Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Thumbsucking - I have an idea - some opinions please....

73 replies

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 21:47

My DS is now 2.8 and is still sucking his thumb. He has been sucking it from the word go. It only happens at night now and when he needs the comfort or is feeling sad or unwell. His teeth are getting damaged and being pushed forward and his thumbe seems to be slightly larger than his other...

My DD is now 6 months old and from the start a let her have a dummy to prevent from having another thumb sucker (Dummies are easier to stop apparently).

So I have a theory.... Here goes....

Although I hate the dummy and he looks rediculous with one in I was wandering if it would be a good idea to let him have a dummy and get him used to it to forget his thumb. When I think the thumb is forgotten then I can aske him to put it in a little bag in the tree for the Dummy Fairy's to come and collect (saw this on Supernanny).

Does anyone think this would work? All opinions welcome... I am open to all suggestions... PLEASE!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

chankins · 21/09/2007 21:54

Your post has worried me all over again - started a thread asking for advice about my baby thumbsucking and most people said it was fine, better than dummy etc. Has the dentist said this about his teeth ?

pointydog · 21/09/2007 21:56

dummies are better than thumbs according to dentists

Original poster

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 22:01

Sorry did not mean to make anyone worry....

No I have not taken him to the dentist yet - I will be soo though (if I can find a dentist here will take him).

But I can tell he has an overbite and its getting worse as time goes by. My sister was a thumb sucker and landed up with buck teeth and had to have braces at a very young age!

I come from South Africa and thumb sucking at all different ages is just not heard of there - you never here of teens or adults sucking there thumbs so for me to hear so many people say not to worry is strange. I saw my HR manger recently sucking her thumb and she is in her 30's and I just don't think its very fitting...

Its just my opnion I dont think its right to leave it espcially if its damaging their teeth which with DS it clearly is.... I will try everything to stop it!

Again - I am sorry if Ihave made you worry..

OP posts:

Original poster

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 22:03

Hi Poitydog...

I have also been told its easier to get them to stop (for obvious reasons). Its not like I can tell him well you are a big boy now so you can throw your thumb away... lol.

Do you think my plan will work?

I have tried everything else - would like to try the foul tasting nail polish but I can't find it...

OP posts:

pointydog · 21/09/2007 22:04

I think your plan is worth a shot. I don't think it will work but you never know

chankins · 21/09/2007 22:05

No don't worry, I am worried anyway! I have people who are very anti-dummies telling me thumbsucking is natural and won't halt speech development as much (health visitos said this too), and some people warning me that he'll end up with an overbite and buck teeth etc which I obviously don't want for him! He usually sucks it to fall asleep, in buggy or cot, or if he's getting tired...It looks so sweet at the moment, but as my sister tells me it doesnt't look so sweet once they get older. I still don't know what to do.

mishymoo · 21/09/2007 22:10

My mum who is 56 stills chews her thumb and she doesn't have buck-teeth. Have you tried giving him some other kind of comforter, favourite bear or blanket. My DS loves labels and is always playing with labels on his t-shirts.

P.S. Hello fellow South African

Original poster

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 22:17

Hey Mishymoo. He had a fixasion with lables when he was still really small but then he was given Milkshake (his fv soft toy) which he has to sleep with. But he still uses his thumb....

This evening I gave him a dummy and told him to use that instead and that only babies suck their thumbs and dummies and if he wants to look like a baby then he can have a dummy.

I am hoping that he will see that it needs to all stop or get used to the dummy and forget the thumb and then i can get him to physically get rid of the dummy himself....

Who knows if this will work.

OP posts:

mishymoo · 21/09/2007 22:19

I'm not a fan of dummies, but if it works for you then go for it. Good luck!

tortoise · 21/09/2007 22:23

I don't think it will work if he is already a thumb sucker. My DD2 is a dummy addict but because she isn't allowed it in the day time she has stated thumb sucking to replace he dummy during the day. She doesn't like it as much as the dummy though.

Original poster

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 22:30

Thanks every one for your input...

I am lucky that its mainly at night and only when he is tired etc but I am still worried about his overbite that he is getting....

Ill let you all know how the dummy thing works out.

Anyone know wher I can get the nail polish stuff that tastes bad. Have been told to try that on his thumb...

OP posts:

tortoise · 21/09/2007 22:34

I was advised not to use the nasty tasting stuff because they can taste it off the thumb while eating and then get put off foods because it tastes of the nail stuff. (if that makes sense!)
DD1 is a thumb sucker. She didn't do it much at first but now she is 4 its always stuck in her mouth!

Original poster

Mistiek · 21/09/2007 22:39

Tortoise...

Very good point! Never thought of that but could see how that would happen.

Man my kids are such Monkey's!!!!

OP posts:

NappiesGalore · 21/09/2007 22:55

ah man, this all sounds so mean to me.

i sucked my thumb from birth to 11years old. it was my comfort. it made me feel happy and safe. why wouldyou want to stop that?

my teeth are perfectly alright. straight and white and no probs. i think teeth are largely genetic - ie, they will need dentist help or not. i dont think thumb sucking is the cause of buck teeth... they are just weak teeth that would have needed help anyway. imho.

i stopped when i got to secondary school. quick smart. did not seem a sophisicated bigschool girl thing to do, so i quit.

but nothing and nobody could stop me before that, and tbh, it was just incomprehensible hassling and agro whenever people tried. made me suck more.

i REALLY think you should let it be. speaking as the little girl inside that is.

having said all that, my own dc dont do it so i cant say im in the position of being worried about it froma parents pov... but still. really, leave them be. they will stop when they feel safe and secure and happy enough to do so.

sweetkitty · 21/09/2007 23:02

My DD1 is a big thumbsucker, it started when I was BFing her she would hold my hand whilst feeding, once she stopped BFing she would still reach for my hand hold it and suck her thumb, now it's mostly just as she falls asleep and if she's tired/upset etc she still reaches for my hand if she finds it thumb goes in she also has a comfort rabbit toy she holds it's ear whilst sucking her thumb. She's only 3 and she does have an overbite but so do I and I never sucked my thumb. There's no way I could make her stop I know that, I'm hoping she just grows out it like nappies did.

NappiesGalore · 21/09/2007 23:12

she will sk.

honestly people, the more you hassle someone about thier source of comfort, the more theyll seek comfort. in the words of John Lennon; let it be

sweetkitty · 21/09/2007 23:17

Thanks NG I just couldn't do it to her I don't think anything would work anyway, DD2 is the opposite she spat her dummy out at 3 months as it didn't have milk coming out of it and has no comfort toy she attached to, she's not a cuddly baby and pushes you away.

bookthief · 21/09/2007 23:20

Nappies - I so agree with you. Every time I see posts about this subject I go back to the little thumbsucking girl I was and think how none of these things would have stopped me and how miserable it would have made me to be nagged about something that gave me comfort.

My teeth are fine btw

hunkermunker · 21/09/2007 23:25

SK, yet more coincidences with our two! DS1 sucks his fingers and cuddles his bear - he's 3.5 and there's no way I can (or would) get him to stop either now. DS2 sucked his thumb for a bit (couple of months?) and occasionally puts it in his mouth when he's teething now, but v rarely (maybe twice a month!) and hasn't got a special toy he's attached to. He's v affectionate, but not cuddly as such. He prefers blowing kisses!

nooka · 21/09/2007 23:26

I think it highly unlikely that he will convert from his thumb to a dummy. Unless you are going to be pulling his thumb out and sticking the dummy in? I also think that teeth problems are largely genetic, but even if not it's only supposed to be when the adult teeth come throguh that problems can arise. But i am speaking as a part time thumb sucker myself, and think ds looks sweet at 8 when he sucks his thumb at night.

NappiesGalore · 21/09/2007 23:29

funny how different they are eh sk?

bookthief - exactly! as a little girl i deeply resented anyone trying to make me stop. and i had NO idea why they would insist on such a thing. all these 'tactics' beiong used on me would have felt like a personal attack, and im not overstating.

if you dont want your thumbsucking dc to feel like youre attacking them... leave them alone to their harmless comfort. your hassling will not work, and only cause grief.

imho, of course

NappiesGalore · 21/09/2007 23:31

oh hi hunk.

am v of you and sk for having dc who suck thumbs... was dismayed to realise none of mine do/will [oddly sad]

sweetkitty · 21/09/2007 23:32

That's spooky hunker DD2 hates being cuddled or held (her latest words are "I walk") yet she will run up and hug my legs all the time and will come up for a cuddle or give you a kiss but always on her terms. DD1 would sit on my knee all day sucking her thumb and holding my hand if I let her. Do you think it's their star sign thats to blame?

I have wonky teeth and an overbite and I had to have 5 adult teeth taken out as my mouth was too small I have fillings in nearly all of them partly die to too much sugar in my diet and partly genetic.

sweetkitty · 21/09/2007 23:33

It is good sometimes if she has really hurt herself and is bawling I'll say suck your thumb and immediately she calms down.

NappiesGalore · 21/09/2007 23:34

star signs or family order?

did you suck your thumb sk?

Flip

1 2 3