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Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2004: Thumb sucking grandchild
Our almost 3yr old grandson (Aug) recently started sucking his tumb..he had NEVER done it before.
I haven't a clue. My ds sucks his thumb when he is in a situation he is unsure of or sometime while trying to go to sleep. I think it is just for security. A friend told me to put something nasty tasting on his thumbs, but I am not worried about it right now. Am i wrong not to be?
Don't try to stop it. Leave him alone. He is sucking his thumb for a reason and the more attention you pay to it the more he will continue to suck. Just let it go. He will give it up himself when he is ready. I had three thumb suckers, and that's how it worked for them.
To me a three year old is still in part a baby. I wouldn't worry with it too much. I caught my 4 year doing it a disney world the other night (she has never sucked her thumb) and come to find out that night, she had a high fever. I think she was doing it because it calmed her and kept her mind off feeling bad. She didn't tell us she was feeling bad.
I have no clue. My younger daughter sucked her thumb until she was almost 11.
I work with thumb-suckers frequently. You can really even attempt to break the habit until about age 6 or 7. I would just not worry about it now. My only concern would be why he *just* started doing it. It is rare to start thumbsucking behavior so late in life. Is he under some unusual pressure, is there tension in the home, a recent move or new sibling perhaps?
should be "can't really even attempt"
I sucked my thumb untill I was eight years old, I remember it was a huge security thing for me, if I wasn't talking or eating my thumb was in my mouth. For me it was caused by extreme emotional distress, and I just had to grow out of it, and get some counseling. I agree with Pam, find out WHY he just started sucking his thumb, rather than try to stop it, when he doesn't need the security of it, he'll stop it on his own.
We think Maddie is doing it for security reasons.
Why can't she have something that comforts her? Adults use so many different things to comfort them...cigarettes, alcohol, food ect....
Its a little boy and his grammie calls him MADDIE...I think I will try to talk to his Mom about getting him another passie...it would be BETTER than his thumb!!!!!!!
ooops..still would let him have a lovey though.
Just got back from my daughters house. I gave Maddie a passie that I had put up from him...it went right to his mouth...I told his MaMa to get him a new one....I hope she will...It would let his thumb heal.
No, no, no. PLease do not start him with a pacifier at age 3. There is no need for it. Yes, you can take a pacifier away, but it should be done before they turn one y/o anyway. Do not place a bad habit with another bad habit just because you don't like the fact that he sucks his thumb. If his thumb gets too raw and painful he will stop sucking it. However, more likely than not he will just build up a callous as most thumbsuckers do and keep right on going. If he's not done with his thumb he won't be "done with" a pacifier anytime soon either. He's obviously stressed, and quite possible from potty training, and he is using it as security. There is no really good way to break a child from thumbsucking younger than 6 yrs of age, but he will stop eventually.
Thumb sucking is less likely to cause mouth and teeth problems because they are more likely to remove it to play, talk, etc. I haven't had a thumb sucker but both of my girls took a binkie in their beds until they were 2 and 2 1/2. I hated them, but they were a neccessary evil in my mind, and their dentist checked their bites for me. He said that they were getting it so infrequently that it wasn't causing a problem. My girls understood that binkies stayed in bed and even gave it a "home" under their pillows. Can you replace it instead with rubbing a silky blanket or carrying a toy around? My son carried a hot wheels car in his pocket. That was his security object. Just an idea.
I DON"T know why it bothers us to see him suck his thumb...maybe because none of our 4 girls did and I guess we are afraid it will mess up his teeth. I will call down there and see how he is doing with it but Mom has gone to work so son-in-law is there. Dont know if Dad will get the passie away from him...he MIGHT need it to go to bed tonight but he can take it away after he goes to sleep....YES I knew we would be opening a can of worms with the passie but I needed advice.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like it is more your "problem" than his. It doesn't really matter if none of your children sucked their thumb, it's not genetic. If someone sucks their thumb, it doesn't mean anything more than they want to comfort themselves. IMHO, I would find out why he is feeling stressed instead.
Not really but our daughter does NOT like it either.....I will try to step back and see what is happening in his little life...I was just looking for some answers... I know its NOT genetic! I'm just soooo "NO thumb sucking" but if he MUST then I guess we will deal with it.
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