Suggestions on how to stop thumb sucking without the use of duck-tape (babies, pacifier)

[chickenladyincanada]

Both my son and daughter suck their thumb and it drives me nuts !!!!!! Both have been thumb-suckers from day 1 - I even have an ultrasound pic of my daughter.....sucking her thumb. Pacifiers never worked either. My daughter was 3mth premature and spent 2mths in the hospital...Nurses even tried to get her to use a pacifier instead....no go....spit it across the room every time. Any suggestions ???

[maciesmom]

You used to be able to purchase some nasty tasting stuff to paint on their thumb....you could probably think of something that is in your pantry....

[tnuro]

I didn't see their ages, but there are lots of different things they sell over the counter to put on the nail to make it taste horrible. If they're babies that won't work.

Good luck!

[*Danielle*]

How old are they and do they use anything (like a blanket) along with the thumb sucking?

[chickenladyincanada]

My son is 4 and I'm shameful to admit that my daughter is 9 - her thumb sucking is not as bad now, mostly and night and in the a.m. when she's sleepy. I tried that bad tasting nail polish when she was younger and sucked her thumb all the time. She eventully figured out that if she sucked it long enough eventually the bad taste went away/wore off And no they refuse anything but the thumbs.

[scarmig]

My daughter stopped the day she sucked on it so hard it split open and started bleeding.

I wouldn't fret about it. They will stop in their own time. If nothing else, peer pressure at school will probably take care of it.

[mjmama]

Originally Posted by chickenladyincanada

Both my son and daughter suck their thumb and it drives me nuts !!!!!! Both have been thumb-suckers from day 1 - I even have an ultrasound pic of my daughter.....sucking her thumb. Pacifiers never worked either. My daughter was 3mth premature and spent 2mths in the hospital...Nurses even tried to get her to use a pacifier instead....no go....spit it across the room every time. Any suggestions ???

My daughter was a thumbsucker and I expressed concern with her Pediatric Dentist and I’ll share his advice. When our daughter was 4 he suggested we take her to the store and have her pick out band aids that she liked. Each morning we would put a band aid on each thumb (because in a pinch she would suck the alternate thumb) and each day she came home with both band aids still on she got a sticker on a chart. After a few days, she’d get a treat. Then it got to the point where we would extend the number of days to a treat and finally the band aids were no longer needed.

[crisan]

Post deleted.

[Jaggy001]

Originally Posted by scarmig

My daughter stopped the day she sucked on it so hard it split open and started bleeding.

I wouldn't fret about it. They will stop in their own time. If nothing else, peer pressure at school will probably take care of it.

Agreed .... do you know many 16 year olds who suck their thumbs? Let nature take its course and they will stop of their own accord.

[rockinmomma]

they also make retainers that have a bump in them that make it uncomfortable for the child to suck his/her thumb.