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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Cunning Thumb-sucking Fix ....

62 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 17:16

DS1 has been thumb-sucking forever. He's almost five. He sucks his thumb throughout the day. His new school are not too keen on it, and suggested a solution - he wears a plaster on the appropriate thumb.

We just started today, and he seems pretty happy with it. It certainly helps that he wants to stop sucking his thumb, and he's happy to wear the plasters (batman ones). We've agreed he won't have to wear them to bed, as I don't think nighttime thumb sucking is that bad, and anyway, one battle at a time ...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

liquidclocks · 22/09/2006 17:18

Good luck NQC! - can you let us know how it works - might have this problem with DS in3/4 years too!

SoupDragon · 22/09/2006 17:48

Tried this with DS1 (7!) and it didn't work I@m afraid. Sigh.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 18:28

Ugh. Did your DS1 want to stop thumb-sucking?

We'd been having some success by getting him to put his hand in his pocket instead, and by saying "pocket" when we noticed him thumb-sucking.

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 18:32

His new school are not keen on it?

Can anyone explain what the bloody hell business of theirs it is??? I mean, crikey, where will we be if all the children start sucking their thumbs? It's so noisy, and anti-social, it distracts the other children, and god knows they might actually get some comfort from it in a new and stressful situation

(not getting at you NQC, I know you are not forcing the issue, and that he wants to do it, and I think it's a fab solution. Just cross at the situation)

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 18:44

Well, schools aren't big fans of thumb sucking, generally. They don't like the books getting wet. And his current teacher says it's a safety issue, if he does it while walking around, and falls. (He does suck his thumb a lot.)

I agree it's a way of self-soothing, and so am not totally against it, but would rather DS1 learned other ways, as it doesn't go very well with writing, or reading, or a lot of other activities.

OP posts:

stoppinattwo · 22/09/2006 18:48

NQC hmm my mum and dad never managed to stop me, am 36 now and still suck my thumb, particularly when im concentrating .

Now is a good time for you to stop DS, and stick to your guns, its so much harder than a dummy for obvious reasons

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 18:50

Aw I just feel sorry for the little ones. Let them suck their thumbs if they want to (I know your ds doesn't want to carry on, it's just a mean rule to have generally). So speaks an inveterate thumbsucker.

tottle · 22/09/2006 18:53

I am 31 and still sucking my thumb I say leave him alone and if he wants to stop he will

Mercy · 22/09/2006 18:56

Agree with you Franny. dd is a thumb-sucker but tbh have no idea how she does this at school.

How can it be a safety issue? My dd has never fallen over whilst sucking her thumb - have you or your child ever done this?

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 19:10

I'm not convinced it is a safety issue. I'm not that bothered by it, except in that it a) makes a lot of people tell him (and me, sorta) off, so I'd rather he did it in bed and b) increases his risk of infecting/reinfecting himself with pinworms.

So I'm mixed about the whole thing, but he seems to want to stop. I'm taking it easy, and if he didn't want a plaster on tomorrow, to stop sucking, then he wouldn't get one.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 22/09/2006 19:15

DS1 agrees that he's going to try to stop. But he can't. he's sucked it since he was 4 weeks old. I don't think he does it at school - it's when he's not doing anything that is sneaks back in. I'll say "thumb!" and he'll take it out and in under 30seconds it's back in. It has affected his teeth and now his adult teeth are coming in we really have to get him to stop. And he's 8 in February...

I'm going to try the plaster thing again. A yucky rough fabric plaster! It's not to stop him as such but to remind him not to suck it.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 19:20

Yes, I see it as a reminder - it's not like they mean to thumb-suck.

I'd thought about a ring, as an alternative ...

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 22/09/2006 19:20

Bling!

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 19:30

"makes a lot of people tell him off"

blimey! I am obviously a bit out of the loop on this one. If anyone told my child off for thumb sucking I would be cross.

You know I read some thing once about die hard thumb suckers - the ones who went on for way too long and they just couldn't get them to stop. They did a study to find out if there were any common causes behind it - you know, things like stress in the family, etc etc etc. The only thing they could find that the really extended thumb suckers had in common, was that they had all been subjected to a major attempt by their parents to break them of the habit.

I respect the fact that your ds wants to do something about this, though. I hope it stops being a issue soon.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 22/09/2006 19:32

Well, I say "tell him off", I mean, they remark on it, or suggest "humorously" that he should take his thumb out of his mouth. I tend to make light comments about it and move off.

Fact is, other adults aren't fond of thumb sucking in children over about two. If they were being horrid to him about it, then I would intervene, but expressing their preferences gently is ok, imo.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 22/09/2006 19:34

"The only thing they could find that the really extended thumb suckers had in common, was that they had all been subjected to a major attempt by their parents to break them of the habit."

But did they also do a study into those who had been diehard thumb suckers and had stopped to see if theit parents had a major attempt to break the habit...?

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 19:34

It astounds me how it bothers lots of adults to see reminders that children are, erm, children

pointydog · 22/09/2006 20:24

Health and safety?! It's amazing what can be categorised as a health & safety issue these days. I can't imagain the school saying anything to me but I know dd2's thumb only slips in when she's on the carpet, watching a video, hanging about on stage during nativity, all those listening moments.

That's not a bad idea, though, if your ds is willing.

Medulla · 22/09/2006 20:26

I still suck my thumb and I have a theory on how it can be good for you

pointydog · 22/09/2006 21:05

Go on, go on. Tell us the theory.

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 21:24

Ooh yes pls do. I have been thinking about how we dislike children to indulge their great need for oral gratification, in fact go to huge lengths to avoid them doing so, from birth. It's one of the main primal urges and is immensely comforting. Most adults still have an intense need for oral comfort as evidenced by high smoking rates, alcoholism, comfort eating, obesity etc. I wonder how much easier it would be to avoid these problems if demand feeding was the norm for babies and children, for as long as they felt the need.

Medulla · 22/09/2006 21:28

well I maintain that the reason I have no fillings at the age of 35 is because I sucked my thumb (stay with me here).

Dentists recommend chewing gum after meals to stimulate the production of saliva and neutralise the mouth and I think that thunb sucking does thus too.

I have 2 brothers and when we were young we ate exactly the same sweets biscuits etc as each other yet they have a mouth full of fillings. I beleive that the production of saliva by my thunb sucking prevented the formation of cavitys. Wild theory I know and I'm sure you'll all laugh but I thought I would share it with you.

BTW I don't have an overbite or in fact anything wrong with my teeth.

ambercat · 22/09/2006 21:33

Medulla, sounds like a good theory to me, i sucked my thumb until the age of about 19, had my 1st filling age 21!!

FrannyandZooey · 22/09/2006 21:35

Medulla

I am also 35 (well next week)

huge thumb sucker till teens

fairly nice teeth (bit cramped at bottom due to small jaw)

and ZERO FILLINGS

Medulla · 22/09/2006 21:37

do you think I'm on to somethin?

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