Question for the parent of thumb suckers

[tiff211]

DD1 sucks her thumb. I personally think it's cute especially when she is snuggling with me, holding her pooh and pops it in her mouth. DH doesn't like it because he says there are kids in his class (he teaches 5th grade) that still suck their thumb and it's not cute then. Plus of course what it will do to her teeth. So, my question is did it bother you that your child is/was a thumbsucker? How did you stop them from doing so and at what age? Lastly, how are their teeth?

 

[mickeyboat]

I sucked my thumb until I was 8, usually only at night. My parentstryed everything - band-aids, bad tasting stuff - and finally bribing me worked to get me to stop.

I didn't have trouble with my teeth, but I had a huge callous on my thumb.

My kids didn't use their thumb, but Emily had a pacifier. We stressed about taking away that stupid thing, which happened when she was 3. DH and I were talking about it the other day, and commented how silly it was to get so worked up about it because she would have given it up eventually, and she really loved it. I wonder if she will need therapy.

Denae

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My daughter is 5 1/2 and has been sucking her thumb since she was 9 months old. It's pretty much only in her mouth when she's really sleepy. I've noticed recently that her front bottom teeth are kind of crooked. That's the only reason it bothers me. I just don't want her teeth ruined.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

DD5 is a going to sleep thumbsucker. Then her thumb falls out. The only other time was once going to preschool and some kids were wailing and she got scared and popped her thumb in.

Her teeth do not not stick out. She will need braces but so did her non thumbsucking older brother. Too many teeth in a small jaw.

Not worrying about it.

 

[Galahad]

DS#2 was a thumb sucker. We did nothing at all to intervene and he gave it up on his own at about age 5.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Not a parent, but I sucked my thumb until I was 8. Nothing worked to get me to stop, not even when I'd split the skin. In fact, I don't remember what made me stop - I just did.

My teeth came in perfectly straight. I've never had braces. I do have gaps and my two eyeteeth grew in pointed (I have caps now), but the dentist said that the thumb-sucking had nothing to do with it.

 

[Lizzy2]

My DD5 sucks her thumb when she's sleepy or sometimes when she's upset. She has sucked it since she was coordinated enough to get it to her mouth- 3m.? and she holds the opposite ear when she does it and rubs her ear like some kids would a blanket. We have an ultrasound at 7m. where her hands are up by her ears so I feel pretty sure she was sucking her thumb in utero. My brothers and I all sucked our fingers/thumbs to get to sleep until we were in grade school. I say all of this to say, she will give it up when she is ready. The bigger deal you make of this the more she will feel stubborn about giving it up. It is a part of her body afterall and its not like you could take it away from her like a binky. My ped. told me when she was very small that this was her version of a "lovey" or "blankie" and since I vividly remember my "bobby"(blanket) there is no way I'm telling/making her stop. When she doesn't need it anymore she'll quit.
And for your DD at one, I think you guys have a few years to go with all of this. She's still a little baby.

 

[Lizzy2]

My DD5 sucks her thumb when she's sleepy or sometimes when she's upset. She has sucked it since she was coordinated enough to get it to her mouth- 3m.? and she holds the opposite ear when she does it and rubs her ear like some kids would a blanket. We have an ultrasound at 7m. where her hands are up by her ears so I feel pretty sure she was sucking her thumb in utero. My brothers and I all sucked our fingers/thumbs to get to sleep until we were in grade school. I say all of this to say, she will give it up when she is ready. The bigger deal you make of this the more she will feel stubborn about giving it up. It is a part of her body afterall and its not like you could take it away from her like a binky. My ped. told me when she was very small that this was her version of a "lovey" or "blankie" and since I vividly remember my "bobby"(blanket) there is no way I'm telling/making her stop. When she doesn't need it anymore she'll quit.
And for your DD at one, I think you guys have a few years to go with all of this. She's still a little baby.

Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I never had to have braces and my teeth are great.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My DD5 sucks her thumb when she's sleepy or sometimes when she's upset. She has sucked it since she was coordinated enough to get it to her mouth- 3m.? and she holds the opposite ear when she does it and rubs her ear like some kids would a blanket. We have an ultrasound at 7m. where her hands are up by her ears so I feel pretty sure she was sucking her thumb in utero. My brothers and I all sucked our fingers/thumbs to get to sleep until we were in grade school. I say all of this to say, she will give it up when she is ready. The bigger deal you make of this the more she will feel stubborn about giving it up. It is a part of her body afterall and its not like you could take it away from her like a binky. My ped. told me when she was very small that this was her version of a "lovey" or "blankie" and since I vividly remember my "bobby"(blanket) there is no way I'm telling/making her stop. When she doesn't need it anymore she'll quit.
And for your DD at one, I think you guys have a few years to go with all of this. She's still a little baby.

My daughter's the same way! She holds her opposite ear when she sucks her thumb and I even have an u/s picture of her doing that in utero! Too funny.

 

[cepmom]

DD6 is (was) a thumbsucker since she was 12 weeks old. It was then that she was able to sleep through the night! I thought it was so cute and I didn't mind it one bit, until her teeth got messed up. There is a "hole" where her teeth are that her thumb fits perfectly into ~ her top teeth are pushed forward a bit while her bottom teeth are pushed back like they literally grew in around her thumb. The dentist told me not to worry about it until her permanent teeth started coming in. He said if she stopped before then, she probably wouldn't have any trouble.

I tried everything I could think of (not the bitter tasting stuff though ~ my Mom used that on me and I swore I would never do that to her!) I even told her she could get her ears pierced when she stopped for good. She really wanted her ears pierced, but couldn't seem to give up her thumb.

This past summer we noticed she was getting warts on her fingers (I know ~ gross) so I asked our pediatrician how to treat them and she said to cover them with duct tape for 6 days, take it off and if it was still there try again for 6 days and so on until the wart went away. Well she had one on the thumb that she sucks so we had to cover it with duct tape. She didn't like it at all because she couldn't suck her thumb, but eventually gave it up I am just waiting to be sure she's done for good and then I'm taking her to get her ears pierced.

I don't think there's a lot you can do to make her stop...I think that she will stop on her own when she's ready.

 

[Poohgirl]

My DD(10) has been a thumbsucker since birth. I was never one to nag him about it. He sucks his thumb and holds his ear with his other hand. As he got older, and we were out in public etc. I would kindly tug it out of his mouth. Now I only catch himdoing it when he is extremely tired and falling alseep in bed. But it is waning. His teeth are fine. BTW I sucked my thumb until I was about 7-8 and my teeth look like I have had braces!

 

[castleview]

My DD7 sucks her thumb when she's in bed or bored (usually in the car). She has significantly decreased her thumbsucking as she's gotten older. I was nearly 10 when I stopped sucking my own thumb and I think I went that long because my mother made such an issue of it: bitter appled and red peppered my thumb, nearly apologized to anyone who would listen for me sucking my thumb, etc.

I've tried not to make a big deal and when the dentist told me she would need orthodontic work eventually, I asked if it was because of the thumb - he emphatically stated "NO".

 

[Makdyn]

dd6 Still sucks her thumb. when she is tried watching tv in the car I can not get her to stop. Her teeth are bad. The front ones are pushed out and looks like a rainbow. she has gaps between her front teeth. Her bottom ones are not as bad but she lost her front bottom teeth maybe about a year ago and they still have not grown in all the way. they are half way up. Right now she has four loose teeth to top front teeth and the two bottom side teeth. I am hoping when the two top fall out she will stop. Sometime she chews on her thumb not sure why. OH and her breath omg it can kill you it has kill me a couple of times. I have her brush her teeth at nite and in the morning and then use mouth wash in the morning to back sure her breath smells fresh. We floss at night but every morning it is like death coming out. It is my fault that she is a thimb sucker because I forget her binkys one day and she was cryin for it so I shoved her thumb in. What was I thinking.

 

[kidshop]

My ds who is almost 4, has been a thumbsucker since 6 months of age. It doesn't bother me, and I won't do anything to stop it. He'll outgrow it when he's ready. Life is hard enough, I think kids should be allowed to comfort themselves. Think of all the oral habits adults have...smoking, eating, nail biting, gum chewing etc. Personally, I think if forced to stop one comfort behavior, another one (possibly worse) will be substituted!

 

[Raysplus1]

Our DD2 is a thumb sucker. She seems to only do it at night and as soon as any strangers are around in goes the thumb. We have not really tried anything to get her to stop. Our Dr. said not to worry about it until she is 4, that she may outgrow it. I doubt that she will stop anytime soon. We are always telling her "No thumb" and she takes it out but after a few minutes its back in. She does have an overbite and most likely will need braces.

 

[princesspumpkin]

DS#2 was a thumb sucker. We did nothing at all to intervene and he gave it up on his own at about age 5.

Ditto. DD's top teeth are a little crooked - she could use braces if we wanted her teeth to look perfect, but I think that they look just fine the way they are.

 

[goofinoff]

My dd5 1/2 sucks her thumb. Mostly when she's tired. Occassionally in the car when we are driving somewhere. I have told her that once she loses her front teeth and her big teeth start to grow in, that she needs to stop. She has actually gotten better. Her thumb used to be in her mouth all the time.
My dd4 sucks her thumb too. Not as much as her sister. Usually when she goes to bed or doesn't feel good.
I have seen in catalogs a "brace" type of thing that you can put on their thumb so they won't suck it. I don't know. I think they are both going to need braces someday anyway. DD5 has lost several teeth on the bottom and her big teeth are crooked. It's really not anything that you can stop them from doing, in my opinion. It's not like you can take it away from them like you could with a passie.

 

[tiff211]

My dd5 1/2 sucks her thumb. Mostly when she's tired. Occassionally in the car when we are driving somewhere. I have told her that once she loses her front teeth and her big teeth start to grow in, that she needs to stop. She has actually gotten better. Her thumb used to be in her mouth all the time.
My dd4 sucks her thumb too. Not as much as her sister. Usually when she goes to bed or doesn't feel good.
I have seen in catalogs a "brace" type of thing that you can put on their thumb so they won't suck it. I don't know. I think they are both going to need braces someday anyway. DD5 has lost several teeth on the bottom and her big teeth are crooked. It's really not anything that you can stop them from doing, in my opinion. It's not like you can take it away from them like you could with a passie.

DH has the bright idea of giving her a passie so we can take it away when she's 3. She will take one look at that thing and say "anyway" and pop her thumb in her mouth!

 

[mrsltg]

My 5 year old sucks her thumb when she's home and she's tired. We're telling her now that it's only something to be done at home - not school or when we're out and about. I have no plans to intervene and I figure she'll give it up when she's ready. I've always figured my kids will have braces so no biggie there, either!

 

[KTSMOM]

My DD is almost 6 and she has been sicking her thumb since she was in utero. Actually the first ultrasound I have of her shows her thumb in her mouth. She really only sucks it now when she's tired or has her favorite stuffed animal with her. Since she's not allowed to take that to school we've eliminated sucking our thumb at school. She still does it at home at night when she's going to bed. I asked the dentist about it and he said she will need braces due to an overbite anyway. I try not to push her but I did try to bribe her if she would quit. It worked for about a day. I figure she will eventually give it up...just the question of when.