OT- Thumb sucking- Is this odd?

[DVCJones]

First, let me just say my DD was a champion thumb sucker. She sucked her thumb 24/7. Her teeth have been bushed forward as a result. Anyway, I have been trying to get her to stop. For the last couple of months I told her that when she turned 5 that she couldn't suck her thumb anymore. I knew this was a long shot but, I figured I would try.

On the morning of her birthday I wished her a big "Happy Birthday" She asked, "Am I 5 now?" I said "yes". She then said " So, I can't suck my thumb anymore, right" I said "yes". She didn't seemed disappointed.

It has been 5 days and she has not sucked her thumb since. She just stopped cold turkey. Is this strange? She comes from a long line of champion thumb suckers. I think I sucked my thumb until I was 15 (I wish I was kidding)
I remember this was very hard to give up.

Has anyone out there experienced this sort of thing with your children? Should I expect her to start sucking again?

Thanks!

 

[SmallWorld71]

Hmmm.... As the mother of a just turned 5 year old who sucks her thumb, I'd love to hear how this all turns out. Obviously, I missed the 5 year mark, but maybe I can try 5 1/2.

 

[drivencrazy]

I say YEAH for her!

My son had a passy and he wanted to sleep in bed with me (daddy was deployed) and I told him that he couldn't have his passy in my bed thinking he would sleep in his own since he loved it so! Well I put him to bed in my bed w/out it and he went to sleep right away..... so I took all of them that I could find and packed them away. He never had one again, he was just over 2 when he did this! So Yes, I do think they can just give something up if that is what they have been told!

My daughter was a finger sucker and was about 5 and we had tried EVERYTHING to get her to stop.......... nothing worked, till one day she wanted a candy bar from the store and I told her I would get her any kind she wanted if she stopped sucking for a week. Needless to say, she put her mind to it that she was going to stop and she did! After that day in the store, she never sucked again! And yes, I did take her and let her get the candy bar that she wanted!

 

[ekmom]

DS used to love to dust the furniture (I wish that he still did ), so I would give him a rag and let him dust. One day he noticed that I sprayed Pledge on the tables when I dusted them and he wanted me to spray some where he was dusting. I said that I couldn't because if he got it in his mouth it would make him sick and since he sucked his finger...he quit right then and there!

 

[i12go2wdw]

We tried to get DD to give up her soother when she was 4 and starting Kindergarten, then when she turned 5, no way she would do it. Then one day her much loved sister 12 said "You are too old for that thing" so she came down stairs with her collection of sooters and threw them away, no more soothers. Now she sucks her thumb

 

[audrey444]

DS who is 3.5 LOVES his pacifier. He uses it almost all day everyday. At preschool, they had a dental hygenist come to talk with them and she mentioned how pacifiers are bad for your teeth and can do permenant damage after you turn 4.

That afternoon, he told me he was "too old for that thing" and handed it to me. He has them stashed all over the house, so whenever he finds one, we have a special bag for him to put them in.

It was ALMOST cold turkey. When he gets really upset about something, he'll ask for one. But it's only been a handful of times in the past few weeks. And then, it's only for a few minutes until he feels better.

I sucked my fingers until the night before my 13th birthday. I made up my mind that I wouldn't do that as a teenager So, I quit cold turkey, I was just a bit older.

Good luck!
Audrey

 

[dogluva]

First, let me just say my DD was a champion thumb sucker. She sucked her thumb 24/7. Her teeth have been bushed forward as a result. Anyway, I have been trying to get her to stop. For the last couple of months I told her that when she turned 5 that she couldn't suck her thumb anymore. I knew this was a long shot but, I figured I would try.

On the morning of her birthday I wished her a big "Happy Birthday" She asked, "Am I 5 now?" I said "yes". She then said " So, I can't suck my thumb anymore, right" I said "yes". She didn't seemed disappointed.

It has been 5 days and she has not sucked her thumb since. She just stopped cold turkey. Is this strange? She comes from a long line of champion thumb suckers. I think I sucked my thumb until I was 15 (I wish I was kidding)
I remember this was very hard to give up.

Has anyone out there experienced this sort of thing with your children? Should I expect her to start sucking again?

Thanks!

Yes. I threatened my six year old son with a tongue guard. It is really ugly, goes on the top of his mouth and prevents them from sucking (it is sharp). I had no choice-his dentist said if he didn't stop he would have serious dental problems-he jaw was aready protruding out, not real noticible but still. Anyway, we went on line and found a picture. I showed it to him and he completely stopped. I was amazed, too. I thought it would be a battle since I didn't quit until I was nine. He does not suck his thumb anymore and it has been almost two years. We have checked on him at night and when we camp he is with us in the trailer all night were we can check on him as well-still not sucking (I joke that he is secret-sucking at night!)

He was a thumbsucker night and day. He sucked it at school and didn't care who saw. It was cute and to be honest, I miss how sweet he looked. But his adult teeth have come in very nice so far. He is missing the two side ones (next to front) but I don't think he will need any major dental work. So yes, kids can be weird.

 

[TaraZ]

Oh, I have a thumb sucker too-- she's only 2-- but I'd love to hear whether this works!!! Keep us updated!!!

 

[davishalfdoz]

My DS-8 was still sucking his thumb until about 2 weeks ago. I went to the store and bought a finger splint and put it on him. 3 days later he had quit. I was sooooooo proud.

 

[momof1princess]

my DD (who'd just turned 3 then-she's 10 now) was told by DH and i that if she put all of her pacis under the christmas tree, santa would, in exchange, leave her a very special christmas gift and take her pacis to other children around the world who needed one. of course, a couple weeks later she lost her favorite paci so we gathered up the rest of them and put them away (without her knowing) and assured her that santa still knew what she intended to do and would leave her the gift anyway. it worked like a charm.

 

[cjl]

I hope it sticks for you! I need to remember this for when my DS turns 5 this summer. The dentist has also threatened a tongue guard if he doesn't stop once entering kindergarten.

DD used a paci and we got rid of it soon after she turned 3 after her first trip to the dentist. The hygienist told her that they have lots of babies that needed pacifiers so we went home and collected them all and "mailed" them to their office. She was upset for one night but from then on it was forgotten. It's harder to take away a thumb, though!

 

[pednurse]

First, let me just say my DD was a champion thumb sucker. She sucked her thumb 24/7. Her teeth have been bushed forward as a result. Anyway, I have been trying to get her to stop. For the last couple of months I told her that when she turned 5 that she couldn't suck her thumb anymore. I knew this was a long shot but, I figured I would try.

On the morning of her birthday I wished her a big "Happy Birthday" She asked, "Am I 5 now?" I said "yes". She then said " So, I can't suck my thumb anymore, right" I said "yes". She didn't seemed disappointed.

It has been 5 days and she has not sucked her thumb since. She just stopped cold turkey. Is this strange? She comes from a long line of champion thumb suckers. I think I sucked my thumb until I was 15 (I wish I was kidding)
I remember this was very hard to give up.

Has anyone out there experienced this sort of thing with your children? Should I expect her to start sucking again?

Thanks!

We pulled the same stunt on my DS with his pacifier when he turned 3 and then with my DD with her finger (she sucked her pointer finger, not her thumb, and never used a pacifier) when she turned 3 as well after it worked with DS 4 years prior. It worked just as well with both of them. Both were totally convinced they would no longer need them once they turned 3, and on their birthdays stopped cold-turkey, never to start again. Amazing the power of mind over matter!

 

[Tam1067]

Both my thumb suckers (oldest DS and DD) quit cold turkey. DS was just starting kindergarten; DD was 4. No problems--they just decided they were done.

I was the same way, according to my mom. When I was almost 4, I decided I was done, and that was that.

Don't be surprised if her thumb goes into her mouth while she's sleeping though. I just wouldn't tell her about that.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

congrats! I did not have this kind of experience with DD9. She too was a thumb sucker. We talked about it, she tried on her own to stop and couldn't. In kindergarten, she broke her left arm and had an above the elbow cast - couldn't get her left thumb up to her mouth. I thought "this is it! woohoo! she'll stop." Nope - little stinker switched to her right thumb until the cast came off and then back to the left one.

We tried bribery (hey, it worked for potty training!) to no avail and finally our dentist said it was time for the thumb guard. Last March he attached a device to her back upper molars, looked like 3 paperclips hanging down. It took her a while to learn how to talk clearly with it in, and it took a week or so before she could easily go to sleep, and now she has a substitute crutch of listening to soft music all night instead of sucking on the thumb. The first few nights were rough, she cried off and on all night. One of the metal loops fractured after Christmas, and the dentist removed the guard at her appointment in January. She has not returned to sucking her thumb, but still won't sleep without her worn-out Lambie and the music going all night.

 

[Camno's Mama]

The little girl that I watch did the same thing. She pretty much gave it up overnight and hasn't gone back. She's so proud of herself. The other day she looked at me and said "I haven't sucked my thumb in a long time. I don't suck it anymore". It was like she was surprised...so cute!

 

[SueM in MN]

Both my DDs quit pretty much cold turkey. The oldest was 6 I think when she quit. She didn't have a tongue guard and the dentist said her teeth were not really out of place from thumb sucking, but she did have an expander in to move her back teeth out to make more room. She had a small appliance with a single wire.
When she quit, my younger DD decided she needed to quit too - she was 3. It was really funny to watch her for the first week or so. The thumb would 'sneak' into her mouth. She would look alarmed like "how did that get there", pull it out and put her hands between her legs or sit on them.

 

[DebRMN]

I hope it works for you!
After 1year old, my older dd used her binky for sleeping only until she was accustomed to her big bed (about 3y 3m) she screamed, blood curtling screams for an hour straight. She got a small gift inthe morning from the 'binky fairy'. She has been great ever since.
Her twin brother gave his up on his own before 2 1/2, but he likes to 'chew' on his fingers & things :shrug

Now my youngest, well, she likes her binky a good portion of the day. I did try to take it away during the day only, but after about a week I noticed the fingers & sometimes thumb in her mouth......so I gave the binky back.
She has been doing better lately though.....not using it as much......but no cold turkey with her thats for sure :lol


ETA~ my older two STILL use their Fisher Price Aquariums at night though.....which is fine by me, as long as they aren't waking ME up :lol
good luck!

 

[nwolak]

We're going to DW in March with our 27 month old twin boys. They are obsessed with Woody and Buzz. Does anyone know of any attractions, shows, etc. that we shouldn't miss?