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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

lazycow · 22/09/2006 22:30

As a slight side issue to this I did read a book once that suggests a lot of the sucking need (be it dummy, thumb or constant non-nutritive breastfeeding) in babies is actually an activity that comes about because of our need to silence a crying baby.

It suggested that some crying may not be about a concrete need (hunger, thirst,hurt etc) but is just a way of expressing some emotion, be it confusion, anger, fear etc. In this instance the baby or child actually needs to cry and if we try to stop it or encourage them to stop these behaviours develop as a compensation for not feeling able to cry when they need to.

I'm not sure I agree exactly but Ds sucks his thumb and although I won't be trying to stop him as that is obviously a road to nowhere I have noticed that the thumb sucking is often to prevent himself crying.

He sometimes cries around his thumb sucking IYSWIM and if he is upset enough the thumb doesn't work. I actuallly would prefer him to cry. The thumb sucking seems to me to be a way of him silencing himself as he doesn't feel safe enough to express himself. That does make me feel a bit

FrannyandZooey · 23/09/2006 08:00

Interesting post lazycow. I personally think that thumbsucking is more about an innate desire to self comfort - babies have been observed doing it in utero - than a result of anything we do, but I do see what you are saying.

pointydog · 23/09/2006 10:59

I think it's the self-comfort thing. Any slightly new situation, dd2 will suck thumb. Any quiet relaxing time, thumbsucking is part of her relaxation. It seems to calm and focus her.

ONly thing is she looks gormless.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 23/09/2006 11:24

Yeah, it's very much a self-comfort thing. DS1 has happily accepted a plaster this morning for his thumb, but is now chewing on a pillow.

He is very much an oral child, should I just buy him chewing gum or something? He chews on the edges of his clothes, as well as the thumb sucking.

OP posts:

sandcastles · 24/09/2006 05:37

medulla, your theory could work. Like you say sucking does produce saliva production. But by producing saliva your stomach is getting ready to receive food, but isn't getting any. I don't know if this is a prob, but an old batty aunt always said that it's not good...but then she had opinions on EVERYTHING!

sandcastles · 24/09/2006 05:39

Medulla · 24/09/2006 17:26

but that's my point ......dentists recommend that you produce saliva after dinner by doing something like chewing gum to neutralise the acid in your mouth produced from the meal you have just eaten. Thumb sucking does the same thing - just my wild theory - probably nothing in it but if my children start thumb sucking I'm not going to get too stressed

marthamoo · 24/09/2006 17:32

I sucked my thumb til I was 12 (when I got a brace...yes, it did wreck my teeth) and I've got several fillings. I was very relieved that neither of my boys was a thumb-sucker as I remember clearly just how hard it was to stop - at least you can 'lose' dummies.

If he wants to stop then, yes, of course you should encourage and support him - but...awww...he is only 5 and I think school should butt out

Alibaldi · 24/09/2006 17:56

You don't want to know how my nana got me to stop sucking my thumb . She told me this horrific story of how a little man with huge scissors would come and chop it off. Guess what it worked. Only a about two fillings here no overbite. Funnily enough was convinced my two would be thumb suckers but no neither of them and no dummies either.

NotSoUselessMum · 24/09/2006 18:07

DD 1.2 sucks her thumb when she's readu for bed or after she's bumped into something.

Every one I know, especially back home, keep telling me to gave her a dummy instead.

DH sucked his thumb for many years and he remembers it with musty eyes. his teeth were compromised and had to wear braces.a girl I met today told me she told me she used to and it's pure bliss. her teeth are fine.

Apparently it messes with your teeth depending on the position of your toungue.

Original poster

NotQuiteCockney · 24/09/2006 21:29

He does seem to want to stop. I didn't put a plaster on his thumb today (initially he said he didn't want one, then said he did, but I forgot), but he did say he wanted one. I will probably put one on tomorrow. He seems pleased to be stopping during the day. (I'm not fighting him about the nighttime.)

His adult teeth aren't in, and as his baby teeth were late (and DH's adult teeth were ludicrously late), I don't expect adult teeth soon. And given that both DH and I had extensive orthodonty (and DH is English, so how horrible must his teeth have been, before?!?!), both DSes are likely to need braces anyway.

The theory re: saliva and thumb-sucking seems feasible. It wouldn't entirely prevent cavities, but it might reduce them a bit.

OP posts:

salisshe · 16/03/2007 11:27

I had a chronic thumb sucker and tried EVERYTHING. It used to drive me crazy cos I could see his teeth were starting to stick out. The problem was he did manage to stop in the day time but night time was a different story. I did the yukky tasting stuff, and socks, and sticker charts, and bribes (I mean incentives :P). I even went online and showed him what would happen to his teeth if he continued. Mean I know but I was desperate. Anyway, in my search online I found this ... www.thumbguard.com.au. It seemed kinda pricey but when I thought about how much I had already spent on stuff to try to stop it, not to mention the emotions both he and I had spent, and I was desperate. I figured it seemed the least traumatic so I just went ahead and bought it and OMG it worked! He only wore it at night cos day wasn?t a problem, and within a month he didn?t need or want to suck his thumb anymore. Even better I can see a difference in his teeth structure.

Now if only there was something I could buy to get rid of his other annoying habits :P

Good luck!

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