How do I get my four year old daughter to stop sucking on her fingers?

Question

My four year old constantly sucks on her ring and middle fingers, this sucking is starting to affect her teeth and I am becoming concerned.

Answer 1

Try making a reward chart for her, use either m&m's or coins... coins especially if she would want to buy toys. Start her off with a dollar in nickels. Every time you see her do this behavior, take a nickel out. When you;ve noticed that she's gone... an hour... or a morning without doing this, put in a nickel or a quarter. Let her practice counting her money to save up for a toy that she wants. You can even up it to a quarter all the time if that is something that you feel you can do. I know it sounds like bribery but it really is a reward-based idea that will hopefully work for you.

Answer 2

I used to do the same thing and sucked on my fingers (middle and ring finger) till I was six years old. My Mom tried everything, applying hot sauce to the fingers, some kind of icky stuff, and nothing worked. I would endure the gross stuff just to suck on my fingers. Later when I was older (six or seven) my dentist made a little mouth peice with prongs, so whenever I stuck my fingers in my mouth I got poked. It was pretty harsh and I had a hard time after it was in, but after like 3 weeks it fell out and I haven't sucked my fingers since. I'm not suggesting this for your three-year-old, I don't know if you have much to worry about. Sometimes if you take something like that away from them so young they start stuttering and stuff. Ask your doctor and see what they might say. I do know that it was hard at first for me to stop, but I did live through my treatment, and I don't remember it being TOO horrible. I wish you good luck.
(Sucking my fingers DID make my tooth crooked, I had braces for three years and several types of retainers.)

Answer 3

my son did the same thing. putting stuff on his fingers didn't work, he would just suck it right off. so everytime i saw him do it i would make him follow me to the kitchen and i would put i little tobascco sauce on his tongue and teeth. if she bites when you do this try a cheap childs water color paint brush, clean of course. i use the same thing when he uses bad language, spits or sticks out his tongue. he was about 3 1/2 when he finally stopped sucking his fingers, but then he just started biting his nails. it wasn't very hard to stop that. one day he bit too low and it started bleeding so i told him that germs from his mouth will get in there and hurt his finger and that was that. he is 5 now.

Answer 4

There is a special enamel of nails for children that you can buy. When you paint their nails with that nothing happens, but at the moment that they take their fingers to the mouth, trust me, they will totally regret it because that enamel tastes terribly, and it works very well. Hope it works!

Answer 5

Go to her doctor about it, they will most likely have the answer.Or try tobacco sauce, just put dab on her fingers.Then tell her not to put fingers in her mouth anymore. It may seem alittle mean, but it might work. It won't her any, just give her bread or milk to cool her mouth off.

Answer 6

ok. where can i start, first let me introduce my self, call me laylay dats my nick name i use dat b/c i don't trust ppl... so if i get to no u better i'll tell u but ne wayz... the answer 2 ur question: about the fingers other ppl are probaly telling u to put some limes or something sour on her fingers don't do it. b/c wonder if your daughter rubs her eyes and it get in its goin to BURN so all you needs to do is find something she loves and tell her if you don't stop suckin your fingers your not going to get it back OR take her to toys r us make her pick something she loves and then tell her stop suckin your fingers and i'll buy it 4 you. you can e-mail me at [e-mail]. plz e-mail me so i can c how it has been goin.

Answer 7

I once heard there is a nail polish that tastes horrible therefore stopping the urge to suck her finger.

Answer 8

Hot sauce doesn't work, it may for a day or so but she'll just grow to like the taste. There isn't much out there (take it from a thumb sucker) that will stop her. I say stop reacting to it she'll eventually grow out of it like most children.

Answer 9

i had a nephew who sucked on his one big toe. I don't remember what my sister did but some of those other answers sounds like abuse. I like rewarding children for good behavior it is more positive for them. My sister in law had a potty chart for my nephew that he got to put a certain color sticker on if he remembered to wash his hands after going to the bathroom and you get the idea

Answer 10

They have a special liquid out there, you put it on like nail polish and it's suppose to taste bad when your child sucks it's thumb. You can find it in just about any drug store.