any ideas in how to break a child from sucking her thumb?

Sarah - posted on 03/27/2012

I talked to my daughter about it, and she was more than willing to go along with it, reminded her that we werent doing that anymore when I caught her- ive read to put a bandaid on their finger (this may HELP while they are sleeping to remind them, but my daughter would just take it off during waking hours) Reminding and talking to them about why (my daughter REALLY wants to go to school, is SUPER excited about it--- so I just told her that its against the rules in school so she needs to stop now)

Krista - posted on 09/11/2011

Ok, all, having read the posts below, I have a couple more thoughts. First, you can't stop an infant from sucking. And shouldn't try. Second, they do it for security. If you make them feel bad for it, it'll only increase. Everyone with thumb suckers, read the book I mentioned in my other post. It'll help.

Krista - posted on 09/11/2011

My oldest sucked his thumb well into first grade. I read the book, "how to help the thumb sucking child", but can't remember the author. It talks about ways to help the child stop. We finally ended up making a deal with the dentist. He told my son if he had stopped by the time we returned 6 months later, he would get an ice cream gift certificate. If he quit before that, we could come get that anytime. He did. We make him a sock puppet to wear at night so he didn't inadvertently put his thumb in his mouth while sleeping, and he had a bandaid on it during the day, so he would remember and not suck.

I wouldn't try unless the child is over 5. Don't worry about it with the younger ones.

Frankia - posted on 09/11/2011

I have 2 thumb suckers and it is out of control. My 7 year old is in the 2nd grade and because of her thumb sucking she mispronounce word and at this age they have to spell them. Well since she keeps her thumb in her mouth all day she says them wrong and them spells them wrong resulting in poor grades. My 2 year old sucks so bad that she had hand foot and mouth disease and a mild case of Impetigo from the cuts on her thumb. After all that she still sucks. It is very draining dealing with this issue. We had tried everything. The dentist says this does need to stop as soon as possible because of the way they are sucking but she doesn't recommend the device that goes in their mouths. She said that could cause more emotional damage. I really hope they stop soon because this is out of control and just nasty!

Stacy - posted on 06/24/2011

My son is 6 and still sucks his thumb when sleeping. He doesn't suck it when he first goes to bed, but sometime through the night it goes in. I have tried talking to him about it, which is the only thing I had to do with my daughter when she was 3, but he is different. He wears a sock to bed, which stops the thumb sucking, but if he doesn't wear it, he starts sucking it sometime during the night. I have tried many things, but nothing seems to work.

Cynthia - posted on 04/21/2011

you cant stop at child from sucking their thumb after a certain age. only they can break it and its not easy. there are many adults that still suck their thumb. the best thing someone can do is never let a baby start in the 1st place.

Nicole - posted on 04/20/2011

As a former thumb sucker, my mom tried all of these things and they all failed.
In the end she resorted to limiting the where and the when I could suck my thumb. I didn't want to be teased so when I started kindergarten I stopped doing it during the day. Then my mom gradually started limiting it to only evenings, then bedtime/privacy of my own room.
I was 10 when I gave it up on my own.

So you can keep trying other methods, or just accept that it is happening and know that it will stop with time.

Nicole

Jenn - posted on 03/16/2011

I sucked my thumb until I was in Kindergarten and peer pressure made me stop. Nothing else, no matter what my mom tried (even that nasty nail polish for thumb suckers!), I just would work through the nastiness or obstacle and keep on truckin. In fact, I think all her work to get my mind off of my thumb just made me obsess about it more!

MOST people outgrow thumbsucking. And I agree with the above poster that we can't exactly encourage or turn a blind eye to thumb sucking when they are little and it helps us parents out only to start punishing them to make them quit later on.

I would encourage her to quit but in all reality she will quit when she's ready. Not a minute sooner. She may or may not need braces some day but her permanent teeth will otherwise be just fine.

Raychel - posted on 03/15/2011

After talking to my son's dr and dentist they both told me not to worry about sucking his thumb until he is 5 or 6 (he is 19 months now) Neither wanted me to ever put anything hot in his mouth bc even though it doesn't burn your mouth bad it might his and it could damage his taste buds and force him to stop eating or drinking. Children learn by putting their hands in their mouth if you put something on their hands to prevent them from doing this they might have devolpment problems later on. I was told to let them grow out of it and as they get older to just remind them that they are to big to be doing that.

Charlotte - posted on 11/09/2009

Try putting some Stop and Grow nail stuff on her thumb. Tastes foul.

LYNNE - posted on 11/07/2009

Both my daughters sucked their thumbs (albeit only when they were sleepy & in bed) until approx. 3/ 4 years old. Their thumbs fell out once asleep. I got them a "blankie" - satin touch material & this helped with the transition. My younger daughter is now 5 & threw away her blankie just before she turned 4...the thumb sucking had long ceased on its own. You just need to make sure that the thumb sucking is not damaging your child's teeth...mine, thank goodness, have great teeth ! I don't think the vinegar etc... will accomplish anything...they need to suck their thumbs for security & emotional peace of mind...if you take the thumb away when they are not ready, you might be in for a lot of secondary traumas.

Mylyn - posted on 11/07/2009

Btw...due to the sicknesses and bad viruses going around I understand ur concern. Whatever you decide...be deligent about what you do, consitancy pays off. Also, if u see her trying to suck her thumb...tell her no big girls don't suck their thumbs and thank u for listening. Reward her when she listens and she will figure out on her own that if she listens or doing something good, she will get rewarded. Take care.

Mylyn - posted on 11/07/2009

I believe every child is different. However, I managed to get it through to my children that every time they stick their fingers in their mouths they are eating germs that make them sick...they hate being sick. I remind them of how miserable they were and how they had to stay home in bed and can't play. I try to work with their personality in hopes to improve it.

I've also tried hot food, but like urs my daughter loves spicy food too and likes viniger..so that didn't work. I suggest to work with the way they think. Hope that helps :-)

Krista - posted on 11/06/2009

Oh, and all of you relax about any child under the age of 6 sucking their thumb. It's normal.

Krista - posted on 11/06/2009

First of all, the more you bug them about it, the more they'll do it. It's a security thing. If they are worried, or nervous they'll do it more.

When my oldest was 7, I decided that was enough. It was getting to the point where it was messing with his teeth. The dentist had said before that that it wasn't a big deal for him to do. But at the age of 7, I talked to the dentist again. He told my son that if he stopped sucking his thumb, he (the dentist) would give him a gift certificate to ice cream. So we made a sock puppet for night time (see Helping the Thumb Sucking Child - a book, can't remember the author), and put a band aid on during the day to help him remember, and he did it.



Just be patient and stop bugging them. Eventually, they'll find a way with encouragement.

Billie - posted on 11/06/2009

We had to tape a sock or glove on my daughter to break her

Jammie - posted on 11/06/2009

My daughter is 5 1/2 and has sucked her thumb since I weened her off the breast. It is not something I like but I found the more I make a big deal of it the more she likes to do it. If I don't say anything she only suck's her thumb when she is tired, needs comfort, or when she is going to sleep. I hope to see her through not needing the thumb sometime soon but try to keep in mind that I need to do it at her pace. Kinda like potty-training her little brother.... when they are ready, and with your encouragment.. they will make the change for the better. ( At least that is what I am praying for.. :p )

Sandi - posted on 11/06/2009

My daughter is 4 and she has been sucking her thumb since 2 months old. When I took her to the dentist he could tell right away she is a thumb sucker. They make a metal piece that is attatched to her teeth, so when she goes to suck her thumb she doesn' t get the suction. I talked with her doctor about it and recommends we let her out grow it. I have tried everything and nothing helps. I don't want her to suck her thumb, but the same time I don't want her to have something in her mouth that might affect her speech. I believe the best thing to do is encourage your child not to suck their thumb, or limit it to bed time.

Amanda - posted on 11/05/2009

also @Erika Johnson my older brother is 37 and still sucks his thumb so not everyone outgrows it. You have to help your child overcome it. Often it is a comfort reaction and you need to give your child better ways to cope

Amanda - posted on 11/05/2009

My oldest is 9 yrs old and still struggles with the thumb sucking. We explained to him how it could mess up his teeth and vanity kicked in. I have found that being open and honest seems to be our best option

Erika - posted on 11/05/2009

Perhaps rationalizing and reward would work... A girlfriend of mine recently got her 6y/o to stop by agreeing to something the child wanted a lot - to have her ears pierced. They agreed on the tradeoff and the little girl stopped for three months and then was allowed to get her ears done. By that time the habit was broken and never a problem since.
Good luck, but don't stress too much about it - eventually they all give it up...

Helen - posted on 11/05/2009

my daughter is 9 and sucks her thumb at night nothing i say or try will get her to stop. but i guess she'll stop when she's ready, i'm just worried that she'll do it at a sleepover and get teased.....oh well such is life.....

Christina - posted on 11/05/2009

Wow! I am guessing a lot of people will probably disagree w/ me but here I go.lol. My daughter is seven, now she started sucking her thumb at about 4months. I never told her no she can't suck her thumb, but I would always just take it out, unless she was napping or going to bed. As my daughter got older I would just walk by and take her thumb out of her mouth if she was playing. I did always tell her we had to keep our fingers out of our mouths when we are playing.. Also when we would watch a movie I would keep pulling her thumb out. By the time she was two I only seen her sucking her thumb when she was falling asleep. By age three I started talking to her about trying to go to sleep w/o her thumb. In the begining it was hard but she got it, Up until she was six I would find her sleeping sucking her thumb, but if she woke up and was sucking her thumb,she would be so mad.lol she really wanted to stop. Now she is seven and she has not needed her thumb for almost two years. I guess my overall point is I didn't make such a big deal out of it. I feel that when you put all that nasty stuff on their thumb it is kind of wrong cuz we as parents enabled them to suck their thumb, and then what we are going to turn around and punish them for it.lol this is just my opinion, and I know I alot will disagree, but these are the things that worked for my daughter. Her Dentist also said she has very healthy teeth, and there are no signs of her sucking her thumb, so needless to say she will not need braces b/c of sucking her thumb. My methods may seem odd, but they worked and they are FREE!!

Devin - posted on 11/05/2009

My third daughter is 4 and sucks her thumb all the time makes my hubby crazy. Her teeth already don't come together. She has promised me that she will stop once she goes to school b/c I told her she will get made fun of.....I feel terrible but nothing else worked she actually had something nasty on her thumb once, put it in her mouth and said eweww thats gross took it out and kept putting it back in until the taste was gone....thats determination.

Tracilynn - posted on 11/04/2009

Well since reading all of these interesting post replys (and my 3rd child(20months old) is the only 1 ever to suck thumb) I am NOT gonna sweat it!!!! If she needs braces someday, deal with it then...keep on smilin',suckin'...whatever soothes u....:}

Michelle - posted on 11/04/2009

I was a thumb sucker. My mother tried everything. I ended up sucking my thumb until I was in grade school...I had braces( NOT DUE TO THUMB SUCKING but to extra Large teeth in a medium sized jaw) (the thumb did nothing to my teeth) in my sr. yr of h.s. and what worked?

My mom was a nurse, she tried the salt, vinegar, etc. What worked was being rewarded for not doing it. I never did it in public, only at night. Only the same thumb and only to get to sleep. I remember nail polish, acetone removal on my thumb, wearing gloves to bed, taping the thumb, etc. Tape might work. The tape was taped to itself(not to my skin) and then wrapped around thumb and wrist to stay on.

Other wise, hair spray worked for a while. It had a horrible taste. (Also not too toxic)

Vinegar did not work. I was also a nail biter, so when I bit my nails to hangnails, I had to soak the whole hand in epsom salts. That is what cured me. Soaking my whole hand in those salts was painful and helped it heal. Then I would eat lots of jello to get my nails to grow. I didn't have nails until after I was married and only because I had other things to worry about other than biting.

Linda - posted on 11/04/2009

I suggest that your child's fingernails is coated with the varnish used for nail-biters. It is very bitter or better still dip the thumb or finger in ' Liquid of Life' . It is a very nasty tasting liquid which is used for detoxing/cleansing the system. It is not harmful to children and is safe for the purpose in question.

Brenda - posted on 11/04/2009

my 4 yr ols sucks her thumb and we tried the hot stuff but nothing is working so i dont know what eles there is

Kirsten - posted on 11/04/2009

I know my sister was a nail biter and my mother bought a special product which tasted bad to help her stop (it lasted longer than vinegar, but is probably totally environmentally unfriendly - this was in the late 1970s).
My daughter just started sucking her thumb as an attention seeker. As long as we don't pay any attention to the thumb, it comes out within a minute ... but I guess this is a totally different thumb sucking scenario ...

Tracilynn - posted on 11/03/2009

how old is she?

Tracilynn - posted on 11/03/2009

At what age should u have your child stop the thumbsucking?????

Angie - posted on 11/03/2009

I tried all of these things and more but nothing worked until my children were ready to stop sucking their thumbs. My son's thumb sucking cost me over $2K but at 16 he was beautiful teeth and he doesn't suck his thumb. It'll be okay. Keeping talking with your child and keep trying all of these remedies. When the time is right, your child will stop!

Azure - posted on 11/03/2009

well her the second one who suggested vinager so thanks I will give that a try

Lisa - posted on 11/02/2009

From your very helpful sister.....dip her fingers in vinegar. they won't taste so good anymore. or lime salt works too. you can find it in the seasoning section at walmart.

Jennifer - posted on 11/02/2009

I clicked on with hopes to find an answer!!!! My 5 year old son needs to stop!! : )

Saf - posted on 11/02/2009

dip her thumb n vinegar