To ask for success stories on stopping thumb sucking.

[ChooksAndBooks]

DD never sucked her thumb as a baby, but when she started preschool she saw some of her friends doing it and started too. It has now become a habit and is impacting her teeth.

To help her to break the habit we have tried paint on treatments, but these come off when she washes her hands. We tried using plasters but they come off. We bought a silicone guard thing online but she can flex her thumb out of it and still suck it.

I don't know what else to try! I'd really it to stop before her adult teeth come in.

I was a chronic thumb sucker as a child. My parents tried painting tabasco onto my thumb but I still sucked it, chilli and all! I can't offer much advice...I didn't stop until the dentist gave me a telling off! I needed braces to bring my teeth somewhat back in line.

Tbh it sounds like you’ve perhaps given it too much attention by trying all those things. When we went through this with my DS1 we just told him to take it out of his mouth every. single. time. We wouldn’t let him talk around it to us, if he had something to say he had to take his thumb out for us to listen.

It was actually our dentist who said to him at a routine screening that she could tell he sucked his thumb and if he didn’t stop his big teeth wouldn’t grow properly. She said it in a nice way but it definitely resonated with him and then we could say “remember what the dentist said” to him too.

Be firm and consistent and hopefully it’ll fizzle out

Unfortunately, I don't think you're going to be able to get her to stop sucking her thumb unless she actually wants to or you can find something she really wants that will motivate her.

Mine sucked her thumbs until she was about 5. We got her thumb guards and she stopped for about 3 months but then started again - apparently because she wanted to see what it was like! She finally stopped when she was 8. It cost us 2 cats.

I stopped aged 26 right before paying 4k to fix my teeth!

My DD is 10 and still does it if she’s tired. She wears a sock on her hand to bed. Going to try again with the nail stuff though because she can’t wear socks all day.

We used the thumb fairy bribery technique here when he was about four.
www.ahaparenting.com/ask-the-doctor-1/how-can-you-stop-nail-biting-and-thumb-sucking
Used a product called Probelle and painted it on at night, I also found it useful as a nail biter myself. It definitely lasts more than one wash and tastes horrible.
It was all a bit tongue-in-cheek, not sure he ever really believed it. We asked him to write to the thumb fairy when he was ready and she would leave him a much wanted Lego set a few days later but his thumb would taste bad after that.
Actually got him to post the letter to my dad’s address (house # and postcode only) then we got the letter back and left the letter with the Lego, with a note saying thank you, so all a bit more fun and magical since he couldn’t work out how we had the letter!

I have same issue with DS aged 2.5
Dentist was horrified at the shape of his upper arcade (I think he looks cute) but since we can't get him to stop I think I will just have to start saving for the orthodontics

Maybe you could offer some kind of incentive. I remember reading a children’s book (years ago) where the main character has to stop biting her nails. She tries everything but it doesn’t work then her dad says he will buy her a bike if she stops and she does! Wish I could remember the name of it.

Have you come across Thumbsie?

thumbsie.co.uk

Helped our DD (4) stop almost overnight. There's a story, reward chart, different designs (get your DC to choose a few). I didn't expect such brilliant results but it worked. Nighttime has been a bit harder but every time she regresses at night we go back to the thumbsie.

But she gave up daytime sucking literally overnight, wearing thumbsie for about 5 days solid, before she said she didn't need it anymore. That was it!

@goldpendant

That sounds interesting... possibly for the OP as child is older? Think we might have to wait a bit longer to try it but worth remembering for sure!

No they are suitable for toddlers too! DH just reminded me DD was 3 when we started

Age 13, she had nails done for a special occasion and it didn't fit properly. Not much help until they are older unfortunately.

Those gloves were very successful with both of mine, although they had previously been told to stop by the dentist. They worked quickly.

DS was prolific, we tried everything, nothing worked. He stopped overnight aged about 8/9 when the dentist had a stern word. I reckon she must have secretly hypnotised him or something, he walked out of there and never sucked again!

Thanks everyone. I will look at probelle and at thumbsie.

If they don't work I might have to wait until she feels motivated enough herself .

My brother stopped the day he got married.

Sorry, not helpful!

My dd is 7 and now only occasionally sucks her thumb at night. The main turning point for us.....hand sanitiser! Since covid and the liberal use of it she has virtually stopped because it tastes so awful!!

My DD started doing this when she was about 1(ish). I kept taking her hands/thumbs out of her mouth every single time and told her not to do it . I then suqeezed lemon into a small bowl and kept dunking her fingers in it. So each time after she washed her hands and whenever I thought the lemon might have got wiped off I would dunk all her fingers in lemon. She tried putting her lemony thumbs in her mouth about 2-3 times and then she just stopped doing it.

I stopped when I got braces at 10, it was the 90s and those horrible plate ones, couldn't suck my thumb properly with it in and got fed up with having to take it out. The thumb i sucked is shorter than the other 😂

Dd is 5, started when she was 3.