At 2.5 years old she shows no signs of giving up that thumb. We think she is adorable when she does, but we don’t know how we are going to get her to kick the habit. Her thumb sucking usually happens when she has her taggie blankie, so we will probably have to take that away to get her to stop. I don’t want to do that, though, since it is such a comfort to her. We also don’t want her bite or her teeth to be adversely affected by all the thumbsucking. If anyone has any advice for weaning off the thumb I would love to hear it!
We didn’t have this issue with Kailan, as he was a paci luva. After watching a Nanny 911 episode when he was just over a year old, we threw them away and went cold turkey. The 4 year old on that show needed his paci to fall asleep or he would not sleep. At all. That was our “come to Jesus” on how the paci could get out of control. Unfortunately we haven’t watched any nanny nightmare shows lately to give us that push on Anya’s thumb. And don’t tell me that kids don’t go to high school sucking their thumb, because I have heard the opposite. They just do it behind closed doors. We need to figure this out soon, so it doesn’t become a habit too hard to kick. She needs a support group…maybe she can become a founding member of her local Thumbsuckers Anonymous. 😉
I’m signing my little V up right now. When’s the first meeting? “My name is Vienne and I’m a thumbsucker.”
She’s 3 1/2. But I’m just glad that she only does it when she has her blanket and doesn’t do it when she plays.
I was a thumb sucker for a very long time. My mom said she tried everything and finally our dentist put a retainer in and it wasn’t the same so I stopped. At least it’s not a pacifier I guess!
Well, sounds like V and Anya can have their little club started!
Anya does it all the time time. She always does it when she laying down or watching TV. When she plays, sometimes she does it, too. I know this is going to be very hard to break her of. One of my friend’s daughter is still sucking her thumb in kindergarten. 🙁 I know we have time, but I like to worry about things in advance!
First of all – yes, it is super sweet! Even tho it’s not good for them, I’ve always secretly wished Nadia sucked her thumb sometimes.
What about that nailpolish you can use to disuade fingernail biting? It tastes really bitter and awful, which nhopefully would make her not what the thumb in her mouth. I was a fingernail biter, so I know from personal experience!
Well… she looks so sweet and innocent, though!
I bet you could find plenty of kiddos (maybe even 10-13 year olds) in the neighborhood to join the support group?? lol I moved from sucking my thumb, as a kid, to biting my nails… which is still a badddd habit of mine. sigh. Finger obsessions… now there has to be a support group for that?!?!
She does look cute like that 🙂
I have no advice. Drew never wanted anything to do with a paci, thumb, or blankie. He had a comb that he carried with him everywhere for awhile, but even gave that up before he was 2. And Nicky loved his paci and had it until he was almost 3. But no thumb-sucking.
She does look awfully cute! Wish I had some good advise for you. Neither of mine are thumb suckers… Lauren used a pacie, but like you, we quit when she was one. Lauren still sleeps with her blankie, though. She has several. They are cloth diapers trimmed with ribbon. Every so often she’ll say she doesn’t need it, but ends up with it anyway.
I was going to have the same suggestion as Christina. You can get the nailpolish from any drug store, and it should work fairly quickly – as long as you are consistant about putting it on. And Christina is right – it DOES taste awful!
I should pick up that stuff to put on her thumbnail. She does not like it when I get lotion on her thumb when I lotion her up after her bath. Then it tastes icky. Maybe I should mistakenly put lotion on her thumb more. 😉
It is cute though ….. 🙂
I had this problem. I sucked my thumb at bed time “knowingly” or “on purpose” until I was 8 years old. (weirdly enough I never had issues with my teeth related to the thumb sucking, actually may just be good genes but to this day haven’t had teeth issues, no cavities, do have a chipped tooth in the front after getting hit in the mouth by a horse, anyway)
When I was 8, I went on my first “over night” and vowed then to stop sucking my thumb. Problem was…is. It’s a habit harder to break than oh, anything I’ve experienced since its a habbit I did when I was asleep. So While I’ve never had a sleeping partner wake up and say you were SO sucking your thumb, I wake up some mornings with two noticeable teeth marks at the base of my left thumb (or my sucking thumb).
I’m totally 26 years old now, which is why I taped binkies (not really) in both my boys mouths to be certain they would not be sucking their tumbs into their 20’s. (both boys did love their titoos)
My son stopped all by himself. No worries.
First off, I sucked my thumb for a VERY long time – some kids really do have a NEED to suck, that goes way beyond toddlerhood.
Aubrey also sucked her thumb, until she was 6 – after she was 3 we “stopped” her whenever we would see her doing it while playing – we would ask her to do things, for us…IE Aubrey could you hand us the book – something that required her to use both hands, or we got down and played with her tickling or something.
For bed time, she had her bear (and still does, she loves that bear and still even at 8 sleeps with it) so I would not take that lovey away, that could be more of a bad thing than the thumb sucking…JMO – as for the night time, it will end, with time –
Also with knowing and having parents that PUSHED me to stop, and did EVERYTHING they could – including putting me down, painting my nails ect, it made me only want to do it MORE – because that was my “safety” – KWIM?
Good luck!
Ah thumbsucking! It took a bite splint for my son to stop. The Orthodontists helped!!! I do admit it was bittersweet to have that period end though.
Oh, I’m scared now! Will is 3 1/2 too, and it a passionate thumb sucker. “Mom, I need to suck my fumb before I go to sleep!”
eeek, I have no idea how to get him to stop.
Thanks everyone for their comments, stories and commisseration. I really appreciate it! I still don’t know what to do. I will see what the dentist says at her 3 year appointment to see if she is doing any damage to her teeth. If she is then we will start to push her…if she isn’t we will try more of the distracting things to get her to stop. I don’t want to take away her blankies because it is a comfort to her. That just seems mean to do that. 🙁
I just wrote in my bolg about this not long ago! Mine was the ever addictive paci. We tried for 3 nights of no sleep & actual withdrawl symptoms! Shaking, crying throwing up etc… She still has it at 3.
The best advice I can pass on is she won’t go on her first date with her thumb in her mouth and she for sure will never not be successful because of how long she sucked her thumb! Pat yourself on the back that she has contentment! All this is so easy to say when I am out of the box. LOL. I will keep you in my prayers!
I found your site through Melody A.
Mendy
I don’t have a clue how to help. None of mine were thumbies…a couple of paci-lovers though and a passionate blankie kid. Good thoughts and hopeful wishes…but the photos are too dang cute.
Yeah, I’m not sure I can really offer up any solutions, but I’m a reformed thumb-sucker myself (I did it until I was ELEVEN – and had to have braces twice). My son, who is 8, still sucks his two middle fingers. He’s going to need braces too, but more because his teeth came in funny rather than the finger-sucking. My orthodontist got me to quit by taping my thumb with bandage tape at night. I’ve used that on my son too and he actually quit for about 4 months – but I guess his “sucking” power was too strong and he’s started up again. I think it’s hard for kids to resist sucking when it’s a habit. And I know that when I was little I’d fall asleep without my thumb – but I’d start sucking it during the night. So I think a physical barrier – rather than willpower – is a better route to go. GOOD LUCK!!!!!