Thumb Sucking

[akichan]

I need your success stories of how you got your LOs to stop sucking their thumbs. I really, really don't want to hear that "eventually they'll stop" or "I sucked my thumb until I was 103 years old".

This is really bothering me because my son is doing it ALL THE TIME and his mouth is getting deformed - I can't see his upper teeth anymore, his palate is getting higher, AND his speech (which was perfect before) is now being affected. So there is NO convincing me that I should let this go on, I just need to know how to get him to stop! The dentist said that stopping soon would be best for his health, but when I begged for one of those spikes they said it's a choking hazard because he's too young. I also think he gets sick a lot (even more than his brother, and they spend ALL their time together) because anything he touches goes straight into his body via his thumb.

We bought Mavala Stop but it doesn't work, he sucks anyway, and I'm worried it's ruining his taste buds (I have no idea how he can tolerate so much of that bitter stuff - we put it on a lot and he just keeps on sucking).

Anyone buy one of those contraptions, like a finger guard? Taping doesn't work, because he RIPS it off, but would a plastic guard work? HELP!!!!

[_betsy_]

What about painting the nail with nail polish? Tell him if he sucks his thumb, the nail polish will go away. To keep his nail that fun color (Blue? Purple? Orange?) it has to stay out of his mouth.

For me, I didn't stop till I was 5 and in kindergarten. I clearly still remember sitting at story time and my finger almost involuntarily moving toward my mouth - but I stopped myself, because I didn't want my classmates to think I was a baby. I still needed braces for years.

[BaBaBa]

I don't know about during the day, but at night my Dad put a sock over my brothers hand and attached it to his pajama sleeve.

[sapphire_chan]

I had a retainer to get my teeth back into shape around age 5. I learned to suck with my thumb at a different angle and after my teeth were okay I kept sucking my thumb until I was 7 with no problems. Had orthodontia in my teens and the orthodontist never said anything about problems with my palate (orthodontia for crowded teeth, not sticking out teeth).

A sucking need through age 6-8 is pretty common. I'd concentrate on getting him to do it in a way that doesn't damage his teeth. Even just turning his thumb so his nail is up and the pad is down should help.

Honestly, trying to force him to stop is just going to encourage him to do it more vigorously when you aren't looking and possibly make him do it past when he's actually grown out of it. Making it okay to suck his thumb in a way that doesn't hurt his teeth will let him grow out of it naturally with no period of clinging to it.


Was your little boy born in Fall? I called Lina "akachan" all through pregnancy.