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Thumb Suckers Unite and Conquer

856 posts

Posted by JaxMom63 on Feb 09, 2010 at 07:00 AM

Ok I'll admit it, I have a thumb sucker, she will be 5 on the 21st. I've tried not to bring attention to it hoping she would just "stop" on her own. This approach is not working out as planned.

My neice who is now 40 years old stopped sucking her finger when she was 12. After she had her braces put on and an apparatus installed in the roof of her mouth.

Personally, I don't want to wait that long for her to stop. Any humane suggestions as to how to get her to stop? We've talked to her this week, telling her she is a "big" girl now and that she will be 5 and 5 year olds don't suck there thumby anymore. But to no success, we also tryed to tell her her thumb is stinky, so she comes after you with it and says smell my thumb......she is quite the comedian.

"Ya get what ya get and you don't get upset"

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8365 posts

AwesomeMommy

on Feb 09, 2010 at 07:20 AM

I was a thumb sucker. Mom tried everything. There was some horrible tasting liquid she would put on my thumb, tried incentives, band-aids, you name it she tried it. I did wear braces but so did my 1 sister and brother neither of which were thumb suckers. My other sister who was a thumb sucker never needed braces so go figure.

3548 posts

moy96

on Feb 09, 2010 at 07:31 AM

I don't think it is such a big deal....she'll stop on her own when she is ready....I was in elementary school when I stopped, never had an issue with my teeth,...I taught my son to such his thumb as an infant, and never gave him a pacifier....My personal opinion, but I'd much rather see someone sucking his or her thumb than walking around with a pacifier in their mouth...that makes me crazy!

I think as she gets older, and is in school, she'll see that other kids aren't sucking thumbs and she'll start backing off....when she is ready!

Molly

2858 posts

carianne99

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:15 AM

Please don't take this as an insult or a dig, but I'm just curious why you would teach your child to suck their thumb?! I guess I just don't fully grasp the concept ~ my son never sucked his thumb or used a pacifier. With all the concern about germs and illness and swine flu and getting sick these days, I'm surprised anybody would allow their child to put their (quite possibly dirty) fingers in their mouths.

Different strokes for different folks, but no thumb suckers around here. Yuck yuck...lol

~Cari~

19 posts

luvthebeach10

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:15 AM

My dd also sucked her thumb - I never minded it b/c she was able to calm herself down so easily and put herself to sleep without a problem. But.... but 6 i was concerned about the effect on her teeth. She really wanted her ears pierced and the deal was when she stopped sucking her thumb she'd get earrings. Somehow, it worked! She was old enough to not really not the thumb anymore I guess. She's 12 now and has perfect teach and tons of earrings!

3548 posts

moy96

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:33 AM

Cari

I guess "teach" wasn't the best word...perhaps encouraged would be better. It was a self comfort measure in lieu of a pacifier. My mom always told me that you have to "eat a peck of dirt before you die" so I don't think an infant's thumb is toxic.....His immune system is working quite well...He'll be 11 in June, and knock wood, has only needed antibiotics twice in his life....

Molly

856 posts

JaxMom63

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:34 AM

I didn't teach her how to suck her thumb!

In fact our sono gram picture of her she is sucking her thumb.

BTW: she has been "sick" twice where she need antibiotics. So I don't think the germ theory works here. She never gets sick.

"Ya get what ya get and you don't get upset"

2858 posts

carianne99

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:43 AM

Gotcha.

I wasn't trying to be condescending so I apologize if I came off that way. It's just not a concept I'm familiar with, that's all. I guess I should have kept my big dumb mouth shut on this thread to begin with, considering the title of it!! LOL

*slowly backing away*

~Cari~

3548 posts

moy96

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:46 AM

Hey JaxMom....

Maybe we're on to something....thumbsucking as a disease prevention method!

Just kidding....a little....

Molly

856 posts

JaxMom63

on Feb 09, 2010 at 08:57 AM

originally posted by carianne99

Gotcha.

I wasn't trying to be condescending so I apologize if I came off that way. It's just not a concept I'm familiar with, that's all. I guess I should have kept my big dumb mouth shut on this thread to begin with, considering the title of it!! LOL

*slowly backing away*

~Cari~

It's okay, thanks for the retraction it means alot. I did read it as condesending.....no worries, it's tough when U don't have that expierance. I have 4 older children and only one sucked his thumb, he quit cold turkey when he was two. So I am perplexed that my 5 year old still sucks her thumb, she only does it at night, so it's not like she walks around all day with it in her mouth. Even my Mom didn't know she sucked her thumb, so I guess I shouldn't really worry too much.

Thanks again, have a wonderful day!

"Ya get what ya get and you don't get upset"

856 posts

JaxMom63

on Feb 09, 2010 at 09:01 AM

originally posted by moy96

Hey JaxMom....

Maybe we're on to something....thumbsucking as a disease prevention method!

Just kidding....a little....

Molly