Thumb sucking!

[Ragdoll >^..^<]

Im at my witts end, my 6 (nearly 7)yr old daughter sucks her thumb constantly! it seams to be geting worse, it used to be just when she's tired but lately its every time i look at her there it is, that thumb is wedged in her mouth! What can i do, does anyone have any advice??? please!!! I have told her that her teeth will stick out and she will need braces if she carries on and the dentist has also told her that her teeth will stick out but she cant seem to help it, its upsetting her as much as it is me now! please, does anyone have a miracle cure???

 

[nick]

why don't you try some nail biting varnish (sorry can't remember the name) so every time she trys she gets a bitter taste in her mouth .

 

[hayls]

You have really got to make her want to stop doing it. My cousin sucked her thumb up until the age of 11 and didnt want to go to secondary school doing it, so started strapping her thumb up so she could get at it to suck lol!!

My 2 suck their thumbs when they are tired, they are almost 5 and 3, so have got a while yet of trying to get them to stop!

Try mustard powder or chilli powder, or there is something you can dip nails into. Nail varnish remover is grim stuff to taste?

Hope something helps xx

 

[lotus blossom]

i sucked my thumb until i was 12!!! nothing could stop me, nothing,
until,,,,,,,,
i had to have a brace as my teeth stuck out, and i couldnt get my thumb in my mouth with the brace in there aswell! couldnt breathe!
that stopped me!! had a brace for 18 months, straight teeth, and no thumb sucking afterwards
my mum tried everything but i couldnt stop it,

i really wouldnt get too worked up about it, especially if it is upseting your daughter aswell,
its like a security blanket its too good to give up!!!

 

[Cathie!]

The dentist gave my eldest a talk about thumb sucking when he was 5, he stopped straight away.....someone in authority telling them how it is really works.

 

[sian1979]

I wouldn't get too stressed about it they will stop when they are ready and want to; you will just get into a battle of wills.

My god-daughter had a dummy until she was 6 coming up to 7 and no matter how many times my friend tried to take it off of her she couldn't as she got herself into such a state. She was so embarressed about it she walked around with her hand over her mouth to cover it up. Some might say it would have been easy to have just taken it away but not with ellee!!!

My daughter gave up hers when i stopped breastfeeding however she still has a bottle and that is not being given up lightly. All little ones have something they get comfort from dont worry about it.

 

[Tricky]

The dentist gave my eldest a talk about thumb sucking when he was 5, he stopped straight away.....someone in authority telling them how it is really works.

i agree the dentist has said to my little one about his thumb sucking and there wont be any more stickers at the dentist if he doesn't stop it. I havn't seen him do it for agees now

 

[florence2004]

I sucked my thumb until I was 24!! Only at night though - my Mum was the same and both of us have said that it was constant pressure from others that made us continue - not in a spiteful way just subconciously I guess.

My 6 year old sucks his and we have never told him to stop or had a moan about it and he just seems to be growing out of it, it is less and less each day with him only doing it at night now

 

[littlegrohl]

Looks like you have a thumbsucker... what im saying is.. Dont worry about it.. dont make it a big deal.. are you worried about it? or what others may think? I know with my two i got so much advice it hurt.. but at the end of the day wouldnt you prefer her to suck her thumb then get stressed or upset about it?

My daughter is 7 and still has a blanket.. I tried telling her a fairy needed it to take to cold children.. but she basicaly said they can get there own! My eldest used to suck a dummy and pick her belly button.. she is 9 now and still twiddles with her belly button.. Kids will be kids.. and dont worry she wont be an adult thumbsucker.. not in public anyway!

Sometimes making a fuss is worse then just letting it go.. :green:

 

[Buggy]

ok, i admit, i'm 36 and suck my thumb.

i did have to wear a brace but this was more the fault of a bad dentist than my own thumb sucking so i can't tell you how much it contributed to it. i did stop for years when i had my brace because it became uncomfortable but a really simple thing happened to make me start again about 4 years ago.

i was talking to someone about sucking my thumb when i was young and i put my thumb in my mouth to show them. as soon as i did all the old feelings of comfort came back. i was sitting at my desk at work when i did it and it made me want to curl up and sleep right there and then, it just felt so nice. ping. hooked again. only one thumb fits right as well, and when you compare my thumbs one is a bit flat .LOL.

it's a comfort thing. i suck my thumb and stroke my nose and cheek with my forefinger. my sister had a sniffy blanket and my other sister used to suck her thumb and tickle her belly button at the same time (interestingly she never had a brace and i think she still occasionally does it).

you're daughter won't give up until she wants to. you could try gloves at night if you're really desperate.

ps. my fella don't like it much LOL

 

[JoJoPearce]

ok, i admit, i'm 36 and suck my thumb.

Snap!! I'm 30 and still suck my thumb. I thought I was the only one.

When I was young, mum tried all sorts, the nailbiting varnish, tabasco sauce, plasters and bandages. Nothing worked. Even a brace never stopped me.

All that know me do not take much notice when I have a suck but I do get people pointing if I'm in the car (not driving) and am sucking. Which does make me laugh.

I wouldn't worry to much, hopefully she wont follow in my footsteps and will just grow out of it. Or you could put a long nail on so she cant get the thumb in her mouth LOL.

 

[ValencianNails]

why don't you try some nail biting varnish (sorry can't remember the name) so every time she trys she gets a bitter taste in her mouth .

I used to have 'bitter aloes' put on mine to stop the thumb sucking, it worked :green:

 

[ice_cold]

I'm 23 and I still suck my thumb, generally when I'm tired or bored! My mum never tried anything to try and stop me. I've now got one of my front teeth out of place, but I like my wonky tooth! I am starting to notice that the teeth either side are starting to go back aswell.

I found one thing that stops me doing it so much is when my thumb nail has grown long because I keep cutting the roof of my mouth!

Victoria Jane
xXx

 

[Ragdoll >^..^<]

Wow thanks guys, i didnt realise there were so many closet thumb suckers amongst us ! lol. I just dont understand why all of a sudden it seams to have got alot worse, it used to be that when i saw the thumb go in it was time for bed, but now every time i look at her its in there. I keep telling her that she will have sticky out teeth and she will need a brace. Im not so worried about what people think, its just i really dont want her to go through having to have a brace, like i did, i hated it. My brace wasnt through thumb sucking and it was only one of those plate ones that i could take in and out but it was horrible! i used to get food stuck under it - oooh i can still 'feel' it in my mouth even now and that was 20 years ago !!
My son keeps chasing her round the house with the mustard bottle the little sod! he thinks its hillarious he can tease and upset her, which probably isnt helping. But surely i shouldnt just 'ignor it and it will go away' should i ? I havnt tried actually putting anything on her thumb yet, maybe i should give that a go but i reckon she'l just go and wash it off ! Anyway, thanks for all your replies, ill let you know how it goes.

Lots a love and thanks:hug: x

 

[Buggy]

ha ha, yea, i like the suggestion of the long nail. i can't suck my thumb when i've got my nails on.