Sucking thumbs

[edgarcat]

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

My ds1 never sucked his thumb and uses a dummy to sleep - now 2 but didn't have it last night and slept finw - turned the corner???

Ds2 is having a dummy to helpp him sleep - do you think this will stop him sucking his thumb? He sucks two of his fingers sometimes and is very dribbly as a result.

Whcih is preferable - dummy or thumb?

perhaps I was just lucky using mittens.

I prefer a dummy to thumbs because I think it's harder to get rid of a thumb! I gave mine a dummy to prevent finger sucking. Didn't work, he loved both! So I got rid of the dummy at 4-5 months.

Message withdrawn

Personally I preferred my lot to use dummies, which they did and gave up without any problems.

My main concern about thumbs was having been an avid thumb sucker for 14 years! - I caused a lot of problems with my teeth - a overbite which after braces/teeth removed still isn't right - my jaw is misshapened slightly.

Due to my avid thumbsucking - I needed 5 teeth removing as I had overcrowding caused by narrowing of the mouth roof.

I can remember vividly being shouted at by the orthodontist that I must give up thumbsucking. My mum had tried for years and years in the past - mustard/Stop N Grow stuff/bandages round my thumb etc.

In the end I only gave up thumbsucking when I had my brace put in - a fixed brace on the bottom with a removable plate at the top. I suffered constantly from mouth ulcers - and every month needed to go have the things tightened which in turn caused me great pain.

I always vowed that I would give my children dummies after all that - because that way I could restrict their usage. Even from babies they were only allowed them at night.

Now they are 3, 5 and 7 and none of them suck anything - dummies are well gone now and they have never had the instinct to suck their thumbs.

Just thought I'd pop up again here edgarcat to say hurrah for you - the thumbs in!! Bliss and peace.

And just as a bit of an aside my great uncle is still sucking his thumb and he was 80 at Christmas. We were at his birthday party and it was getting quite late and the next thing I knew there was DD and uncle Harry both at the thumb. Oh and there's nothing wrong with his teeth and he still has all his own (teeth that is!).

Dd is nearly 2 and a thumb sucker. I'd decided not to worry about it as I read they often give up around three anyway. BUT read on another thread about the thumb pushing the bottom teeth forward and am now worried as dd's front teeth are pushed forward but thought they had come in like this. Still not clear why this matters if she has stopped sucking by the time the second teeth come in. Any ideas to stop the habit?

I hope someone sees this message. My DD is 15 months old. She has been sucking her thumb ever since she was very small. These days, she sucks her thumb and also pinches whoever is holding her with the other hand. If she is in her car seat, she sucks her thumb and pinches her own ear with the other hand. My friend thinks this is extremely "bizarre" behavior and that it exhibits some psychological condition, but she is unsure what. My mother thinks that it exhibits some extreme insecurity. Can someone tell me what it really means, if anything? Thanks.

Tinyfeet, my dd began sucking her thumb at 18mths and then progressed to pinching/nipping the skin on people's throats as well. As she got older she was able to say that she did it because it was 'soft and smooth'. She just liked the feel of it, that's all. She doesn't 'neck' us anymore, (thankfully, as it was rather irritating!!) but strokes the skin on her own neck now - she's 7yo btw. I wasn't aware it could be sign of something being wrong, I just assumed it was like having a favourite blanket or, like me as a child, a special nightie whose collar I stroked. HTH

I don't think that this is strange at all. I think it sounds totally normal! I believe that most thumb suckers also stroke things ... my brother was a thumb sucker and he would have to have something silky as well ... for example ... he had the tie from my mum's nightie ... and once someone brought him a scrap of fur (sorry animal rights people out there but this was years and years ago!) and he always carried that in his pocket (even in secondary school although he never sucked his thumb in public!) and if he didn't have anything silky to stroke he would stroke his fringe so it was all smooth. In the car he liked to stroke the hair on the back of my dad's head but my dad didn't like it as it made him feel sleepy!!
My friend's little boy sucks two fingers on his left hand and puts his right hand down the front of his t-shirt and strokes the skin on his chest.
My DS, who doesn't suck his thumb but has a Muzzy (a muslin square cloth) likes to pull the edge of it between his thumb and finger ... he does it absent mindedly.
I think all children have ways of comforting themselves ... I always used to twiddle my hair when I was tired (still do sometimes without realising it!)
I don't think you need to worry about it tinyfeet ... totally normal!!

I sucked my thumb till I was 14 and had a best blanket and my dad sometimes even sucked his. It doesn't sound bizarre to me just entirely natural and comforting.Please don't let your friend's thoughtless comment upset you.

DD is three and sucks her thumb and strokes a garment label (the synthetic silky kind with washing instructions on). Her new nursery discourages thumbsucking as unhygienic, but she says she does it when they aren't looking!

Thank you everyone for your comments. The big difference between what most of you are talking about except Suedonim, is that when DD sucks her thumb, she pinches other people extremely hard with her other hand. It is actually quite painful. She leaves red marks on my or DH's arms, necks, etc from her pinching. I know that it is comforting for her somehow, like the stroking of soft items, but it does seem strange that she pinches so hard when she is actually tired.

Mog, I've just seen your message on 16th May - apparently the thumb sucking also alters the shape of the jaw. Like you, I thought it wasn't a problem til the 2nd teeth come through but my dentist told me otherwise!

Tinyfeet, can you try to transfer her pinching to something very soft like a bear or blanket? If the person holding her can intercept her fingers and divert them to the soft item, she may transfer her pinching tendancies to it.

tinyfeet, my cousin used to suck her thumb and stroke her earlobe as she did it. unless there was anyone else around within grabbin distance and then she would suck her thumb and stroke their earlobe! most disconcerting if you were sitting on the sofa watching tv with her and suddenly have someone latch onto your ear. she kept it up until she was about 8 I think. no obvious lasting effects now that she is 35...!

Your friend is talking total rubbish Tinyfeet. Self-soothing behaviours are entirely normal in children, and there is research to show that children who do this actually grow up more secure and confident as they have discovered at an early age that they can control and reduce their own anxiety - a useful skill in later life. That's not to say that children who don't suck their thumb or have a comforter will grow up neurotic, but just to say that having a habit like this is normal, natural and perfectly healthy. So tell them to stick it!

Thanks, Aloha - I always appreciate your comments. It is comforting to me that there are other well-adjusted babies (and adults) out there who have exhibited similar behavior. I have to admit that I do think it's a bit odd, but I will try to transfer DD's little strong fingers to something other than me.

Confession time here I think..., I am 37 and still suck my thumb with cotton wool!! Yes I know bizarre, but I have no inclination or desire to stop. Always have to have cotton wool on body or panic!

Always got at as a child to give up, but never did, no bucked teeth, detist very happy with shape of teeth... It keeps me happy and is a lot healthier than drugs or cigarettes.

DS2 tries to find thumb, and having gone through dummies falling out in middle of night with ds1 this is much better!

once met someone on hol whose child like sellotape around its fingers as it sucked its thumb

tinyfeet

a fiend of dd's does also sleeps while stroking mummy's or daddy's earlobes, while she sucks her dummy, my dd hyas a teddy bear (thank goodness) it's the same thing, I don't think your child should ahve any more problems than a child sucking a dummy and carrying a favourite object should have. It's just unfortunate for you that your DD hasn't chosen an external object!!

Ds1 has his thumb, a soft toy and a blanket. Ds2 has his thumb and a soft toy. Am thinking of getting him a blanket.....

My ds started sucking his thumb @ 4mths and could then put himself to sleep - best thing in the world. I get nagged by my MIL to pull it out and give a dummy (like she did to my dh) but I think a thumb is more natural.

My baby strokes and fondles my shirt or breast when being breast fed, so maybe that is where these other soothing behaviours come from.

When my dh is tired he starts an absentminded gentle scratching which his parents called sleeping fleas (sounds cuter in german).

So I think I am lucky that I can clearly see when both the men in my life should go to bed.

My dd is 3.8 and has sucked her thumb from as early as I remember. It was something I considered endearing for a while like many others here but am now aware that she is doing serious damage to her mouth and teeth.

She has only had a brief check with the dentist at one of my appointments but has her first formal appointment next week. I am already aware she has a crossed overbite aside from the protruding teeth and hope we can stop the damage now.

My advice is to stop thumb sucking as early as possible, and my question is HOW DO I MAKE HER STOP.......she also has a muslim cloth which seems to be part of the thumb sucking package, but if I take it away all hell breaks loose, any advice ???

Angelmother, if you find the solution let me know Currently I'm simply remindind DS1 (4.5) to stop sucking whenever I see him but I don't think it's working. He knows he's got to stop and he knows why but it's such an unconscious thing it's difficult for him to stop. We told them at nursery too.