Mine is a total thumb sucking nut. Has been since he figured out how to quit poking himself in the eye with the rest of his fingers as a newborn, 
Anyway he's now 22 months old, and we can see it affecting his teeth and the shape of his upper jaw, the front 4 teeth stick out.
DH wants to do something drastic and totally wean him from it RIGHT NOW because his friend's kid is 6, never stopped, and has some major teeth issues now caused by it.
I say he is still a baby, he may stop on his own, and even if he doesn't, he will soon be able to understand and even talk about the transition. (my neighbor's just turned 3 year old actually does this, will ask if it's time now at bedtime
)
DH taped his thumb up one day and it caused such major distress for him (not to mention a mark on his wrist from the stinking tape) that I removed it when he left for work in the afternoon and refused to allow that again.
We bought the supposedly nasty tasting thumb stuff, it works.....for about 5 minutes or so. He's happy to let us paint it on, then he will stick his thumb in his mouth, look at us with a wierd look and say "Yucky!" and he has tried to wipe his tongue on my shirt but then this only lasts about 5 minutes. (though I do think I see less random daytime thumb-sucking with the stuff than without it. It does NOTHING to stop him at sleepy time which is FINE BY ME.)
I called the kids' dentist for ideas, he's out of the office till Tuesday. (basically this is to appease DH) Anybody got ideas?
Anyway he's now 22 months old, and we can see it affecting his teeth and the shape of his upper jaw, the front 4 teeth stick out.
DH wants to do something drastic and totally wean him from it RIGHT NOW because his friend's kid is 6, never stopped, and has some major teeth issues now caused by it.
I say he is still a baby, he may stop on his own, and even if he doesn't, he will soon be able to understand and even talk about the transition. (my neighbor's just turned 3 year old actually does this, will ask if it's time now at bedtime
)DH taped his thumb up one day and it caused such major distress for him (not to mention a mark on his wrist from the stinking tape) that I removed it when he left for work in the afternoon and refused to allow that again.
We bought the supposedly nasty tasting thumb stuff, it works.....for about 5 minutes or so. He's happy to let us paint it on, then he will stick his thumb in his mouth, look at us with a wierd look and say "Yucky!" and he has tried to wipe his tongue on my shirt
but then this only lasts about 5 minutes. (though I do think I see less random daytime thumb-sucking with the stuff than without it. It does NOTHING to stop him at sleepy time which is FINE BY ME.)I called the kids' dentist for ideas, he's out of the office till Tuesday. (basically this is to appease DH) Anybody got ideas?
. i wouldn't worry about it too much. our dentist said the same, that it isn't anything to get too worried about till they start getting permanent teeth. we've just recently started trying ot remind dd during the day to take her fingers out of her mouth, mainly so we can slowly change the behavior. smart girl that she is...she counters the request by reminding us it's for comfort. idon't see a point in upsetting the kids by enforcing that thewy stop the behavior and they both use it as a comfort technique to go to sleep at night. i'd have to stand over them all night long to prevent it, which i have no desire to do.
