She has a few favorite cloth diapers she calls her hankies and she only does this in the car or when she watches tv or goes to sleep. We cut the corners off on most of them to keep her nose safe and to be more sanitary, but she still sucks her fingers and then shell stick her finger in her nose. Once she is asleep it all comes out and the dentist says it hasnt affectied her teeth yet and wont because it doesnt stay in while she is sleeping. I dont let her take it to preschool or in to stores, but she wont suck her fingers unless she has a hanky. Will she outgrow this or how can I get her off it. My husband sucked his fingers when he was little too, I dont know if that matters...
2006-10-07 17:50:01 · 11 answers · asked by wtrmlnqueen 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
I sucked my middle two fingers and held my ear with the other hand unitl I was in 5th grade and went to get braces because it really did do a job on my teeth, but I did sleep most the night with my fingers in my mouth and any free second I could...lol. It definitly was a comfort thing!
I think it would be best to slowly ween her away from this while she is still young. But don't push maybe she'll stop on her own or out grow it like you said.
Try maybe cutting the hanky down to just bedtime, then work it away by every other night let her have it, then a couple times a week, to once a week....etc. until no more hanky.
2006-10-07 18:08:57 · answer #1 · answered by JB 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suggest braking her easy on taking the Hankies away. I had my baby blanket and had to have it everywhere I went until I was about 7, no joke. My mom tried to throw it away many times and I took it out of the trash every time. I got so attactched when my mom finally took it away and put it in a closet I would go to my bed at night then get up and go sleep in the closets bottom shelf with my blanket. I had very serious withdrawls from it. It was horrible. Help her to understand now that she doesnt need them! Good Luck!
2006-10-07 17:55:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will probably grow out of it, to be honest with you. If she doesn't by around seven or eight, then it's time to see someone who can take this proffesionally, like a counselor, a doctor, anyone. It's a habit that can be stopped. She's only four, though, just let her have fun with it! :] She'll most likely outgrow it, but if not, I'd suggest taking it to proffesionals about it. Dont get too worked up, my brother used to studder like Porky Pig, but he got counseling when he was nine, and he's absolutely fine now.
2006-10-07 17:54:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My son sucked his thumb at night until he was 7 and it was very hard to get him to stop. Forget the stuff you put on the nails. We finally showed him pictures of what it would do to his teeth and bribed him with a toy if he went a week, then two, then three without the thumb and he finally stopped. You need to use positive reinforcement. If she leaves her diaper alone for a day she gets a star after five stars take her for ice cream or another treat...etc.
2006-10-07 18:04:50 · answer #4 · answered by dee 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry about it. The more you focus on it, the more anal retentive your daughter will be in her adulthood. A lot of the neurotic behavior seen today is rooted in the overbearing parenting of some.
Or- you could just cut off the fingers she's been sucking on.
2006-10-07 18:03:21 · answer #5 · answered by CyndiLauperfan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why is it so important to you for her to stop this? It gives her comfort and it won't affect her teeth. The shape of the mouth is determined by dna/genetics not by finger/thumb or even toe sucking. Leave her alone, allow her a little comfort even if she continues through adulthood. It's not hurting you or her.
2006-10-07 17:54:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
hopefully she will out grow this,i've seen grown people sucking their fingers it looks so funny.this habit makes them feel comforted and secure. but it's a habit that needs to be broken before she damages her teeth. steady correct her whenever she does that she won't like it in the begining and might cry cause she can't have her way that normal after a while she'll stop and point out to her big girls don't do that good luck
2006-10-07 17:57:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had my baby blanket since I was in 10th grade, I could not go to sleep w/o it, I just needed it it was a big confrot to me... I knew I was to old to have it so I put it in a bag and put it away, I try to take it out a few times becuase I missed it. If I could take it I would and start sleeping with it again.
My brother who is 26 sleep with his baby blanket till he was 24 years old, till my mother took it from his house... HAHA
2006-10-07 18:00:31 · answer #8 · answered by pritty_eyed_baby 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my youngest sister sucked her middle fingers, my dad put hot cinnamon on them but nothing stopped her, he was determined to make her quit, he put her arm in a cast and she pulled out all of her eyelashes........................then he felt bad and just let it go. She quit when she was about 8, however I have a nephew that is 20 (her son) who never sucks his thumb except in his sleep, in the picture of him in my sisters tummy he has his thumb in his little mouth.
2006-10-07 17:55:21 · answer #9 · answered by ladynamedjane 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will out grow it eventually. Right now, its something that gives her"comfort" . I don't think it will be a problem:)
2006-10-07 17:59:05 · answer #10 · answered by ralahinn1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋