My daughter is 19 months and cant stop sucking her thumb I dont know what to do to make her stop, I took her to the dentist because it is starting to reshape her baby teeth but they said since she is so young there is nothing they can do. Has anyone have this problem with their young children? what did you do?
2006-10-27 10:33:06 · 9 answers · asked by marine_wife001 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
her baby teeth will fall out and she will get her permanent ones...the whole sucking your thumb makes your teeth crooked myth is nothing but a myth...i will say it out loud, i sucked my thumb until i was 8...never had buck teeth or braces...i am 27 and have nice straight teeth with no gaps...
she is 19 months old so you can really reason with her and talk to her about it...when i was younger, my mom put some nasty stuff on my thumb and that would tell my brain that i need to stop or i would have that yucky taste in my mouth..
they make these gadgets that you can put on their thumbs so that they cannot get them into theirs mouths...thumb sucking is a way for children to soothe themselves...you could try to re-direct her towards something else that could soothe her, like a blanket, a soft stuffed bear...good luck
2006-10-27 10:43:55 · answer #1 · answered by sherichance79 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's only 19 months. I would let her be for now. There's no reason to be concerned until about three according to stuff I've heard. Babies suck their thumb for a variety of reasons. Stress and teething are two of the biggest reasons. I would personally have my child attatch to a blanket or stuffed animal. If you aren't a stay at home mom, make a pillow or some other stuffed thing out of a shirt with your scent of perfume on it. If she is teething, try offering her a popsicle or teething cracker.
Just watch when she sucks her thumb to see what might be the reason for it and go from there.
2006-10-27 10:38:29 · answer #2 · answered by Annie Hightower 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think I sucked my thumb until i was 10, my teeth are perfectly straight without braces, just tell her thumb sucking is for babies and that she is a big girl
2006-10-27 11:14:11 · answer #3 · answered by fourcheeks4 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its natural for kids to suck on their thumb, some kids do it for years and years... it'll go away after a while, and it doesnt reshape your teeth, you suck w/ your lips not teeth, i remember my cousin didnt stop sucking his thumb till he was like 5 or 6
2006-10-27 10:48:31 · answer #4 · answered by Paris, je t'aime 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
whatever you do, please do not punish or shame her, do not tape her hands or make her wear mittens, do not use hot sauce or anything on her hands. She is doing it to comfort herself, and any negative attention will only reinforce the need for comfort, so accept her and love her and ignore the habit, she'll give it up when she's ready. It probably won't affect her pemanent teeth at all, so don't worry mom. My son did it too, and he has beautiful straight teeth, no problems.
2006-10-27 10:56:52 · answer #5 · answered by Squirrley Temple 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Other than chopping it off, you could try putting a little vinegar or lemon on it so it will be sour. You'll have to keep at it until she gets the point and breaks the habit.
Maybe try giving her a pacifier.
2006-10-27 10:37:15 · answer #6 · answered by Harushnakarvikonivonich Hakopyan 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Don't worry about it till your daughter is older and when she gets older she may have to get braces.
2006-10-27 10:41:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a myth . . . it does not make you have buck teeth. there is a bad-tasting polish you can use, but not sure if it is okay for one so young. check at your local pharmacy
2006-10-27 10:35:54 · answer #8 · answered by dalbones2 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Get her to stop. Because as she gets older, she may crave to suck other things.
2006-10-27 10:36:00 · answer #9 · answered by FrozenCloud 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋