Moms of thumbsuckers...?

FutureMrsCaesar · March 2012

How old is your LO and are they still sucking their thumb? DS1 is almost 3.5 and still sucking his thumb, pretty much just when he's tired. Both of our pedis have said no to make a big deal about it and he'll stop when he's ready. What is your approach? He has an appointment with a pediatric dentist next month so I'm curious to see what she says.

I kind of feel bad because my niece is the same age and took a pacifier, and everyone gave my SIL trouble because at 2 she still had it. They did eventually get her to stop taking it around 3, but I felt bad because no one ever makes a big deal out of thumbsucking but it's like pacifiers are the devil. In fact we are always getting stories of reassurance, like people saying 'oh I sucked my thumb until I went to kindergarden then I just stopped because I knew it was time' etc etc.

CareBear0607 · March 2012

Both my pedi and the pediatric dentist said not to worry about it and that most kids usually stop on their own between 5-6. Like you though, I am still a little concerned.

DD would only do it when she was tired as well (driving in the car, watching a show on TV, reading books). A few months ago I told her that she was only allowed to suck her thumb in her bed. Anytime I saw her sucking her thumb during they day, I told her she had to take her thumb out of her mouth or go up into her bed. 100% of the time she chose to stop sucking her thumb. More often than not, she didn't even realize she was doing it. After about 1-2 months of this she now only sucks her thumb when she is in her bed for the night. Even then, when I check on her before I go to bed, more often than not, she doesn't have her thumb in her mouth.

HTH!

Edit: DD is 3 1/2 and will be 4 in early June.

Ilumine · March 2012

Monkey has been seeing a pediatric dentist since she was one. We get two cleanings and he monitors her jaw and teeth.

Unless there are specific issues, he said he really isn't worried. He is more concerned that she did not use nubby zippy cups than have us stop the thumb.

Pod course she only sucks her thumb when she has her blanket AND is tired. So it's really only nap time and bed time...and just until she falls asleep. She doesn't keep the thumb in her mouth. So maybe 60-90 mins total over the course I'd a 24 hour period.

penguingrrl · March 2012

Both of my two are thumb suckers. The 4.5 year old only does when she's tired or bored at this point. I make a point of reminder her to stop when we're out in public, but otherwise I know there's no way to stop it. I stopped on my own in 4th grade, although by then it had been years since I had sucked my thumb in front of anyone. I just did it in bed to help fall asleep. Never had braces and have perfectly straight teeth!

FutureMrsCaesar · March 2012

Thanks for the reassurance ladies! We started to do the 'only suck your thumb in bed' policy a while back but only loosely enforced it so I guess it would be good to get back on that and crack down on it. And like you guys said, almost anytime I check on him at night he does not have his thumb in his mouth, it's just a comfort/boredom thing.

jlw2505 · March 2012

I wouldn't worry about and kids do stop when they are ready. My older DD was a bad thumb sucker - all the time and she had a bad speech issues and that just made it a lot worse. We tried everything under the sun including the nasty nail polish stuff and nothing phased her. When she was 5 years and a few months, she was getting some evals done and the speech person made a comment about it to her - how it was making her speech harder for her and that we should try to stop. WE ordered some rubber stretchy bracelets and a chew toy (both are used for kids with disablilites to help with different issues). She stopped sucking her thumb 100% within 2-3 weeks. Daycare it was done in about 2 weeks and night time took a little longer. She wore the bracelet all the time for the 1st few months and would play with it or chew on it and she will still use it or the chew toy at night sometimes. She is now 5 years and 9 months. My younger DD has only sucked her thumb when tired or bored in the care. She just turned 4 last week and still does it. She startes a new PreK program in the fall and we have told her that we would like her to stop by then as the teachers will make her wash her hands anytime they see it (to help stop the spread of germs). I know that regardless of what I tell her - she will stop when she is ready to stop. WE very rarely bring it up with it. I will do the same thing as far as the chew toys and bracelet as I did with the older.

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