Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: Advice needed to wean 10 month old daughter off her thumb

Whew, when does she do most of the sucking of her thumb? My Mom always gave us and grandchildren chicken leg bones. Cleaned off of course, it won't hurt them and they get good flavor. I am an older Mother of two grown, have two grands. Sucking the thumb is a hard thing sometimes to break. It is like a security, but if it is because of her teeth try freeze pops or something that you can watch her with. Sorry, if this isn't much help but I always trusted my Mother's advise cause she grew up on a farm. That was not an easy life but they all survived and I am still around and I have always used her recommendations. So, don't use the hot sauce or bitters on her thumb maybe try to get her to chew on a teething toy. Good luck, and I hope she will respond to something. Just don't give up and don't get frustrated, she will sense that and do it even more. These Children today are so intelligent it is scarey..Take care BIG HUGS Annette of South Carolina

My Mother, rest her soil, used to make a 'stall' for the thumb and tie it to the childs wrist. Imiagine cutting the thumb off a glove and sewing strings to it in order to tie it to their wrist. Goodluck!

Gollyme

Dad,
The Docs correct!
Relaxe if thats all you have to worry about at this time you are truly luckey man. I am a grandparent raising 2 of my 5 grandchildren, I did this to the kids, and it has worked with the grandkids as well.
All you have to do is everytime she puts her finger in her mouth is to remove it with a gentle but very firm grip, and tell her NO, also go to the baby store and get one of those pacifiers or teething rings that has water in it and can be refilled, empty the water out and put disilled water in it and freeze it, do not fill it full, only about 1/2 to 3/4 way full for the water to expand. The other thing to do is get a large supply of pretzil sticks, alternate them between the teething rings/pacifiers and the pretziles, After a [eriod of time when she is ready the thumb sucking will stop, of coarse there is always the fact you will have to keep the pretziles handy for a long time but at least it wont cause tooth problems and is not unhealthy.
Good Luck,,,
Mark H.

an old remedy handed down from generation to generation in my family was a small amount of chili sauce or tabasco sauce. it really works.

Hi Lee, Loved your question. I know there is a lot of different advice out there and here is mine ... not only as a mother of two thumb sucking children but also as a past thumb sucker myself.
First of all, I sucked my thumb until I was about 14 years old ... that's right, till I was 14. My parents tried everything from putting horrible potions on my thumb to the sock trick to humiliating me all in an attempt to save my teeth. Non of it worked infact all it did was put undo pressure on me and I would hide away to do it in secret. I have incredibly straight teeth, and get compliments on them to this day and I am now 47 years old and I NEVER wore braces. My neice who never ever sucked her thumb has buck teeth. Now to my children, who are now grown with kids of their own ... they both sucked their thumbs,and remembering what my parents did to my (bless their hearts for good intention) I never made issue with them sucking their thumbs and on their own accord they gave up the habit. My daughter, Meadow, gave up thumb by 7, where my son, Jesse, gave it by 3.

Sincerely,
Kath
PS if you feel like dropping a line I'd love to hear how you make out.
Promisekept@telus.net

Dear Sir,

on the above subject the suggestion is u need to go homeopathic treatment and u find out homeopathi Dr. she will get well soon.
and if u want a particular medicine i will ask my to my homeopatic Dr. and send u soon.

thanks

Ramesh Bhole

I sucked my thumb till I was 12 and I really hated my parents for using all those bitter tasting remedies (they never worked on me). Well, now I have a daughter that is a thumbsucker and I promissed myself I wouldn't do what my parents did. So, I let her suck her thumb, I fugure she will stop sooner or later.

Hi lee,
I had the same trouble with my son, at 4 he was still sucking his. I couldn't find any help. Some people told me to use tabasco, viniger, and what not. But the child can learn to like those things.
My wife found, somewere on the web, a perfect solution. She wrapped up the thumb in gauze, then tapped it up. You have to make shure and wrap the tape down around the hand and wrist, so they can't pull it off. this only took 2 days for him to stop! After 3years of trying different stuff.
good luck!!!!
mike

you can buy stuff in the pharmicy sections of the stores, it has many names but it is a very nasty tasting solution you can brush on the thumb. i used it on 2 of my children and they are now 26 and 24 years old and still don't suck their thumbs

My three children sucked their thumbs and no dental problems like braces.Give her a cold facecloth to chew on feel good on gums just put a few damp cloths in baggie in the fridge and give her one when she starts teething
let her break her self of thumb sucking and believe me she will when shes ready usually around 4-5 years old right now its a a sercuity thing and trying to break her of it will cause her more upset then teething and a sore thumb.and my kids grown now with no thumb problems either good luck
oh oral- gel works good too and tylenol too

This is meant for people who chew their nails , but also works to deter thumb sucking, is totally harmless, and her thumb-callous healed up nicely. We live at 51-1 Galileo Boulevard, Brantford, Ontario in Canada. We are not sure if this product is available state side, but a pharmacist should be able to help you find an equivalent, or perhaps even an alternative.
My wife and I hope this helps in your situation.
All The Best To You & YOur Family
Keep UP The Great Work
Bronwen & Mike Willard

I have no experience with the bad-taste goo methods. I personally would not like it, but I'm not a little one. If the pain of a raw thumb is not stopping the behavior, is it likely that adding yucky goo on top is going to be helpful?

I DO NOT recommend trying to switch her to a "binky" or pacifier -- they can do unwelcome things to her teeth and you'll eventually get to know all about orthodontics...

Consider using a physical barrier like a gauze bandage or a mitten. Frustrating her efforts to put that thumb in her mouth, without unduly limiting her enjoyment of her environment is your goal. If she were a puppy, we'd use one of those silly "Elizabethan" collars -- the ones that prevent the puppy from getting her head around to bite on a bandage, or whatever. Of course she's not a puppy, but you need to think in those terms of "gentle frustration"...

re: the raw skin. Check with your ND (yes "N" and not "M"). S/he may recommend herbs like neem or alow vera to help heal the skin. Be sure they are safe for babies to ingest!

re: modifying behavior. Check out EFT: www.emofree.com. It's too much to explain here, but yes, you can do the tapping FOR her on yourself. Try it out -- it can't hurt!

My answer is just rub oral jell on her mouth, also ask your peditrican about it, maybe theres a cause. My Mom did suck her thumb and did my brother but they both grew out of it.

Hi, I know she must be just darling.
I am a grandmother and our daughter and sweet grandaughter live with us.
She is 4 and has sucked her thumb since she was born almost.
My daughter got a bit nervous about her continuing to do it and the dentist told her that she should be gently nudged to quit and he really wanted her to quit by the time she is 5 or there abouts since it might
make a difference in her teeth. We have not felt the need to make her stop or use an ointment. It's very comforting I am sure for little ones and personally I think it has it all over a binky. Her thumb was
calloused when she sucked it all the time but now she just does that when she is tired and ready for bed.

Don't sweat it is what my advice is for what it is worth. She'll probably give it up when she is ready.

Bless you and your family.

Time to address this problem is not now that it is a habit but it should have been addressed when the baby was much younger. A soother is usually the best thing to give the child as it can be removed from the mouth at a later date. I know that many people are not in favour of these filthy things but... isn't a soother better than a red, raw thumb. Most kids will give up a soother long before they get to school and they are much easier to get rid of than the thumb. By the way I am the mother of three children and none of them were thumb suckers. And they are all adults now.