How to stop 6 yr old thumb sucking

[Mamamia321]

Been to dentist who says if he doesn't stop will need braces! He has managed to quit during th day but makes him Sad. But at night he does it in his sleep. Dh wants to put something on thumb to dissuade him but I don't want this to be any traumatic than it already is as he has to adjust to a new baby too. Ideas!

[TheHouseOnBellSt]

Don't be affected by him saying it makes him sad. My DD was the same and yes...she's nearly 11 and needs braces. She has a big overbite

I wish I had been more full on about it though I did try. I used to gently push her hand away from her mouth every time she did it and she eventually stopped but too late.

Trauma will be twin block braces which my DD needs...makes them talk weird and drool. Show him pictures....that's what I did to make DD clean her teeth better...showed her images of rotten teeth. They don't grasp until they see

[Donthate]

My ds got a wart on his thumb so we used a wart treatment and bandaged his thumb. It took 3 weeks for the wart to go but it also cured the thumb sucking. I would try a nail varnish that tastes bad.

[chocfireguard]

I was a thumb sucker and needed several years of orthodontics. When I was 10, my mum put a sock on my hand at night. Within a week, it had become inspiringly named 'socky', and was part of the bedtime crew.

[cantmakecarrotcake]

Can you find a little finger puppet he'd think was cool? We're trying to discourage DD (4yo) sucking her thumb while watching tv (baby steps!) and if she distractedly goes to put her thumb in the puppet is there and she stops.

He's doing really well to have stopped in the day. :-)

[Hardtoknow]

DS is 3 but we had a stern talking to from the dentist this week who suggested a rough plaster with tabasco on! Apparently it is very effective. I can't imagine why!! I think we may try the sock suggestion first.

[SoupDragon]

DCs orthodontist advised tackling night time by putting a long football type sock on each arm under their PJ top. They can't suck their thumb or get the socks off. However, this probably isn't great in the heat!

From experience, the stuff you paint on does nothing.

[RandomMess]

Socks on both hands taped around the wrists - but he has to want to do it and it will be hard for him to get to sleep at first. Perhaps try CD stories to help him listen to and drift off?

[Mytholmroyd]

My DS still sucked his thumb at night until he was 8. We told him he needed to stop before his permanent front teeth erupted but nothing stopped him until he decided one day that he really wanted to stop because of his teeth and because he was going on a school residential trip. He was getting very upset because he didn't know how to stop.

We agreed that he would wear a leather riding glove that fastened with velcro at the wrist with the fingers cut off to bed. When he unconsciously tried to suck it in his sleep he didn't like the feel of the gloved thumb. After a couple of weeks the habit was broken. Fortunately, his dental development was quite late so they have now come through nice and straight!

[Mamamia321]

Thank you all. Ok will start with glove or sock yes.