I have a sister who won't stop sucking her thumb and she is ruining her teeth. She almost does it all the time, regardless of my parents' objections. She is six years old and I want her to stop her habbit before she enters the first grade. I tell her that the only person who can stop this is herself, but she is intent on continuing. Does anyone have any suggestions?
2006-07-01 03:51:38 · 18 answers · asked by LostLoca 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
for starters tell her if she wants to suck her thumb to go to her room to do it.you cannot stop a thumb sucker.i still suck mine sometimes if i can't sleep.if you tell her not to do it in front of people she will slowly stop doing it all the time and just do it at night.the more pressured she feels the more she will do it.
2006-07-01 03:58:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would definitely not put pepper or hot sauce or anything like that on your sister. At six you are quite able to ask her why she thinks she sucks her thumb. Appeal to her sense of being a very pretty little girl [no buck teeth or bent thumb, and she is a big girl now].Try the reward system [start with her not sucking her thumb in company and then not at all] so she can ease into the change. Be patient and understanding as this is usually a comfort thing and shouting, belittling and threatening, could be permanently damaging. Good luck!
2006-07-01 04:29:20 · answer #2 · answered by iamjustcurious 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your not breaking that habbit it breaks on its own youll just have to wait but i can see why you wouldnt want this to continue into first grade so i recomend that you put a band aid on the thumb she sucks so that she wont put it in her mouth but if she takes it off dont try all that stupid "dip her thumb in hot sauce" crap because that doesnt work i used to be a thumb sucker age 1-7 you break the habbit on your own what you need to do is show her what her teeth will end up looking like if she continues as her sister i would probably let your parents handle it you were right it is up to her but as a child she dosnt realize the serious damage it could do to her teeth so you need to show her buy a book on teeth and show her pictures of teeth that have been damaged do to thumb sucking youll scare it out of her =P
2006-07-01 04:02:09 · answer #3 · answered by Jenna 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only effective way to stop a child from sucking his thumb is his own desire to stop. I sucked my thumb until I was 11. But what got me to stop was when I asked my grade school counselor if my friends and I could spend the night over her house and she said we could if I quit sucking my thumb for a week. That was the only offer I wanted and accepted to quit sucking my thumb. But think about this, what things are there in your life that you haven't quit doing? Don't try to bribe him. He knows what he's doing. Give the kid more credit than that. Ask him to write down 3 things that he would like to do if he quit sucking his thumb. And tell him you will reward him with one thing for not sucking it for a week. He will feel good for 1) accomplishing his own goal and 2) being rewarded for accomplishing a task. Great life skills and well as removing a habit. Good luck.
2016-03-27 00:03:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Which is the prime reason to give a baby a pacifier and not use their thumb!
Here's what you do.
You need combat the insecurity. She sucks her thumb for security. Try putting a dime store cheap ring on her thumb. she's old enough not to choke on it. But if it's big and bulky enough, she will obstruct her sucking and remind her that thumb sucking isn't a 'big girl' thing to do. Tell her when she has stopped sucking her thumb altogether, mom will buy her a real golden ring to show how grown up she is.
2006-07-01 03:59:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can try putting that nail type junk on her thumbs. Or you can try the reward system, if there is something she has really been wanting. Tell she can have it, but she has to not be sucking her thumb, say for a month and if she does it then you go and buy what she wanted.
2006-07-01 03:57:35 · answer #6 · answered by Linds 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We painted tabasco sauce on our children's thumbs/fingers. But, we talked with our pediatrician about this. Sucking of the thumb/fingers provide a sense of security and safety for babies and young children. If a young child is stopped before he/she is ready to then you may see some psycological impairment. Braces are less expensive than counselling for a life time. Our children are older and I wish I never would have painted their thumbs/fingers. I wish we would have listened to the pediatrician.
2006-07-01 04:02:40 · answer #7 · answered by whimsy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave her alone. I'm 24 and still suck my thumb and have the straightest teeth in my family. I've never worn braces, and my dentist is amazed... it's not always a given that it will screw up your teeth. By the way, why do you care? It's not your teeth or your thumb?!?!
2006-07-01 05:31:32 · answer #8 · answered by blahblahgrl 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can cover her thumb with a sour material .I think the bad taste will prevent her doing that.
2006-07-01 03:58:45 · answer #9 · answered by Ahmad 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I heard that you should put pepper or something hot like hot sause on her thumb when she's sleep. Then gradually, she wont want to suck it anymore
2006-07-01 03:56:43 · answer #10 · answered by Lost 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋