How to stop THUMB SUCKING ! !

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chicmuffet

New Member
Hi - Any one has any advice to stop thumb sucking????
My girl is 3 years old and still sucks her thumb. We have tried reward, punishment, nail biting nail polish but nothing works so far. I'm afraid it will affect her teeth!!!!
 


chicmuffet, my 2 year old son is also a thumb sucker.. we tried the nail biting polish too but he was so traumatised. His teeth are crooked already.. doctor says must try to stop him but I also don't know how?! Hope someone can give some pointers.. and not the 'rub chili padi' type
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Hi Catz - I am at my wits end already. My girl already 3 years old okay!! I really considering rubbing chilli padi except I am afraid she'll rub her eyes. So far after trying everything - she sucks only when she is sleeping which is a slight improvement. I also tried giving her a pacifier (she don't want) and putting plasters on her thumb (which she takes off)...>sigh<
 
Hi Chicmuffet,

I heard you must first how what he/she most fear about and use it to stop them from sucking thumb.

My 2 yr+ boy was also a thumb sucker so much so that a thick layer of skin had appear on his thumb. Then one day he had a fall and hurt both his upper tooth, they must be so painful that from then on, he never suck his thumb anymore...
 
HI,

I also face the same problem with my 1 year old girl. She used to suck thumb only when she want to sleep. Now, she also suck thumb whenever she feel bored or got nothing to do! I tried to distact her with something, but usually it is for a while only.

When I tried to pull her thumb out, she got angry and suck even longer!

I read books to say the habit will just go away but now read that they can still suck thumb at 3 years old, I'm really getting worried.

How huh?
 
I'm in the RIGHT thread.

My girl is 14mth now, she needs her thumb suck to sleep. Once sleep is off.

Offering alterntive like my finger doesnt seem to work, she bites my finger REAL HARD!!!

Was told can wait till 2yrs when she understands what we want, then "educate" her to stop. BUT doesnt seem to work here with some of your DD is 2-3yrs!!! how now??
 
I have same problem here, but am a little sceptical about the teeth appearance reason.

My girl used to suck her thumb till nearly 7! Gasp! Yes, but when I look at her now, her teeth quite normal leh! Btw, she's coming to 10 years.

Now my boy, 2 years, also thumb-sucker. But I want to stop him for hygiene reasons. He's attending childcare, and I don't want him picking up germs from that habit.

so, I also at loss how to stop him. Like Bonnie, my boy also has callus formed on his thumb. Somebody recommend i use 'ru yi' oil on him. anyone tried this?
 
Seems like a lot of us facing this problem. But no solution leh.

PD advised us to give her alternative like teddy bear to hug so that she will not use her thumb. Don't work for my gal at all. She threw the teddy bear away instead.
 
Hahaaa.. my girl nv had such problem till last Sat.. out of the blues, I saw her sucking her thumb trying to sleep though I tried to intro her pacificer back.

Haiz.

I don't noe if it is good or bad either.. My gf is againist pacificer while thumb sucking is acceptable.

So I don't noe if I should encourage her doing so or try to move her thumb off once she started sucking.
 
Evon,

I was against pacificer too, worried my gal will be addicited to it. That is why ended up my gal sucking thumb. Also a problem now.
 
yah lor, I've tried everything.. my son's thumb is red and sore from overuse.
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I tried giving him pacifier but he didn't want...Germs are a real issue, esp when there is HFMD gg around.
 
pacifier and thumb, both also trouble! At least they don't drop thumb on ground and get all yucky! Still, that isn't much of a consolation when trying to wean them off! Sigh
 
hi all, my son is 21 mths and suck thumb too..he sucks a lot, to sleep, or when he bored..
but surprisingly he doesn't suck his thumb at his nanny's place...once we pick him up from there, he will put his thumb into his mouth immediately when nanny closes the door..

dunno how to stop him from sucking..sigh
 
hi hi.. i also have this problem with my 19mth old girl.. she sucks her thumb when she is tired n wants to sleep.. not otherwise.. I do notice a slight tilt in her lower tooth, not sure if its a result of this.. so exactly who has a solution!?!
 
sigh! same here! my 17mth old boy simply loves his thumb... when i asked him to take it out, he'll purposely put his other 2 fingers in, just to spite me : (
i also realised that he sucks his thumb when he's bored or tired. And he keeps drooling..... saliva everywhere i walked... yuks! Now the skin on his thumb is getting thicker n uglier! n he loves showing off his thumb to pple...
 
hi

last time my girl sucks her thumb too. but one day i saw one area of her thumb swollen, and i decided to stop her from sucking. as she is only 14 mth old, the pharmacy does not recommend nail bite lotion for her. in the end, i tried using plaster in the day time and during night time, i put on socks on both her hands. initially she is very cranky, we have to stay firm. my girl took about coming to 2 weeks to stop this habit.

hope this method will help on your babies too.
 
Hehehe, I rub a bit Chilli sauce (the McD or BK pkt) on Sym's fingers. Whichever finger caught in her mouth, the finger(s) kanna a bit chilli then I purposely 'help' her put that finger(s) back into her mouth. c her red eye, I give water to extiinguish fire.

Y I use this method? Hand Foot n Mouth alert! Afraid she get virus so must make sure she don't put fingers into her mouth n get sick. Sym doesn't understand what's right or wrong nor simple instruction.

Sym has a small 60ml bottle with small teat (S or X) to temporarily stop her craving for fingers or pacifier.

Problem solved! Came back once when she had fits (sort of forgot/memory back tracked) - I used Chilli sauce to remind her. Works for me.
 
thanks sansforum and angelmum! Will try the socks TONIGHHT. hope its not too late!! i should have tried stopping when she was younger!!! Will try chilli as a last resort!!!
 
By the way, mummies help.

My girl recently did worse.

She placed her whole left hand into her mouth; probably teething is causing her gums to itch and then after that, she would sometimes rub her left eye with her left hands.

If I am fast enough, I can stop her on time.. but else, while looking for handkerchef or tissue, she has "smacked" her left hand on her face.

Resulting a few little pimples on her face le.

How?

Big head now.
kao_dizzy.gif
 
hahaha, normal la! The best it to 'cure' b4 get worse so I got my chilli sauce.

U know saliva stinks n she wipes everywhere ... irks! I also end up pimples!
 
Ya lo, Strawberry.

That is the BIG problem that I am having now.

Pull her hands off.. then she would scream and complain.

Saw your method on the chilli sauce but my husband scared later she rubbed into eyes would be crying like hell.

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Give her toys (those for teething ones), she throws one side..

Ends up taking the remote controllers or her other toys, pillow, blanket to chew on!


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Any case, probably I discuss with my mom to ask her try.. (we left our bb under my mom's care and so at least husband don't see.. then won't be so heartpain.
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hi .... dont know this will help or not...
for those whose babies can understand liao... u can try telling them the problem if they continue to thumb-suck, keep repeating it once u see them sucking their thumb, worst to worst show them pictures of children who suck their thumb and have problem with the alightment of the front teeth.

prolong thumb sucking can cause open-bite of the anterior(front) teeth, that means the children will have difficulty biting food using their front teeth cause the upper n lower front teeth dont meet each other.
 
Hi,

I heard from my SIL that my niece oso have the same problem. She brought her daughter to see a doctor and the doctor prescribe a medicine which is transparent in colour for her to apply on the thumb. No smell too. The trick is this medicine is very bitter. My SIL tried it herself. Since then, my niece stop thumb sucking!!!
 
Koalarie - I put just a bit n help put back into mouth. When finger(s) out its 'finger licking good' nothing left so no worries of eyes, furniture kanna chilli. If worried, clean fingers n let child roam around till a 'reminder' is needed.

Paulnelaine - yr link v useful.

Latio - bitter medicine also good. Hmm bittergourd juice healthy + Vit C = good hor but kind of watery ... next time consider if bad habit back again.

nasty mummy!!
 
I've tried chilli on my 7 years, but no effect. Sigh.

May need to bring him to see doc for the bitter medicine.
 
hi, Judys Motherhood Store
where can I get the Nail bite lotion? thank you. can pls PM me as I seldom check this website.
 
hi, Judys Motherhood Store
where can I get the Nail bite lotion? thank you. can pls PM me as I seldom check this website.
 
hi, Judys Motherhood Store
where can I get the Nail bite lotion? thank you. can pls PM me as I seldom check this website.
 
Hi all,

My 17-mth old son sucks his thumb to sleep. He started since he was 3 months old. Sometimes, he forgets & wld suck and carry his little nappy in public too.

I know I need to help wean him off but I find it quite a cute sight
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He wld only take it out when he sees my dad cos my dad will tell him "U r not sleeping, cannot suck thumb..." He would then take it out. As for the rest of us who tell him, he'll just grin & con't.
 
Hi everyone, just read this thread and thought I would revive it.
I just managed to successfully stop my kid (3.5 Yrs) from thumb/finger sucking and he's been great for more than 1 month already. Previously I tried nail bite lotion etc but he got immuned to the nail bite lotion even!

So About one month ago, I put a pair of his clean socks over his hands before he went to sleep and taped them around his wrists over the socks using surgical tape (very gentle made of cloth like material but still quite strong). I explained to him that he is a big boy and he really has to kick the habit. There were some tears but not too many (cos I think he knows we've been tyring to get him to stop for a long time already)

I also stuck up on the wall a chart titled MY STOP SUCKING STARS and let him paste up a gold star for each day he successfully did not suck for both nap and nighttime. When he collected 10 stars, I let him choose a small toy from Toysrus. Also encouraged and praised him every morning. Was very firm with him. Stuck to my guns even when he cried but he always stopped after awhile.

Found this to work very well. So far so good for more than a month already.

Good luck everyone.
 
Ha... I am in the Right Thread too !!

My son of 20mths is also a thumb sucker. After reading all the mummies posts, I started to laugh cos my son also like that.

When he was younger, he only sucked during sleep time. Now, bored time also suck. Sigh...

Can tell me where to buy the nail bite polish? Months ago, I came across someone trying to sell me a thumb sucking treatment kit.

It's a device that is attached to the baby's wrist. Once the kit is worn, the kid cannot generate vaccum so the sucking will not be satisfying. I didnt buy because its not cheap. About $150 a KIT !!
 
wow, the kit is so ex. ginger I won't by it too. Now I'm trying out momof3's method and it's abt a week now. DD is in cold turkey.
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We are using winter mittens and masking tapes instead.
 
Hi all,
My son is 3yrs old is also a super thumb sucker. Callus already form on his left thumb. We tried the plaster method but it didn't work out cos he knows how to take it off. Thinking of getting the lotion too but wonder if it works. The lotion cost about $12 from Guardian.

Will try momof3 "My stop sucking stars" chart method. When i tell him about getting him a toy if he manages to get 10 stars, he seems half understood like that.

Will also try the sock/mitten method, just scared that he will take it out by himself.

Wish me luck!
 
hi all,
the nail bite lotion worked for a short while on my son, but somehow after awhile, my son got immuned to it. he would lick the bitter tasting off his thumb/fingers and then when it is gone, he would just happily suck again.
So far, my son has stopped and now on some nights when we forget to put the socks on, and I check on him, he is not sucking at all. But we diligently used the socks for more than 1 month! and gave him plenty of encouragement!
There is HOPE, everyone! Press on!
By the way, my dentist friend says that by 5 years old, they must go off the sucking to prevent serious othodontic problems.
 
Judy.....so bad of you. (siding him!!!) He seem kind of poor thing, but on the good side, he allows you to take pix.

I havent think of a solution for my girl yet. Everybody around me advised that it's too early for her to kick the habit.
 
HI Hi my report. Right now my girl 3+ is only allowed to suck when she goes to sleep but I notice that the thumb falls out when she sleeps so that's not too bad right?? Will try Momof3 method because I think her teeth are sticking out already!!! panic. I have another problem far greater - my girl BITES her nails til her fingers gets pus. sigh. I have not cut her nails since she is 1+. Nobody in the family bites their nails so I donno how she started this..
 
Judy - ha! I really smiled at your photo... Yup, that's exactly how we did it everynight except we used socks. Anyway, yay! My son is completely off thumbsucking now and doesn't need the socks anymore to stop him even! He hasn't worn the socks for more than 2 weeks already.

Now I have to solve the problem of my older girl who falls asleep by doing something else quite embarrassing! Too shy to mention here even!!!
 
Hi Mummies,

My gal is 16 mths today.
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She suck tumb since she was 3 mths. At first, it is only when she is sleepy but now it is everytime so long as she got nothing in her hand.

So 3 days ago, I used plaster to paste around her tumb (she only suck right tumb). My gal happen to hate anything to stick to her body. She can't even tahan a piece of sticker on her hand haaaa..

And it works! Just this morning, I only need to show her the plaster and she will take her tumb out immediately. The only time I didn't stop her is when she want to sleep 'cos I want her to sleep well and tumb sucking is her only comfort.

But I do agree this method might not work for all kids. Just to share another method
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Cheers~
 


Wow...good job all mummies.

My girl only sucks when she wants to sleep.

If I see her sucking, I'll tell her "please take out your thumb" She'll do as I say but NO when she wants to sleep.

I tried plaster, she took it off!!! Will try the sock method.
 
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