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Behaviour/development

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2 yo started sucking thumb/finger ALL THE TIME!

4 replies

bigboobsatlast · 31/05/2012 13:22

My DD has never sucked her thumb / fingers and never had a dummy. This week she has started sucking her thumb or finger - and it seems to be all the time. She does it so much she is getting a sore thumb / finger!

I have 4 week old twins, so I exceot that their will be some behavioural changes / difficulties with DD, but really not sure where this sucking comes from as the boys aren't sucking fingers/thumbs and dont have dummies.

She goes to nursery three days a week and they have commented on this change in behaviour and have put it down to copying her 'best friend' at nursery who does such her thumb.

Anyone else experienced a child starting this behaviour so late on? Should I try and stop it / ignore it?? It seems such a shame for her to develop this habit after over two years of not (IYSWIM!).

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paranoid2android · 31/05/2012 13:35

It sounds like she is in shock at the arrival of the twins, and is using the sucking as a comfort mechanism. I know it must be hard at the moment, but she probably needs some time and attention to work through her feelings about the new arrivals. If she has never been a thumb sucker before, maybe it won't be too difficult to give it up in time? The following is an article that really helped me understand why kids suck thumbs or find it hard to give up dummies.

Thumb sucking article

paranoid2android · 31/05/2012 13:37

oh and congratulations btw!

narmada · 31/05/2012 14:36

My dd started sucking her thumb avidly at age 2.5 when her baby brother arrived. He didn't suck his thumb and she didn't even have a dummy prior to this. I don't think they need to see it anywhere: one day they just discover they can do it and hey presto, it's always in there!

I don't think you can stop it TBH, not unless you go in for the painting-thumb-with-noxious-substance business. As long as they're not doing it when their main teeth come through, I think it's OK. It's natural, lots of kids do it.

bigboobsatlast · 01/06/2012 03:31

Thanks for your replies. I think i will just ignore it and let her carry on as she likes. She has been amazing since the boys arrived and I understand things have changed quite considerably for her besides she looks quite cute

Thanks for the link paranoid, I will have a read

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