. I hope you get some good answers and they work for her.

I know there are horror stories out there about thumb-sucking and I can understand your concerns. I just want to reassure you (in case what you try doesn't work) that my parents tried everything they could to stop me from sucking my thumb as a child. I only did it at bedtime and while napping, and I had a stuffed animal that I HAD to sleep with, as well. My teeth are fine, I don't have any mental issues, it wasn't an embarrassment to myself or my family, and I stopped on my own when I broke my wrist and had to wear a cast (in fourth grade, no less!) So many times you hear the "bad" side of the story...I thought I'd share the other side with you. Hang in there and good luck with whatever you decide to try! :)

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My 4 yr old who will be 5 in May still sucks her thumb. I've also tried everything including hot sauce on her thumb but she ended up liking it and asked for more and I wrapped her thumb in gauze and she woke up in the morning with it soaking wet. It was great when she was a baby because she can soothe herself and probably why she slept through the night at 8 weeks. She only does it when she is tired but I hate it. My friends daughter is 13 and still sucks her middle and ring finger. I'm like you, I don't want her doing that at 5 let alone 13. About a year ago, I read an article in one of the baby magazines that if the child still does it after the age of 6, that parents might want to seek a psychologist due to possible mental health issues. Don't know how true it is since my daughter is very healthy mentally but it was interesting to read.

The pediatrician told me to give her a blankie and now I have 2 things to teach her to live without. Good Luck.

When you notice your child's thumb in her mouth, try to distract her. Engage him in an activity that requires she use both hands. Be especially prepared before nap and bedtime. Have her hold the book you are reading or hug a stuffed animal with each arm.

My daughter also sucked her thumb. We stopped her at age 3 on advise from the dentist. Although, we also didn't want her sucking her thumb anymore either. Think of the germs they put into their mouths. Anyway, we got the book Harold's Hideway Thumb about a bunny trying to stop sucking his thumb and ways he tries to stop. So, we read that a lot and had her help think of ways to stop too (ribbon on thumb, mitten, etc.) Those ideas worked best during the day. At night which was hardest we painted Thum on her thumb. She was so afraid of how bad it may taste that she never put it in her mouth. It did take about 3 months in all. Work on daytime reminders first, then tackle the naps and bedtime.

dont make a big deal....my daughter sucked her until she was 7. So did I as a kid. My daughter broke the habit herself when her front teeth started falling out...it was not comfortable to suck her thumb anymore. She has no issues with her teeth, neither do I. THink people like to freak parents out. Let her do what she needs, it is a need she has and not a bad one. ANd she only sucked her thumb when she was going to bed or watching TV....for some reason not in public or at school:)
No worries, go with the flow.

To be honest with you I really don’t know why you are even worried... That is something natural and part of her that calms her down and helps her to feel comfort. Who cares if she does it the rest of her life as long as it brings peace to her. I know many adults that still thumb suck at bedtime and none of them have bad teeth, jaws, they are highly educated and live "normal lives". I would be more worried in causing trauma and having her at a later age look for comfort in something more damaging than her own thumb. I know this is not what you wanted to hear and probably don’t like what I have to say. The first sonogram of my daughter is of her sucking her thumb and I am glad she had something so natural that brought her peace. Our son never sucked his thumb and needed braces. This life is too short to sweat the small stuff =0)

My daughter was a heavy thumb sucker. We starting working with her when she was 3. First it was no sucking her thumb when the car was moving, only at red lights. Then no sucking at all. Once we got that down, we changed to no sucking thumb in front of the TV, if we caught her the TV was turned off. The last and most challenging one was her sucking her thumb when she slept. She agreed to wear mittens to bed which we loosely taped onto her wrists. After 30 days, we were done with the mittens - done with her thumbsucking. During all of this my daughter was in day-care (I work full-time) and we talked to the teacher about ways to help her remember to not suck. We came up with a reminder word (dinosaurs is what she picked) and if the teacher saw her she would say dinosaurs. That way the teacher was not embarrasing her infront of the other kids. The teacher also gently removed her thumb from her mouth during nap time. The whole process took several months but I wouldn't have had it any other way, there was no yelling, no crying, and no hot sauce involved.