HELP- thumb sucking...

[3DisneyBuggs]

My 4 yo DS is an avid thumb sucker. He has calluses to prove it. We are trying so hard to get him to stop but nothing is working. He will be in Pre K 5 days a week now and I'm worried about him getting sick due to the thumb sucking. He breaks all of the rules on how not to contract influenza. Please say someone has a foolproof way to get him to stop.

 

[Disney Doll]

I sucked my thumb for quite a number of years...I think I actually may have been 7 or 8 by the time I stopped completely. Never caught the flu, never caught any of the childhood diseases actually. Today I am a contributing member of society and don't believe I have any major psychological issues.

I eventually stopped on my own.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

My DD4 still sucks her thumb, too. I've asked the doctor about it, and she said there's nothing you can do. The doctor sucked her thumb until 9, and her daughters did until a similar age. You can't make them stop until they are ready to.

DD10 sucked her fingers. When she was two we wanted her to stop so we would remind her about it. She would pull her fingers out of her mouth and smack her own little hand. She broke herself of it. DD4, we remind her of her thumb in her mouth. She pulls it out, then turns her back on us and puts it back in. She's not ready to stop and we can't make her.

 

[anniemae]

we have a thumb sucker too and I also worry about the "ick" factor.

Her dentist said to let her be since orthodontics are cheaper than therapy! He was kidding, but he did suggest to try to limit it to bed time when she is in her room. We try to enforce that and tell her she can only suck in her room. It works except when she is really tired, then all bets are off. We don't push it though, just gentle reminders.

 

[maelstrom]

Have him get the chicken pox; worked for me. I got a big one right on my thumb, and my mom told me that if I continued to suck my thumb, I could get chicken pox IN my mouth. I stopped sucking my thumb cold turkey, no lie.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I wouldn't do anything yet - sorry. Our doctor and dentist both said the child has to want to stop.

DD was 5 and broke her arm in kindergarten. the same arm as the thumb she sucked. I figured what a great time to break the habit - she couldn't get the thumb to her mouth. No such luck, she switched to the other thumb until the cast came off.

Finally at age 8 she was ready to stop. Tried to stop on her own - but was putting her thumb in her mouth in her sleep. We had our dentist install a thumb guard in her mouth. it looked like paperclips hanging down behind her front teeth and anchored to her upper molars. she was not able to slip her thumb into her mouth at night. It was 2 weeks of hell at first, a couple of sleepless crying nights and tired cranky days. We distracted her with music which developed into another crutch. but that was easier to deal with.