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My daughter is a thumb sucker. This was a relief when she was three months old because we no longer had to chase pacifiers that bounced under furniture. But now she is not three months old, but three years old. She will be four in April. And she is still sucking that thumb. In her preschool's class picture, you can't see her beautiful face because her hand is in front of it. I've talked to her about it, and given her many reasons to stop, but it seems the more I urge her to give up this habit, the more she does it. I know she does it to comfort herself when she's tired or uncomfortable. It's her happy place. And part of me doesn't want to take that happy place away from her. But the other part of me can't stop thinking about all the cons:
1. Crooked teeth
2. Misshapen mouth
3. Ingesting of germs
4. Spreading of germs
5. Annoying sound of slurping that is like nails on a chalkboard when you are driving in a quiet car
6. Annoying sound of slurping when she is sitting on your lap
7. Annoying sound of slurping when you are lying with her to help her fall asleep
8. Annoying sound of slurping when she crawls into bed with you when she has a nightmare
I know this is a debatable subject with moms. I've heard some moms say, "Oh just let her do it. What's the harm?" And then I've heard other moms say it must stop or she will have serious dental problems. While I say it must stop or I will be driven up a wall.
What I don't know is how to make it stop in a gentle way. There is this product that has been recommended by a mom who tried it and says it works. But I wonder if there's a softer way to coax her into quitting on her own. I also wonder if I'm being selfish in wanting her to quit in the first place. Why can't I be more accepting? Why can't I be more tolerant? Why don't I have more patience? Maybe she's sitting there sucking her thumb, annoyed at how annoyed I am.
Does anyone have an opinion on this? Any light you could shine on this situation would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
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6 comments:
I wish I could help, but my daughter actually taught herself to suck her thumb after I took the pacifier away at age 5. I hate the thumb sucking and have begged and pleaded and gotten mad and tried to be aloof and offered rewards and threatened punishments and we even did a traumatic night of putting vinegar on her thumbs and nothing works. Please post again if you come up with something! I'm on the search for an answer too.
I don't have a thumb sucker (yet - I guess it could change), but I did just notice your mention of Santa in the previous post. Perhaps the big bearded guy can help out.
Great. Now I have to worry that Jude will be sucking his thumb and pooping his pants until college.
Just my two cents but I sucked my thumb until I was about 6 and I have perfect teeth which have never needed braces. Just sayin'.
but more than issues 1-8, that thumb, once removed from the mouth after a particularly long period of sucking, is absolutely filthy to be near.
I sucked till I was about 7 or 8. I did have braces but as far as a wierded out mouth or something...no. That is a myth unless she has some misshaping elephantitis thumb or something ;)
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My daughter is a thumb sucker. This was a relief when she was three months old because we no longer had to chase pacifiers that bounced under furniture. But now she is not three months old, but three years old. She will be four in April. And she is still sucking that thumb. In her preschool's class picture, you can't see her beautiful face because her hand is in front of it. I've talked to her about it, and given her many reasons to stop, but it seems the more I urge her to give up this habit, the more she does it. I know she does it to comfort herself when she's tired or uncomfortable. It's her happy place. And part of me doesn't want to take that happy place away from her. But the other part of me can't stop thinking about all the cons:
1. Crooked teeth
2. Misshapen mouth
3. Ingesting of germs
4. Spreading of germs
5. Annoying sound of slurping that is like nails on a chalkboard when you are driving in a quiet car
6. Annoying sound of slurping when she is sitting on your lap
7. Annoying sound of slurping when you are lying with her to help her fall asleep
8. Annoying sound of slurping when she crawls into bed with you when she has a nightmare
I know this is a debatable subject with moms. I've heard some moms say, "Oh just let her do it. What's the harm?" And then I've heard other moms say it must stop or she will have serious dental problems. While I say it must stop or I will be driven up a wall.
What I don't know is how to make it stop in a gentle way. There is this product that has been recommended by a mom who tried it and says it works. But I wonder if there's a softer way to coax her into quitting on her own. I also wonder if I'm being selfish in wanting her to quit in the first place. Why can't I be more accepting? Why can't I be more tolerant? Why don't I have more patience? Maybe she's sitting there sucking her thumb, annoyed at how annoyed I am.
Does anyone have an opinion on this? Any light you could shine on this situation would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Suckin' and Tuggin'
1. Crooked teeth
2. Misshapen mouth
3. Ingesting of germs
4. Spreading of germs
5. Annoying sound of slurping that is like nails on a chalkboard when you are driving in a quiet car
6. Annoying sound of slurping when she is sitting on your lap
7. Annoying sound of slurping when you are lying with her to help her fall asleep
8. Annoying sound of slurping when she crawls into bed with you when she has a nightmare
I know this is a debatable subject with moms. I've heard some moms say, "Oh just let her do it. What's the harm?" And then I've heard other moms say it must stop or she will have serious dental problems. While I say it must stop or I will be driven up a wall.
What I don't know is how to make it stop in a gentle way. There is this product that has been recommended by a mom who tried it and says it works. But I wonder if there's a softer way to coax her into quitting on her own. I also wonder if I'm being selfish in wanting her to quit in the first place. Why can't I be more accepting? Why can't I be more tolerant? Why don't I have more patience? Maybe she's sitting there sucking her thumb, annoyed at how annoyed I am.
Does anyone have an opinion on this? Any light you could shine on this situation would be much appreciated. Thanks.