Thumb Sucking...to let her or not?

[Jami Johnson]

Anyone have any experience with this? Claire has become a big fan of her thumb over the last week or two and I'm wondering if I should discourage it or just let her enjoy. NONE of my children have liked pacifiers, but Cameron and Evan both were and are finger suckers. Evan actually got his fingers burned when he was about a year and a half so he stopped sucking them then. Cameron, who will be 6 in March, STILL sucks his. The dentist says there's been a little damage to his teeth and I am pretty sure his two sucking fingers aren't the same as the rest.

The plus is that her thumb puts her to sleep anywhere and anytime I need it to. It's made her a much happier baby. I'm not sure if there's even anything I can do at this stage. Anyone have any advice?

[artsiegirl]

Oh sorry, no advice on this one. Both of my boys were pacifier babies. My sister sucked her thumb almost forever it seems. She would actually suck it in her sleep up to her teens, and she did require quite a bit of dental work to correct everything. On the other hand, gosh they are so absolutely adorable when they suck their thumbs!

[craftmama]

Sorry no advice, but DGS (who is about Claires age), is a finger sucker and the doctor said no problem at this age. Good Luck.

[StitchinGrandma]

Jami I'm not sure that there's much you can do to discourage her from doing that at her age, even if you wanted to. About the only option would be to pull her thumb out every time she put it into her mouth and then stick the pacifier in so she can be persuaded/trained to the pacifier instead. But, then you have the other "evil" of needing to have a pacifier with you and near her at all times so she can get that.

Honestly I don't think I would worry now and just let her do it since you're other option could be a grumpy baby. I think I'd opt for happy baby every single time. LOL

There are studies that do show damage to the teeth is a great possibility but you also could see her stop doing it before that time comes too since she's so little. I say enjoy the happy baby while you can. :D

[anpola]

I think it's what works for you but I forced my kids to take pacifiers. (mean mom that I am! :o ) My MIL worked as a dental assistant for many years so I think she put it in my head that you can take away a pacifier but not a thumb. My youngest kept putting her thumb in her mouth and I took it out and put in a pacifier every time until she took the pacifier. I'd put about 5 pacifiers in her bed at night so that she could always find one. lol

[Leslie]

Well, I'm no expert but I do have personal experience. I sucked my thumb until I was 7, my folks did everything to discourage me by making negative comments until finally I sucked it so hard it got infected and I couldn't suck it anymore. That was the beginning of my overeating.

Thumb sucking, in my opinion, is a sort of security and calming thing kids do. It can lead to problems with the teeth, I had an overbite but it wasn't extreme, and I can tell you how I handled it with my son.

He was the Linus kid, thumb in the mouth and blanket on cheek. I left it alone until he started kindergarden and then we started talking about it. I told him I knew it made him feel warm and comfortable but it could hurt his teeth so how about we make sure his blanket is always soft and warm and cuddly and he try to stop sucking his thumb. I used the "I'm so proud of you, you are really trying hard to stop" psychology on him. He did stop for a long time, then started up again, so I told him I bet it felt good (kind of like picking up the cigarette again) but gosh he'd been so successful, did he want to start all over again? He gradually gave it up for good.

I tried my best not to be negative in any way because I knew exactly how comforting it was and also because I didn't want him to feel bad about himself like my folks made me feel, although I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing.

So I say let her enjoy her thumb, her universe can be disquieting sometimes and she probably draws security and comfort from it and it calms her down. If it becomes a habit you can negotiate with her later when she is able to reason.

On a personal note, my son is 27 now, very successful and happy, and he still needs that soft warm cuddly blanket. My sister-in-law provides him with a new one upon request whenever his wears out.

[Granny313]

I definitely agree that I would rather see a darling baby sucking her thumb than trying to take a pacifier away from one (finally) before they go to school. One of my 7 grands had that pacifier until I thought we would have to pack it in her lunchbox for school!!! And one had a bottle until she was old enough to go to the refrigerator and pour her own milk in it! NOW ISN'T THAT RIDICULOUS??? If that is your darling babies security, by all means let her keep it. I agree with Vicki - that at this age there's really not alot you can do to discourage her. Maybe later - but until then, enjoy the happy baby and alot more peace for you!!

[debmac]

My oldest daughter had her bottle until she turned two. My middle daughter could not go anywhere without one pacifier in her mouth and anouther one in her hand. She gave them up at two also. My youngest daughter sucked her thumb. She could not wait until school was over everyday so that she could stick it in when she was sure that her friends would not see her. We tried everything to make her stop. She always told me she would stop when she started third grade. She stopped the first day of school that year. All three of my daughters had to wear braces. None were very bad. The one that had the worse teeth was the one that sucked her pacifier. It is a lot easier to have the thumb handy than look for a pacifier at two in the morning.

[Emma]

coming from a girl who literally was born sucking her thumb (yes, I came out with my thumb in my mouth), i'd say discourage it. I had thousands of dollars worth of dental work to correct wonky teeth. It just became a habbit, and I sucked them until I was 10, nothing could make me stop. not even that horrible nail polish for nail biters.

My mum is also a dental therapist, and has seen a lot of thumb suckers, the majority will have to have work done too.

[Sew So Happy]

I think it's what works for you but I forced my kids to take pacifiers. (mean mom that I am! :o ) My MIL worked as a dental assistant for many years so I think she put it in my head that you can take away a pacifier but not a thumb. My youngest kept putting her thumb in her mouth and I took it out and put in a pacifier every time until she took the pacifier. I'd put about 5 pacifiers in her bed at night so that she could always find one. lol

That is what we did! LOL! I had a bunch in there and it worked. She could always reach around and find one. I am thinking that is why the younger kids slept better for me, because I was getting smarter!

[Jami Johnson]

Thanks for all the advice and stories. As much as I don't want to fight the battle later, I think we'll just leave well enough be for the time being. It does make her so happy and content. She loves to rub her blankie against her cheek just like you mentioned your son does, Leslie...it's so sweet.

On a related note, I am starting to prep my almost 6yr old about the need to quit. He's not too big on the idea. :)