Thumb Sucking & How to Cope

E.-
I personally was a thumb sucker until I was 8. I finally stopped when I was scared I would be at a sleep over and the other kids would make fun of me. I knew I needed to stop but it was such a hard habit to break since I had been doing it for 8 years. My advice is stay on her now to stop so she won't have to be the one to make herself stop later when it is much harder!
E. C.

I am breaking my son of the pacie right now. On his first trip to the dentist, the dr. said I needed to break him of it, but if he started to suck his thumb, to give it back immediately. Apparently sucking a thumb can do much more dental damage than a pacie. Plus, from my experience, it is easier to take away a pacie than a thumb that is attached to the child. Also, with a thumb-sucker, the germs are always present since they touch everything with their fingers before sucking on them. At least with a pacie you can wash it and only give it to her when you want her to have it.

My daughter sucked her thumb until she was 10. We tried everything. Nothing worked until an orthodontist said to get an oversized, log sleeved shirt and sew up the ends of the sleeves, to wear to bed. She had a couple of restless nights, trying to find her thumb, but after that she was cured. I promise you, it works!
Break the habit now. If we had known of the cure earlier, maybe she would not have had to have braces.

You could try giving her something interesting to her in her hand. Were she needs to use both hands. Maybe it will slowly get her away from thumb sucking.

Hi E.. I understand what you are going thru. We had the same problem with our 2 younger daughters, tho they never accepted the paci. They were sucking their thumbs during ultrasounds!! Unfortunately, nothing we tried kept them from sucking their thumbs. They are now 10 & almost 12. They are now paying for it because thumb sucking causes deformities in the palate and in the formation of their teeth. Our almost 12 yo started braces when she was 8 and has had a break from them since like January of this year but goes back this coming January to finish her 2nd stage of braces. Our 10 yo just got her braces on back in April and has several years to go yet to correct the problems caused by thumb sucking. We tried putting mustard on their thumbs before they slept, putting gloves on them while they slept, bandaids, etc. Nothing worked until they got their braces on; and then they only quit because their mouth and teeth were too sore. Good luck with whatever remedies you might try.

Our 17-month old daughter never wanted a paci but has sucked her thumb since she was two weeks old. She only sucks her thumb when she's ready to sleep or sleepy in the car, and usually with her blankie. I'm not too worried about it; I've read it doesn't hurt her teeth at this age and it's something I figure she'll outgrow. I'll be interested to read other moms' comments! :)

I was a thumb sucker, and my 18 monht old has been from at least 4 mos in utero. Once a thumb sucker, typically always a thumb sucker.

I prefer a paci bc you can throw it away and never look back (my son "gave it to baby Jesus" at 18 mos at the church living nativity and it was never requested after that). Unfortunately, with a thumb you can't cut it off. And let me tell you from experience, once she's old enough, don't bother with the pepper or bitter polish you coat the thumb with - one gets very used to it. socks don't work.

Maria's thumb sucking draws alot of attention (since it's so unusual nowadays) - but mostly from adults who were thumb suckers themselves. Several adults I've met (including myself) had dental problems that were CORRECTED by the thumb sucking (I grind my teeth and my teeth naturally fall inward thus the thumb sucking prevented both - and kept my teeth straight).

Despite EVERYTHING my parents tried for YEARS, I didn't quit until I got braces. I got a permanent retainer, top and bottom, but learned to suck through that - and then two years later got braces and only then stopped because it was so painful.

This is TYPICAL of most adults I speak to that were thumb suckers. The average age for quitting is between 11-13.

My advice: ignore it. Despite many opinions, there's ultimately nothing wrong with it and you'll just torture yourself and your child trying to get them to quit. Eventually she'll stop on her own in her own time. Even my pediatrician says not to worry about it - it's a natural thing that provides comfort. And honestly, as far as we're concerned, our kids are going to need braces anyway. But, if you can train her back to the paci, go ahead and try as long as you don't intend to let her have that til she's 6....

But ultimately you have to do what you're most comfortable with, despite what your parents, in-laws, or any other know-it-all old people have to say about it. Just smile kindly, thank them for their wisdom, then promptly discard it.

Good luck!

Throw away the paci so you can't be weak. If you made a decision to take it away, you have to stick to it. You cannot go back on what you said, children learn this. Whenever you see her with her thumb in her mouth, tell her to take it out. It will take you a week or two of CONSTANTLY telling her to take her thumb out but eventually it will be a habit NOT to suck her thumb. Some ppl let their kids suck their thumb and paci for as long as they want, my husband and I decided that they will do neither as of 1 yrs old. You have to make your decision and stick to it. Throw the paci away!! If she cries, she will get over it. Walk away, turn the radio up, sing to yourself, ignore her and she will stop!
:o) good luck! W.

I dont' knwo about now, but when you were going through the mountains she was probably in pain. THose altitudes will make your ears pop and little people don't know what to do with that sensation. Sucking makes it stop and equalizes your ear. That's why they tell you to feed your baby or give them a pacifier when you're on an air plane for the pressure changes. So that was good to give it to her then to help with her ears.

Why she's doing it now, I cna't help you with ;) sorry :) maybe she's feeling pressure changes or is scared or soemthing.

I E. I am having the same problem with my daughter. She use to love her paci and we got rid of that now she has picked up sucking her thumb from daycare. Now she loves it and she pops it in all the time. It bothers me being that she will be 6 next month. I'm not sure what to do. I haven't tried the hot sauce thing yet.

Well E., my twin sister was a thumb sucker and at 41 years old, I believe she still wakes up with her thumb in her mouth. I remember my parents trying everything to get her to stop sucking her thumb. Eventually, she did when she was ready. But even now, she dares not got to sleep with a silky blanky.

Thumb sucking can cause the teeth to need braces (I was a thumb-sucker and needed braces), but then, they may need braces anyway (neither of my children sucked their thumbs and both needed braces anyway).

It is a way to soothe themselves.

But thumb-suckers do generally grow out of it, if nothing more than via peer-pressure when they hit school age.

I know people sometimes eventually, when the child is a bit older, employ strategies to help the child quit such as putting bitter apple on the thumb, a band-aid, etc.

she will evently stop it is just a comfort thing. i would just keep reminding her not to do it. but i am sure she will stop doing it. you dont see to many adults walking around sucking there thumb.lol

Hi E., I understand that the thumb sucking is concerning. My 2 1/2 year old sucks his thumb and I did too. My parents tried to get me to stop but I had to make the decision myself. Once I decided to stop I did, I was twelve. My Mom said I used it as an attention getting device, I was a bit of a ham. As you know EVERYONE has to say something when you're out and your daughter is sucking her thumb. My Mom advised me to ignore my son's thumb sucking habit. Granted no one else will, unless you ask them. Unfortunately you can't do anything about strangers. I asked my dentist about my son's thumb sucking and he said not to worry about it until he starts losing his baby teeth. That made me feel better when a dentist told me that. Anyway, sorry I rambled. I think the best thing is to ignore it. She'll stop when she's ready.

I have a 7 year old daughter who sucked her thumb from about 9 months until recently! I tried LOTS of techniques starting about age 4 to help break the bad habit - at first I thought once her blanky was gone she would stop because that was what always triggered her sucking. It did help some because she then only sucked her thumb at nap or bed time. This summer we went to the dentist and they recommended putting scotch tape around her thumb at night for several weeks - so we did for a week and she thought she was ready and then after a couple of nights she woke up and realized the habit was not totally gone! So, we did it again for a couple of weeks and so far so good! Your daughter may be too young for tape though, but it is good advice if you need it in the future! Wish I had known when she was 4!!!

Hi E.,

I have 2 grown daughters and a grandson. Both of my daughters had specific fingers that they sucked on when they needed extra comfort during their early years. I remember being concerned at the time, but as time passed, they slowly gave it up on their own. Their teeth were not affected that I could tell. They both have great teeth and smiles. They seem to be well adjusted. My grandson is 14 months old and sucks on 2 of his fingers when he gets tired. I don't worry so much anymore. I know that he will give it up when he is ready.

V. B

My 4yr old is sucks his index finger. He started when he gave up the paci at 8mths. I haven't worried about it, figuring he'll grow out of it. I've always been told that if you make a big deal about it it makes them want to do it even more. I'm hoping when he starts big kid school next fall he'll at least cut back. He does it when he's tired or sick mostly but sometimes when he's bored.

Hi E., I would let this go for awhile. You would drive yourself and her crazy trying to make her stop with her thumb, especially at her age. They all grow out of it, and sometime it can make it even worse to try to make them stop before they are ready. We had paci and thumb suckers in my house. Everybody eventually gave it up without pressure, it just had to be when THEY were ready. Good luck!

Give her back her paci before her thumb ruins her teeth. Try breaking the paci habit again after her 2 year molars have come in. Our pediatrician said paci is o.k. through the second year. Take it too soon and they have trouble coping with stress and find substitutions like the thumb that are harder to break. Our son used a paci through the difficult toddler year and then gave it up pretty easy a few months after his second birthday. He fussed off and on for a few days and then never mentioned it again.

Personally, I'd reintroduce the pacifier rather than dealing with the thumb sucking. I've had 12/13 year old student who still sat in class sucking their thumbs, all girls oddly enough, and I found it disturbing. I would usually tell them to get their thumb out of their mouths (I mean, seriously, this was junior high, and they were in public), and I had one girl tell me that it didn't matter that she was still sucking her thumb, because both of her parents sucked their thumbs well into their 20s!?! Something tells me that if they were still sucking their thumbs in their 20s then they probably still do it in private. I don't know...I'd much prefer breaking a child from a pacifier than the thumb, because you obviously can't really do much about the thumb. Good luck!

I've had two thumb suckers and one fingers sucker. For the boy - we let him suck his thumb until just before kindergarten, although we discouraged it and we have him take his thumb out, we would let him on car rides or watching a cartoon at home - never out and about. We finally had to have a device put in his mouth by the dentist to get him to stop. It worked wonderfully! For the next girl, it just took a little while and some reminding. We started with no sucking thumbs in public and then moved toward other times. She was almost three, so it was easier to have discussions about why she shouldn't suck her thumber than it is with an 18 month old. For the finger sucker we ended up wrapping her fingers in gauze at night to get her to stop - she was really ruining her palatte.
Two of three ended habits no problem. Now one picks her nails instead....
Good luck.