Once she was about to turn three, noticing her front teeth were starting to look a little pushed out and the habit was still firmly entrenched, I thought we should start working on breaking the habit. We talked it out and she was keen to be a big girl and stop but will power alone was not enough to break such an instinctive and entrenched habit... she sucked her thumb while sleeping and usually when very tired or upset. I guess it's better than needing a beer or a jumbo box of Maltesers every time life gets a bit much, but still, I didn't think it could go on forever! (Note: I am not suggesting 3yr olds or anyone else replace thumbsucking with beer or Maltesers either! Um, well, maybe Maltesers).
We tried various recommended methods such as star charts, socks on the hands and even a specially purchased little thumb glove but nothing could beat the temptation to continue. The saddest little occasion was one day before nap time, she was crying, then automatically starting to put her thumb in her mouth, then remembering to pull it out, rousing a fresh round of tears at the devastation of not being able to suck her thumb, whilst crying the thumb would unconsciously go back in, more tears, the cycle continued!!! Poor little darling wept 'Please Mummy, can I suck my thumb when I'm feeling a little bit sad?'. Cue heartbreak for Mummy!!! I felt awful but know that it's only going to be a harder habit to break the older and more entrenched it gets and I don't want it to damage her newly forming teeth. She does really want to stop but it is so hard!
Then by chance when visiting my Dad over Christmas, he had a little bottle of the yucky tasting stuff to help stop nail biting (for his dog??!!). I asked Lily if she wanted to try it (note: he never actually used it for his dog, they didn't share or anything) and well, just look at the results!!
Being very much a girly-girl, she was thrilled to wear 'thumb nail polish' as she called it! Even though she soon discovered how disgusting it tastes, and it's clear, to her it was nail polish and she was sold!! So she was happy to have it on and the great thing is she can wear it all day and night (unlike gloves etc) so it really helps with putting her thumb in unconsciously in the day too. When I started letting her paint it on herself, she was even more thrilled and asks to put it on!
The only thing (like so much of parenting, sigh!) is that it really requires me to be consistant in applying it! Am hoping with a little more time, it will break the habit for her, and I'm so thankful to have found a method that is working for both of us! But it's not over yet, so will have to report progress in the future for if it was really the solution or not... I'm a little concerned she might get used to the yucky taste and start sucking her thumb again (I've heard this can happen). In the mean time, if anyone out there has any tips, advice or success stories about working with a child to stop thumb sucking, would love to hear it! Including what methods did or didn't work etc. Or whether it is a losing battle and just to not worry about it?? I know the child really needs to be on board for it to stop, and she does want to stop (she knows it hurts her teeth) but she does it so unconsciously, especially in her sleep, we both needed something extra to help.
So here's hoping we have found something that works?! Meanwhile, Lily's Thumbnail Painting Salon remains open for business!
What a good girl - my husbands sister used similar stuff when she was little - she just sucked it off! Gross!
ReplyDeleteIt's a cute photo though! Good luck!
Aw honey, this is such a tough one, especially when you say a lot of the time it happens unconciously :(
ReplyDeleteI have no experience with it but I just wanted to say that I think it is great that you are working together on this one. Letting Lily get involved (nail painting!) and as you always do, talking with her about the situation.
I hope that you find something that works and that causes minimal stress for everyone :)
Tilly sucks her thumb and has done since she was about 3 months old. She plays with her hair or mine at the same time. She is only 14months so no drastic measures yet but I've been thinking about it. Please keep us posted on how you go as taking the dummy away from Ruby was a piece of cake compared to what I'm in for with Tilly. In saying that Ruby has just started chewing her nails (since starting a new day care) and we've just this week been painting on the same polish. Day care is tomorrow so we'll see how she goes.
ReplyDeleteI had 5 darlings but no-one sucked their thumb I'm no help SORRY!
ReplyDeleteBut she has the most brilliant smile.
My sister's little fella was a mad thumbsucker until they found something that he really really wanted - a scooter! Then they agreed if he stopped sucking his thumb for a month that he could have the scooter as a reward. So they made up a chart with a picture of the scooter on day 31. She said it was really tough for him - she would see him go to put his thumb in his mouth and then have to physically grab it with his other hand and force it back down. And they had moments like you described, but I think with the incentive at the end of a month (and they say it takes a month to form a new habit) he was able to at least break it during the day - not sure about night time, but he is 8 now and doesn't suck his thumb at all. I think he was about 4 when they did it. And I would go a jumbo box of maltesers in a second!
ReplyDeletethanks, great idea too! at the moment we have a 3 day reward of if she can do without it she can have her toes and nails painted a colour - she is VERY excited about this! hmm maybe a bigger prize at a longer time would work too but she still seems a bit young to get it maybe. but may need this for 4 if it comes to it!
DeleteMy daughter was a thumb sucker in the way that you describe Lily is. She always put herself to sleep and self soothed with her thumb, so like you, I felt sad to take that away from her, but her thumb was always red raw, sometimes to the point of bleeding, so it had to stop. I tackled it when she was about 2 1/2 and we managed to stop it by covering her thumb with thick Elastoplast plasters. It took a bit of time and she was very unhappy about it, but she did eventually stop. Good luck :)
ReplyDeletethanks for your ideas! oh your daughters poor sweet thumb, wow thats amazing, lily has never done it to that extent! ooh good tip on the elastoplast... we tried bandaids but they came off so easily. might get some elastoplast i think!!
DeleteGood luck! I can't imagine this is easy on either of you, poor things. :(
ReplyDelete