My 5 year olds still suck their thumbs, both while asleep and while awake. Any suggestions for getting them to stop? They do it in front of other kids, so they don't seem to care what others will think of them.
2006-10-09 07:32:24 · 13 answers · asked by who-wants-to-know 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
you cant make them stop. i used to suck my thumb till i was a lot older than 5. my parents always got after me to stop, trying all sorts of things, putting something nasty tasting on it so i wouldnt want it, or my dad would check my thumbs randomly to see if i had had them in my mouth. but nothing ever worked. til one day i decided and never did it again. then years later i learned in psychology that there are different stages, thumbsuckers are usually those stuck in the oral fixation stage. if you make them stop, then they will start biting nails, later smoke, etc. so my advice, is just to let it go. it will run its own course, and hey if it comforts you and you can learn to just be yourself around others at an early age, then i think its even a benefit.
2006-10-09 07:39:55 · answer #1 · answered by loveboatcaptain 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Are they twins? If so, they surely will not care about what other kids think! They have a life partner who also sucks their thumb. Try to give them a sense of being a big boy or girl when they are doing other things. Let them know that when you start school you won't have time to suck your thumb. You will be busy painting, reading, center time, new friends....who DON'T suck their thumbs. Reward them both as a team and individuals. "susie you are doing such a great job helping mikey not suck his thumb" Good luck, Im 52, and the comfort is still necessary.
2006-10-09 14:51:09 · answer #2 · answered by Luna Dia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thumb guards work pretty well. Try putting a child safe bitterent on the thumb as well. My friend did a reward chart. For everyday that went by that her child didn't suck her thumb she got a silver star and after so many days she gets a gold start for making it through one week, two weeks, etc. She rewards each gold start with a fun activity or going to a movie or a treat. It worked for her.
2006-10-09 14:36:47 · answer #3 · answered by d4cav_dragoons_wife84 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you push them to stop, they will get more insecure and do it more. I didn't stop sucking my thumb until I was about 7 or 8 years old. I stayed the night at a friends house and she made fun of me and I stopped! LOL. If you're still concerned, you can reach a compromise. Tell your child that you're concerned because thumb sucking can cause buck teeth (although it didn't do it to mine) and that you understand they still want to suck their thumb. Tell them you don't mind if they suck it, but they can only do it during bedtime or when they're at home. That might work to lessen the times they do it and then finally, they will stop. Good luck!
BTW: Love Boat is correct. I bite my nails to this day.
2006-10-09 14:42:37 · answer #4 · answered by ggirl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well...my younger sis sucked her thumb til she was 7, my mom did everything she could- vinegar, hot sauce, taping it, etc, and nothing worked, until my sister wanted to stop. A little girl at my church is 4 and still uses a pacifier. It is pretty much a security and comfort thing with kids, and when they start feeling more secure and grown up, they will stop on theirown.
2006-10-09 14:41:20 · answer #5 · answered by Jamie J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put band-aids on their thumbs to remind them not to suck on them. If push comes to shove, put a SMALL amount of hot sauce on their thumbs so that when they put it in their mouths, they will know not to do it anymore!
2006-10-09 14:38:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anna Mae 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well... my brother use to do that and he used a binkey 2 when he was a toddler.... later in life she is going to have very bad teeth.... her bottom and top teeth will start to push inside because now thats shes older she sucks harder... which makes it easier for he teeth to to push inside...... ask a dentist.... im going to become an orthadontist so i have to no these things..... tell them about a binkey fairy.... if they give ALL of their binkeys to the fairy they will get a toy or a vacation to disneyland or money... you know something to get them excited so they will give a quick reaction to it... i did that with my brother and he took it right out of his mouth and but it in a bag (that i said i will give to her lol but i realy threw them out or you can save 1 or 2 to put in a memory box and give it to them when they get older so they can treasure it and show it to their kids to show it to their kids and so on )
the Binkey fairy will help trust me it works for my brothers and i assure you it will work for you!!
2006-10-09 14:45:59 · answer #7 · answered by BS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
start calling her a baby and telling her that babies suck their thumbs. If she's going to suck her thumb like a baby, call her a baby.
2006-10-09 14:37:49 · answer #8 · answered by jevic 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
THEY HAVE A CLEAR NAIL POLISH THAT U CAN PUT ON THE NAIL AND WHEN THEY GO TO SUCK IT THEY GET A NASTY TASTE IN THEIR MOUTH U CAN GET IT AT A DRUG STORE
2006-10-12 19:22:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
we puts like a spice or suttin on therer thumb.. like pepper
2006-10-09 15:10:58 · answer #10 · answered by lilmissthang025 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋