Family pissing me off re: hand sucking

sunandsand

So my son likes to suck/bite on his hand, and I've had several family members tell me not to let him do that because it will supposedly be a bard habit to break later and lead to thumb sucking, etc.

Whatever! He's 3 months old, and it soothes him. He doesn't use a pacifier. I've told them this and yet I still see my mom, sister, etc. repeatedly taking his hand out of his mouth. Now I'm catching my DH doing it too.

Give the kid a break, he's a friggin baby!

K&KMOM

Klaire sucked on her hand at that age.  She wouldn't take a paci.  Now she doesn't suck on her hand.  Mh and MIL would always take her hand out of her mouth and it pissed me off.  Let the kid soothe herself, geez!

butterbeansmama

DS did not suck his hand, but at 3 months old started to refuse his pacifier and suck his thumb (either one) instead. Now at 3 years old he still sucks his thumb (either one).

We did try taking his thumb out of his mouth several times, but as stated above, it obviously didn't work...lol. Now that he is able to understand why he shouldn't be sucking his thumb, we are trying to get him to stop, but it is extremely hard for him and he is just not ready yet.

misses625

At 3 months old, that is a perfectly normal thing to do.  If he was e YEARS old, I would say something only because I have a thing about germs.  DS is always touching things and putting his hands in his mouth, and then he gets sick. 

JOEBunny

I would start swatting their hands.  If the kid were 6 years old, maybe, but the need to let your baby be age appropriate!

Littlejen22

Tell them to get their fing hands off your BABY (come up with another comment for DH) and that should get the point across.  Both my kids suck their thumbs, preferred, no but it is not the end of the world either.

lebeda777

Tell them it's called the sucking reflex and babies are supposed to do this!!!