How do I get my 6 year old son to stop sucking his thumb?

Answer 1

I have a now 22 year old daughter who was a thumb sucker. Ultimately, we were not able to do anything to make her stop. She ended up having to stop on her own when she wanted to. We tried severally different types of ointments made to prevent nail-biting and thumb-sucking. She developed a taste for them as well as for hot sauce. We bought a plastic thumb guard and taped it on. She figured out how to remove it to suck her thumb and then put it back on. We made her sleep in gloves. We tried sticker charts, offers of toys, trips, and food. As she got older, she did suck her thumb less and it seemed to be more around the times when she was tired, watching TV, or doing something inactive. When she was about your son's age, we began requiring her to only suck her thumb in her room. We developed a hand signal that meant "take your thumb out of your mouth or go to your room". In public, the signal meant "take your thumb out of your mouth". We never did find anything that worked for our daughter. If you ask her she'll only say that she was "pretty old" when she stopped sucking it. She was about 8 or 9 when I think I began to notice her without her thumb in her mouth when she watched TV.
Added: By the way, my daughter never needed braces. Her pediatrician talked to her as did our dentist, several times, about trying to stop because of possible teeth misalignment.

Answer 2

I had the same problem with my daughter and I ended up taking her to the dentist when she was four because I was so worried about it. The dentist was actually extremely helpful. He ended up showing her pictures of what she could be doing to her teeth and facial features. She was so determined after that, she slept with mittens on and it took her about 2-3 weeks to completely stop sucking her thumb. She's 7 now, and still ended up needing braces but at least she stopped putting her thumb in her mouth. Good luck! By the way, there are other options the dentist supply also, like a metal plate on the roof of the mouth for a while so they can't suck their thumb.

Answer 3

My parents tried everything for me until we saw another dentist, he told them that I'll stop sucking when I'm good and ready to. But most of my thumb sucking was at night to help me fall asleep. You could try to paint his thumb with this liquid called OFF (they had it when I was a kid, they might still have it) it was designed to help kids stuck sucking their thumb and bitting their nails.

Answer 4

It's most likely a security thing, so let him suck his thumb. He'll stop eventually, six is still young. Don't do the Tabasco thing, or get angry at him. It's a comforting thing for him, and it will really mess with his mind if you try and "punish" him for doing it.

Good luck to you!

Answer 5

I sucked my thumb till i turned right into a teen, and it did cut back to rubble my tooth. My father and mom tried each little thing from, undesirable tasting stuff, putting mitts on me and duct taping them on to putting tape or band aids on my thumb. I nonetheless got here upon a fashion. It become more effective of a comforting ingredient to me, even as i become drained i might want to do it. So particularly than putting your little ones by way of all that terrible stuff that probable wont artwork. anytime you be conscious them putting their thumb of their mouth tell them that they favor to flow to mattress because they're drained, it really is why they're sucking their thumb. And understanding little ones, they wont pick to flow to mattress, little ones pick to stay wakeful as long as they could. yet even as they're in mattress, i do not comprehend what you may do. Its only a habit, and they probable do not even comprehend they're doing it till being advised that they are, it really is the way it become for me. i presumed i might want to easily allow you to comprehend from a previous thumb suckers attitude, perchance you are able to figure out some thing from there. good success

Answer 6

He will stop when he wants to. I stopped at age 12 and I did it because I figured by then I just looked ridiculous. By the way, my parents tried everything i.e., nasty tasting stuff, pepper, hot pepper and even dipping my finger in the toilet. I washed my finger off with lots of soap and stuck it right back in my mouth.

Answer 7

Take a cotton ball sprinkle a little hot sauce on it and just dab it on his thumb ! GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

there's this finger nail polish you can get that taste real bad from "Sally's", it's a beauty supply store. don't worry, it goes on clear! umm... it worked for my sister, she sucked her thumb untl she was 9. good luck!

Answer 9

Tobasco sauce on his thumb. He won't do it again.

Answer 10

buy nasty tasting clear nail polish and paint his thumb with it.