Community Newsletter: Q&A: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb
- 1/25/07 5:41 PM
Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 1/25/07 5:41 PM
Hi folks,
My 10-month-old daughter's calloused thumb (she's a thumb sucker)--is becoming more and more raw from her gnawing on it because of her teething. For you seasoned parents out there, what advice can you give me to wean her off the thumb or prevent her raw finger from getting any worse? I have been given advice ranging from applying something bad tasting on the thumb (like Tabasco) to putting a sock over her hand so she can't suck on it.
If you have some good recommendations or experiences to share with me, I would love to hear them. Any parent-to-parent advice is appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
-Lee
Yuck
by webnician - 1/26/07 1:13 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are various brands of foul-tasting, non-toxic "ointment" made just for this purpose. You just apply it, let it dry, and let it work. It worked for my kiddo'. He's 16 now and doesn't seem to have too many disorders because of it.
There are also some home-made concoctions that do the job, as I barely recall.
thumb sucking
by kelly- bell - 1/26/07 12:21 PM In reply to: Yuck by webnicianHi
Years ago my son was a very bad thumb sucker and had his thumb very red and sore I put some rawleighs salve on it to try to get fix the sore up and the taste was so bad he never sucked his thumb again
Juls1
aloe
by Queenofdachickens - 1/26/07 6:39 PM In reply to: thumb sucking by kelly- bellwell i'm not a parent but when i went thru a really bad nail biting period when i was younger my parents bought aloe (like the plant) and cut some off and rubbed the icky clear sap on my fingers so that i wouldn't bite my nails..........i haven't bitten them since, lol and i can't stand the smell of aloe either lol but it worked and i'm sure in this case it would work too.
giving help
by Amedusen - 1/26/07 1:23 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
wrap it ith a big bandage and change it every 4 hours.Ahmed
also treat the symptoms
by spinella - 1/26/07 1:44 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hmmm... technical help, what operating system does she have? model number?
anyway, one of my favorite remedies was putting liquid tylenol or equiv directly on the sore gums.
If your daughter is chewing because it hurts, treating the hurt may make it a lot easier to address the habit.
Of course, you still have to address the habit. But then, if it's not due to pain, but rather self-comforting, more personal attention may be just the ticket--also giving you the opportunity to provide just-in-time options like a clean cloth diaper to cuddle (and go in between thumb and mouth, active play that involves said arm or hand, and a present, nurturing caregiver that both observes in more detail the behavior and reduces the need for self-stimulation or self-comfort.
Have fun!
thumb sucking
by Jinkxc - 1/26/07 2:01 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Every time I saw our son with his thumb in his mouth, I would gently take it out. I didn't scold, put yucky tasting stuff on his thumb; I would just not make an issue out of it. BTW, my son was almost 6 before I started dealing with his thumb sucking. I also noticed he sucked his thumb when he was tired or sleepy. Now my sister when we put tabasco sauce on hers she got use to the taste and later she started biting her nails really bad. I would just let nature take it's course.
Thumb sucking
by garthe - 1/26/07 2:36 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Lee,
Your daugther must not have a "fooler", give her one and she will be fine!
Thumb sucking
by AtomicLemon - 1/26/07 2:37 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My daughter is almost eight years old. She found her thumb at 6 months and, at times, will still put it in her mouth (usually at bedtime or when she is bored). My sister was a thumbsucker and, when she found out my daughter was too, she begged me not to attempt all the awful methods my parents did to her. Eventually, peer pressure puts an end to bad habits. The hardest part for me was just getting over the fact that she put a germ-ridden, dirty thumb in her mouth. But, I will say, that she is very healthy and hardly ever sick!
Stop worrying about this!
by Irishkate - 1/26/07 2:41 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As a thumbsucker myself, and have a grandaughter thumbsucker. The Dr's all said not to worry about it. It is comforting to her, and not a big deal. She will probably need braces whether she sucks her thumb or not.
There will be plenty of bigger problems that you should save yourself for later on. Get some sleep Dad.
Irishkate, Ohio
I meant "former thumbsucker"
by Irishkate - 1/26/07 2:44 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
For all of you laughing, thinking about this thumbsucking grandmother, I meant that I was a FORMER thumbsucker. I broke myself of the habit several years ago. Take care
Try this.
by banjax - 1/26/07 2:52 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
We took the approach with our children that it was better to give them a dummy, perhaps you call it something else in the States, as you can throw that away when they get too old for it. Throwing thumbs away probably isn't the best idea! We've seen many parents who allowed their children to suck their thumbs as toddlers only to see them still at it in their teens. Welcome to the roller coaster of parenthood.
Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb
by johnnysocko - 1/26/07 3:06 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well what my mom did too my little brother wuz but hot sauce on his finger he stop about a week. He got madd cuzz he had hot fingers and hot mouth.
To stop thumb sucking...
by raflaker - 1/26/07 3:08 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Many years ago we broke our daughter from doing what you are having problems with currently and the solution was easy. Just put something foul tasting on her thumb and she will quickly learn that it does not taste very good anymore. Either Bitter Apples or Pepper/clove flavors seem to work best. Good luck!
Robert A Flaker
Relax, papa
by mo7881 - 1/26/07 3:18 AM In reply to: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Lee, thumb-sucking at ten months is not a major issue. I have three sons, now aged 27, 18 and 14. All sucked their thumbs and all eventually stopped - of their own volition and long before attaining their current ages!
I was lucky in that my brother was also our paediatrician. When I approached him with this, overwrought with guilt at having produced a (gasp!) thumb-sucker, he sat me down and, as only a brother can, said "Megs, get hold of yourself. When the rest of his mates on the football team start to poke fun, he'll probably stop."
He was right, of course:)
xxMegs
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