Quit sucking your thumb

My daughter sucked her thumb until she was five. She has no dental issues - in fact, she doesn't even have a cavity yet and she's 29. But that's another story.

I don't believe it always affects the teeth, but if the dentist is saying it is, then I guess it is in your, or her, case.

They usually stop of their own accord about the time they start school... they want to be 'big kids', you know?

Maybe you can have that 'big girl' chat with her?

We have had the big girl chat. The funny thing is her doctor is not the least bit worried, but the dentist came out and said she could have major troubles if she doesn't stop before her adult teeth come in.

We hope that with school she will stop - she will start this fall. Although she does claim that her boyfriend will not care if she sucks her thumb.

Hmmm, is there any data on thumb sucking and smoking? (I don't say this in a critical way...) Indeed, maybe those who don't get to thumb suck (etc.) get into smoking, or vice versa. I suppose this has been studied long ago.

I sucked my thumb until I was eight. After I started school, I only did it when falling asleep or when I was very upset.

The conflict over my thumbsucking definitely affected me adversely. Everyone who knew me yelled at me about it from the time I was five or so. Parents, babysitters, relatives, even my siblings. I'd like to understand more about the psychological results of all that.

I did wear braces for my overbite. But so did my brother and sister, and neither of them were thumbsuckers.

Cubette had a pacifier. When Cub was born and she was 22 months, Bear had this great idea about taking away her bottle, pacifier, and blankey while I was in the hospital. I told him to go home and give it all backt to her and I would break her from these items slowley... NOT at the same time I'm bringing a new baby home.

So he gives back the blankey and a nighttime bottle. Since the pacifier was gone, she started sucking her thumb. She stopped daytime thumbsucking as soon as she started school, but came home immediately and crashed with blankey and thumb.

In second grade we had an orthodontist take a look due to needing some pre-braces stuff done. (Premies tend to have high palets - that has to be spread / which brings it down to normal before the bone becomes too solid.) Anywho, he took one look, recognized her as a thumb sucker (ridges on thumb nail which she still has today) and put in a device that would both take care of the palet and stop the thumbsucking. It had a spikey thing that if she tried to suck would poke her thumb - not to mention the thumb didn't "fit right" in her mouth anymore.

After about two to four weeks of frustration, anger, fussiness and generally being very upset that we would do that to her, she decided it was best and she didn't need her thumb anyways.

She will be 18 on Valentines Day.

She still has blankey in the bed with her every night.

Sweet squinney and I still have my stuffed monkey (although since I got married he has moved into the closet, but I won't let him go).

We went through the pacifer thing with my older daughter but we slowly weened her off - she never resorted to thumb sucking.

I try hard to be positive rather than yell at her about thumb sucking. More talk to her about being a big girl. The other thing is I had an older brother who sucked his thumb even when he was about 12.

Just rub her thumb on the inside of a jalapeno pepper occasionally....

I actually have heard of something you can put on the thumb to make it taste horrible. Anyone know of it or where I could get it? She is contently sitting next to me know sucking her thumb.

Can I say I still catch my noe 19 year old sucking her thumb .. I never point it out as she suffers from anxiety and I figure if th his helps comforts her small thing in comparison

Not if she's ever going to read this!

Ha ha .... No I don't think she will see this.