Thumb sucking...all the time!

kaylakim

DD with be 2 next month and has been a thumb sucker since age 3-4 months. It's getting really bad, like she sucks her thumb all the time! She does it when tired, happy, bored, playing, after meals in her high chair. It's so habit that I don't know how to get it to stop. I realize she's not quite 2 but I don't want this to be an issue when she hits preschool or Kindergarten.

Any suggestions??

TiffanyBerry

My daughter was a determined thumb sucker as well, and shortly before 2yrs, I started talking to her about how, as she got older, she would have to stop sucking her thumb as it was hurting her teeth and offered her other things to hold/do with her hands as a substitute.  But a very low pressure approach, and would only remind her of this once or twice a day.  Around 2yr3mo (or so) she faded out thumb sucking (over the course of a month or so?) entirely!  I was shocked, as there seems little chance she would do that on her own, but she did.

So, there's one option to try. 

dehsignz

I could write this same exact post - thumb in mouth all the time - has even lost her thumb nail from it though it did grow back just fine. I have always said that I wouldn't push her and just let her stop when she was ready. But I am starting to get concerned about her teeth. Anxious to hear more advise. 

kaylakim

Good to know that others are having this same issue. I've been trying to get her to stop and have been really calm about it. I have noticed her front tooth coming in crooked and want to get her to stop sucking her thumb sooner than later. I'll be having some more talks with her and hope that it works!

AmericanInOz

my dd is a determined thumb sucker too. She actually broke her wrist recently, on the thumb sucking arm, and switched to the other thumb (NEVER had sucked the other one before!!)

bummer, was hoping that having a cast would break the habit

 I've keep reminding her that babies suck their thumbs (although then she says 'I pretend I a baby'

But I hope to just keep reminding her that she can do other things for comfort like rub her stuffed bunny. I actually tried to tell her when she broke her wrist that she could rub her bunny on her face when she thought about her thumb - it worked - for like a day til she switched

I feel comforted by a friend who has a daughter who just finished her first year of kindergarten. She talks to her about it a lot - and her dd is fully aware that she shouldn't be doing it anymore. She starts to bring her thumb to her mouth, then will think 'oh no, don't need it' and she's fully stopped now. So it CAN happen with a bit of encouragement, once they are old enough to fully understand. But man I understand it's tough - especially when they are 2 and just do everything you say not to do

Meeshe

My DD was a devoted thumbsuckers. I didn't mind it at all (I thought it helped make her be the easiest baby ever) and I didn't even worry about it really until around 4.  Then her bottom teeth did start shifting a bit (in my opinion, dentist never said anything) and she showed no signs of letting up. 

Eventually I started saying it was fine if she wanted to do it but it had to be in her room (which prevented her from doing it while watching tv which was a big time of it for her-although a few times she opted to go to her room for a few minutes to do it  And if she was doing it when I checked on her at bedtime I'd pull the thumb out.

Finally as she approached 5 we started to really talk to her about how it could make her teeth come in crooked and she might need braces, etc.  Surprisingly it worked.  I would remind her whenever I saw her hand creeping there, and somehow, she even broke the habit at night.  I was shocked.