Thumbsucking prevention ideas?!!!!?

Question

My 9 year old boy still sucks his thumb and I've tried just about everything under the sun to get him to stop. I've tried coating his fingernail with all kinds of nasty stuff, I've tried wrapping his thumb with tape, I've made him wear a glove....I've even trried to bribe him with money or a PS3. I've even embarrassed him in front of some relatives and friends hoping that he will get the hint. I've already had to pay one time for him to have major dental surgery to fix all of his cavities and I told him that if he needs additional procedures done later on in life because of his habit, he's gonna have to come up with the money himself because it's ALL preventable and I refuse to pay for it again. Am I being too hard? Anyone have any original ideas about what I can do to make him stop?

Answer 1

my sister is 13 and still sucks hers
in my own experience i would leave them alone
i know!! its gross and iritating but for them its a habit that is not easily undone, and putting more pressure on kids only makes it worse. yes my sister will have braces on for the next few years. she hates it but soon she will learn what she needs to do - and she will see she needs to do it for her! not anyone else.
i think you are being to hard on him
hes just a kid and you cant through money into the mix it just makes then feel like crap about them selves and then theyve got to deal with self esteem issues the rest of their life
relax and let life continue
this issue will run its course in due time

Answer 2

We finally broke down with my daughter and had a dental appliance put in her mouth to help her break the habit. It didn't hurt her, just broke the suction and "took the fun out of it". The local orthodontist installed a bar behind the upper teeth that would push up to the palate if the thumb was placed in the mouth--like I said, it didn't hurt, but just put a barrier between the thumb and the roof of the mouth that made the sensation different and less pleasant. It also helped align the teeth and keep them from spreading from the thumbsucking behavior. It cost about $600 about 6-7 years ago, and she wore it for a little over a year. The dentist said she needed to wear it that long to completely break the habit and keep it from returning. Though he made us no promises that it would keep her from needing braces later, it did just that and ended up saving us the thousands that would have cost, so it was well worth the investment!

If he is 9, you might try reasoning with him first and offering him some wonderful toy or other incentive that would cost about the same as the appliance and see if it's worth it to him to quit on his own & spend that $$ on something he really wants instead. You would have to drag out the reward long enough to make sure he isn't just playing you to get his toy & then goes right back to the behavior--for us, she needed the physical help to overcome the habit!

Answer 3

Humm that is a problem especially at 9 years old. And everything you try isn't working. I think he is using this as a tool of control over you, with underlying issues. Might try getting him some psychological help. Counseling could be the ticket. I see this as a control issue. All kids go thru it at some point or another. You dont say if he only does this at night as a sleeping aid or if it is a habit during the day too. Embarrasing him wont help the issue. Bribery wont help either. I would think counseling is the only thing here that can help you. Something can be wrong that he isn't telling you.

Answer 4

Keep him busy....busy hands are very difficult to get to the mouth so he can suck his thumb.

Have him help you in the kitchen...work with him on crafts get him anything that will keep him busy enough that he doesn't think about sucking his thumb.

I was a thumb sucker til I was about 13...I discovered things that kept my hands busy and since then haven't though about it til this question. By the way I never had to get braces or anything my teeth are fine

Answer 5

Maybe, though your intentions are good, they are backfiring. Maybe he is continue to do it do displease you OR maybe you are causing him a great deal of stress in the matter and he sucks his thumb to relieve that stress! Why don't you lay off it for a while or just be a little more understanding and see what happens? I can tell that you are terribly frustrated, but your efforts haven't helped any as you said.

Answer 6

Leave him alone. Thumbsucking is a way to comfort yourself. It does not cause cavities, it does not cause buck teeth. I sucked my thumb for 13 years due to an abusive, overbearing father. Don't bug him about it, he will quit when he no longer needs to, or when he moves on to things like cigarettes. The more you push him, the more he will need something to comfort himself.

Answer 7

Consult a dental about a fixed appliance to prevent thumb sucking..

don't know why people insist on answering when they only want to hurtful....
We moms must stick together !!!..

good luck

Answer 8

is he old enough to understand that sucking his thumb will cause jaw and tooth placement damage? if so you should try telling him, i had a friend when i was younger who couldnt get over sucking her thumb, she stopped because she was afraid she wouold have to get braces. its worth a try. also, im not sure if you're this kind of parent but you could make consequences for him sucking it. try it!

Answer 9

Thumb sucking has nothing to do with cavaties, that's from poor parenting by not making him take care of his teeth! Same reason he still sucks his thumb!!

Answer 10

hmm it sounds like you've tried everything. there realy is not much you can do at all. Just ignore it, he will loose the habit as he get older.