I hate to admit it but my 5 year old still sucks his thumb. My 3 year still sucks his fingers, too. We have tried everything we can think of to get them to stop. (We're really focusing more on the older, hoping that the younger will be motivated too.) Seriously, any doctor or dentist that has tried to give me ideas has walked way with a few fresh ideas from me. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, just saying we're desperate and have tried EVERYTHING!
Just to give you an idea, here are some of the strategies that we have used over the past 3 years. Obviously, they haven't worked for us, but they could work for someone else:
1. ignore it b/c he will grow out of it
2. verbal praise when not sucking thumb
3. sticker chart
4. tickets to "buy" time on the computer
5. having dentists talk to him
6. reading books about it
7. looking at pictures of crooked and buck teeth
8. discussing that sucking your thumb is germy
9. negative reinforcement (a swat on the hand)
10. Thumbusters (like a glove)
11. bandaids on thumb
Just to give you an idea, here are some of the strategies that we have used over the past 3 years. Obviously, they haven't worked for us, but they could work for someone else:
1. ignore it b/c he will grow out of it
2. verbal praise when not sucking thumb
3. sticker chart
4. tickets to "buy" time on the computer
5. having dentists talk to him
6. reading books about it
7. looking at pictures of crooked and buck teeth
8. discussing that sucking your thumb is germy
9. negative reinforcement (a swat on the hand)
10. Thumbusters (like a glove)
11. bandaids on thumb
12. competition between the boys (who can stop first?)
13. boys working together for a prize
14. promise of Chuck E Cheese party
15. talking about it with friends who have quit (my version of Thumbsuckers Anonymous)
16. talking about other strategies (sit on your hands, put hands in pocket)
17. using a timer to see how long he can go w/o sucking
18. candy to suck or gum to chew
19. Thum, stuff that you paint on the nail (the nasty taste loses its nastiness after a while)
20. Tobasco
21. discussing getting a retainer with the dentist ($750! Are you kidding me?)
22. allowing him a certain number of minutes to suck each day and reducing it each day (like a detox program)
23. supergluing a piece of sandpaper to his thumbnail
24. glue on fake nails (I told you we are desperate)
25. a boil-and-bite retainer (like football players wear)
26. casting his thumbs (like for a broken bone)
13. boys working together for a prize
14. promise of Chuck E Cheese party
15. talking about it with friends who have quit (my version of Thumbsuckers Anonymous)
16. talking about other strategies (sit on your hands, put hands in pocket)
17. using a timer to see how long he can go w/o sucking
18. candy to suck or gum to chew
19. Thum, stuff that you paint on the nail (the nasty taste loses its nastiness after a while)
20. Tobasco
21. discussing getting a retainer with the dentist ($750! Are you kidding me?)
22. allowing him a certain number of minutes to suck each day and reducing it each day (like a detox program)
23. supergluing a piece of sandpaper to his thumbnail
24. glue on fake nails (I told you we are desperate)
25. a boil-and-bite retainer (like football players wear)
26. casting his thumbs (like for a broken bone)
And finally, you know you're a redneck if....
you use duct tape to try to get your kid to stop sucking his thumb!
My sweet son, please, please keep working on it. You can do it. We believe in you and will keep encouraging you along the way. This will not be the hardest thing you have to do in life but it truly has been a struggle for our whole family. We love you!
you use duct tape to try to get your kid to stop sucking his thumb!
My sweet son, please, please keep working on it. You can do it. We believe in you and will keep encouraging you along the way. This will not be the hardest thing you have to do in life but it truly has been a struggle for our whole family. We love you!
