I am asking this for a friend of mine. She has an 8 year old daughter that still sucks her thumb...she would like to know any suggestions you guys may have on getting her to stop and soon as it is really messing up her teeth. They have tried the gross tasting stuff, tape on fingers...rewards when she has gone a day without sucking...and other stuff as well...she doesn't suck it in school or around friends...just at home...in the car...any suggestions on this problem.
2006-09-26 05:21:20 · 13 answers · asked by Sara R 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
Ok, lets think of thumb-sucking as the security measure it's been. All of this hoopla to get her to quit sucking her thumb has meant increased anxiety in her which makes her want to do what? Suck her thumb.
It will run its course. I assure you that by the time she's in Jr. High, she won't do it. She'll have it socialized out of her. It will be a natural thing. My daughter is 7 and, after having visited her classroom, I see that a few other kids suck their thumbs, particularly during story time. It calms them. I see that one kid who did it last year doesn't do it this year so, for whatever reason, he's all done with that thumbsucking program.
Your friends daughter doesn't mean to be disobedient and doesn't want to feel abnormal. All this negative pressure is making her feel disapproved of, shamed, guilty. And the thing that makes her feel better under this kind of emotional assault is her thumb. Everyone should lay off. Watch how fast this rectifies itself.
As for the teeth trouble, try not to put too much of that on this little girl. Obviously, the thumbsucking is directly impacting this but all these attempts to correct it have only prolonged the behavior. Accept that this child may need 3,000.00 of braces. THAT'S only money. I'd be more concerned with damage done to her self-esteem from attempts to correct this behavior than with crooked teeth.
2006-09-26 05:28:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time she'll do it because she's bored, or relaxed. Give her something else to do. Give her a little thing of playdough, (a kneadable ereaser found at art supply stores works the same but won't dry out or get stuck in the carpet), paper and colored pencils, even a healthy snack of cheerios or something similar to that. At bed-time I'd put her to bed with a large sock on her hand, but it needs to be tight on the wrist. She won't be able to suck her thumb. Make up a special sign that you can give her when you catch her. It's really just going to take you making her consious of it, she probably doesn't even realize she's doing it. Don't nag constantly, it'll make both of you crazy! : )
2006-09-26 05:32:57 · answer #2 · answered by Melissa, That's me! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My previous boss sucked her thumb. She sucked her left one on an identical time as she become writing and her suitable one something of the time - she's 30+ and has very comparable formed tooth as Josie! one in all my granddaughters in easy terms stopped while she become sixteen !
2016-10-18 00:23:38 · answer #3 · answered by hosford 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you cant make her break the habit. my sister was a finger sucker for the longest time and her teeth were bad but when she got her adult teeth they came in fine, I on the other hand, was never a thumb sucker and didnt even like a pacifier and I had the worse teeth my orthidontist had ever seen. just tell your friend to be prepared to get her daughter braces if it comes to that.
2006-09-26 05:31:37 · answer #4 · answered by flutterflie04 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I sucked my thumb when I was little, and I now have an overbite, and require to get braces to fix it. Try putting gloves on her hands she won't want to suck the gloves and it might help her to stop
2006-09-26 05:29:47 · answer #5 · answered by Ali Z 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it is perfectly normal. its natures own way of saying that she is insecure and that is like a nipple and that says that maybe there is a crisis going on in her life right now. maybe you could check and see if anything is going on. because when you are a baby when you are hurt what do you do get a bottle or nurse. its the same w/thumb sucking maybe se is insecure over something.
2006-09-26 05:30:17 · answer #6 · answered by I Smoke Cigarettes 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My ex is in his 40s and still sucks his thumb daily and hes got s real nice set of pearly white
2006-09-26 05:29:50 · answer #7 · answered by poconewyorkwanda 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tabasco Sauce
2006-09-26 05:23:28 · answer #8 · answered by bradnmich2003 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I stopped sucking mine in a competition with a neighborhood kid. We had a bet who could stop first. I won
2006-09-26 05:30:14 · answer #9 · answered by Pam 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my sons 5th birthday was coming up and i said i will buy you anything you want, if you quit sucking your thumb.. just tell me what you want.. he said a remote control car.. i bought it 2 weeks before his birthday and put it on top of the frig where he could see it.. and wow it worked : )
2006-09-26 05:35:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋