My 3 1/2 Year Old Daughter Still Sucks Her Thumb

Please let her keep her thumb. This is something you can never take away and trying to is a huge waste of time. It is her security and comfort and is a good thing. I say this because I was a thumb sucker until about 5. I stopped completely on my own and nothing my parents tried would help. It may have been peer pressure from school or just growing out of it when I stopped. Also, regarding the dentist, my teeth are perfect- no overbite and I never had braces. Every dentist has commented on them. My 2 1/2 year old is also a thumb sucker and has a slight overbite. I'm not worried one bit. Best wishes.

Hello! I have a 4 1/2 year old daughter who was absolutely obsessed with sucking her thumb. She would suck her thumb night and day, when she was tired, bored, in a new situation... pretty much all the time! It was getting to be a big problem. She wouldn't participate in ECFE class activities very well (too busy sucking!) and wasn't talking as much as we would have like her to because her thumb was always in the way! The dentist also told us we needed to break her of the habit or he would recommend putting a device in her mouth that would "poke" her thumb every time she tried to suck. We could already see a pretty big space forming between her upper front teeth and lower front teeth (when she closed her jaw and brought her teeth together).

I wanted to avoid any drastic (or uncomfortable) measures, so I took an old stretchy winter glove (wool knit) and cut off all the fingers at the first knuckle except the thumb, which I kept intact. I had her wear it day and night - only taking it off to wash or eat. Every time she tried to suck her thumb, she would stop when she got the wool, knit material in her mouth - didn't like the fuzzy texture. After a short time, she got pretty attached to the glove and wanted to be sure that she had it on everywhere we went - "don't forget my glove!"

After a month or two, she started wearing it a little less - but the habit had already been broken. She no longer had the reflex of putting her thumb in her mouth. We continued to have her wear it only at night for a little while after that. It was more like a "lovey" or stuffed animal than a "medical device" that I had to force on her. I think that's why it was successful. It's also cheap and you can make it a "fashion statement" if you let her pick the color, style of glove.

I don't know if this idea works for everyone, but I thought I'd share our experience. (I was really out of ideas when I tried the glove - couldn't believe how quick and easy it was!)

Good luck!! :)

A.

I may be the anomaly, but I sucked my thumb through kindergarten. I believe our dentist wasn't thrilled about it, but also said that it probably wouldn't change my teeth that dramatically--they either had the tendency to be crooked or they didn't, and mine didn't. I think he also told my mom that I'd outgrow it; there would come a time when my own busy-ness and interest in the things around me would make me less inclined to suck (as well as the embarrassment factor) and he was right. I don't suck my thumb anymore. :) But...I know my parents were concerned, and didn't want me sucking my thumb in kindergarten, so they tried a lot of things, nothing that worked, though! Good luck!

My daughter is almost four and was always a thumb sucker. She also pulled her hair out too, wrapped it around her thumb to suck on it. We had to have her stop. Last november we started putting socks on her sleeves and pinning it by her shoulders a couple of times (we called them super mittens) she thought it was cool at first....we had them on her all the time, nap and night and through the day. After about a month or two we just put them on at night and nap, she then started hiding to go suck her thumb...so one day I asked her if she really wanted to stop and she told me she did. I went to the drugstore to buy the thumb paint stuff, and we started painting her thumbs about every four hours...she coughed once and she new she didn't like it... we slowly started taking the socks off first at nap, then at night...now she has stopped and we don't even paint her thumbs.... it was a long road, took almost a year...but well worth the effort.

I am not sure if this would help at all, but since she is conscious of it maybe. Could you try using first aid tape to lightly wrap her thumbs? It would make it less comfortable and yuckier to suck on, and it could be easily changed with bathes and dirt and stuff. Not sure if she would go for it or just pull it off.

I get your frustrations, I sucked my thumb until WAY too old and I had bad teeth with lots of orthodontist bills and braces later!! Not trying to scare you just saying I understand. Hope you find something that will work.

yeah, the stuff you put on her thumb is not going to deter her. my mom used it to keep me from chewing my nails, but you end up figuring out that after a little while it wears off.

you know - in all honesty, i would try to put the smallest amount of pressure on her as possible. kids do stop on their own, and its a big deal. always remember, as dr sears says, an unfulfilled need turns into an undesireable habit later. this is a need for her to comfort herself. left unfulfilled, ..... who knows?

what i would do is give her the most control over it that you can. i dont really believe in sticker charts or stuff, but shes asking if she can suck her thumb, - encourage that somehow! :D try to do other things when she is tired or shy or uncomfortable that will distract her from sucking her thumb. maybe now is the time to let her pick a special toy or book or soemthing she can play with instead. bring that out only when shes going to be uncomfortable or tired. make sure you spend plenty of time snuggling her when shes tired. that might fulfill a comfort that shes getting from sucking her thumb. reading a book or 2 or 3 at bedtime might help too. (you might already be doing this - i dont know)

the less pressure you put on her, the more she will be able to confidentally move past this. shes at the age that if you just tell her to knock it off, she will think you dont understand her need, and she will most likely just do it in secret - which wont solve anything.

anyway, good luck.
try checking out www.askdrsears.com for some advice there. im sure that he will have something to say about it! :D
maybe distract her with gum? does she chew gum? LOL. a sucker or vitamin? i dont know. lol my son is more into the pacifier thing - i figured theres a point where you can take the pacifier away - the thumb is there to stay....

My son is 2 and a thumbsucker, as well. :) It sounds like she is using it as a security thing (new situations), so I wouldn't be too worried honestly. I'm sure she'll grow out of it on her own. But if you really want her to quit and she is aware of doing it maybe just remind her when you see her doing it? Good luck w/whatever you do!

My son sucked his thumb until about 1st grade when peer pressure made him quit. He didn't want kids teasing him. He did have braces but I think he would have anyway. His brother who didn't suck his thumb and used a pacifer til about 18 months has far worse problems with his teeth. I'd say let her do it - it's a built in soother.

Like Elisa, I, too, sucked my thumb wayyy beyond the time to quit. My teeth are fine, I never had any problems with that area. My thumb got sort of flattish, but that went away, too. If the regular remedies don't work, I would guess going to kindergarten while thumb-sucking would be embarrassing enough to have her quit on her own. Your daughter will grow up and be just fine!

I've wondered what to do if I had a thumb sucking child myself (my son wanted neither a pacifier nor his thumb, so I've been lucky so far). I sucked my thumb until I started 1st grade myself. My parents' strategy was to not intervene, and once I got old enough that I thought sucking your thumb was something little kids did I didn't want to do it anymore. I don't know if this is a good way of dealing with thumb sucking, but my teeth have always looked very nice (I never needed braces). I'll be curious to read your responses!