Thumbsucking

[Nickel]

I'm curious as to how old these kids were when taking off the bottle and/or pacifier. I'm either brilliant or extremely lucky. My nephew was allowed a pacifier until well after he turned two. When it was finally taken he replaced it with his thumb. I took both of my kids pacifiers when they started getting teeth (If they needed to suckle they got a bottle of water) and took the bottle away at a year old. Neither has ever sucked their thumb.

J didn't want to give up his pacifier, and I pick my battles. I think he stopped wanting it when he was around 2. He's never sucked his thumb. :shrug:

 

[pixiegirl]

J didn't want to give up his pacifier, and I pick my battles. I think he stopped wanting it when he was around 2. He's never sucked his thumb. :shrug:

I wasn't implying that there was anything wrong with it just wondering if there was a correlation at all. I took both boys between 4-6 months so there was no chance of it being a battle.

 

[Nickel]

I wasn't implying that there was anything wrong with it just wondering if there was a correlation at all. I took both boys between 4-6 months so there was no chance of it being a battle.

Eh, I just never saw it as a big deal, and in the grand scheme of things I doubt it matters whether or not someone used a pacifier or for how long. Shoot, my youngest brother refused to use the toilet until he was 4 years old, something I'm sure would come under extreme scrutiny on the forums. He's a perfectly normal 13 year old. If anything, he's more normal than my other brother and I ever were at his age. I don't think my thumb sucking cousin ever used a pacifier, even as an infant.

 

[pixiegirl]

Eh, I just never saw it as a big deal, and in the grand scheme of things I doubt it matters whether or not someone used a pacifier or for how long. Shoot, my youngest brother refused to use the toilet until he was 4 years old, something I'm sure would come under extreme scrutiny on the forums. He's a perfectly normal 13 year old. If anything, he's more normal than my other brother and I ever were at his age. I don't think my thumb sucking cousin ever used a pacifier, even as an infant.

I don't see it as a big deal either, thumbsucking either for that matter. I was simply interested if there was a connection. I took my boys away because I didn't want them to be dependent on anything to fall asleep. I watched my nephew often and was awoken many times to the pacifier having popped out of his mouth and I had to get up and put it back in. He also would not go to sleep without it. I didn't want to go through any of that with my kids so I cut them off early.

 

[Dymphna]

Told my boy that if he kept sucking his thumb once he started losing his baby teeth, he'd end up messing up his permenant teeth. I even showed him pics of my brother who sucked his thumb until he was 7 (my parents tried everything that everyone has mentioned and he only stopped when he got braces, yeah, at 7)

Anyway, my boy was 4 going on 5 and we'd remind him when we'd see him doing it. He stopped sucking his thumb the day he lost his first tooth, just after his 5th birthday. It was hard for him, though. I could see him getting frustrated because he wanted to suck his thumb, but I guess even 5 year olds have vanity. He REALLY didn't want bucked teeth.

 

[SoMDMama82]

I dont remember the last time I saw an adult sucking their thumb. I know a few crybabys but no thumb suckers. She will quit when shes ready.

I work with a thumbsucker! She's probably around my age (24-25). She says it calms her if she's stressed. She'll sit in her cube with her thumb in her mouth, she doesn't care if anybody sees her. We all make fun of her of course.

 

[keekee]

One of my kids was a thumb-sucker.
I just started telling him, "Get that out of your mouth. You're too old for that!" But not making a huge deal about it, because sometimes they enjoy the reaction and keep doing things just to get your goat. They do stop after a while. (But I do think at 16, I'd be worrying.)

 

[sockgirl77]

I work with a thumbsucker! She's probably around my age (24-25). She says it calms her if she's stressed. She'll sit in her cube with her thumb in her mouth, she doesn't care if anybody sees her. We all make fun of her of course.

I do not understand this. I would be so ashamed. I'd seek help. It is not cute. She needs a man in her life.

 

[keekee]

I do not understand this. I would be so ashamed. I'd seek help. It is not cute. She needs a man in her life.

At that age, it's a little disturbing...

 

[Nickel]

She needs a man in her life.

 

[sockgirl77]

If she was my coworker, I'd yank the thumb out of her mouth and insert one of these

 

[Chasey_Lane]

My daughter is six and still sucks her thumb. I do not know what to do now that she is losing her baby teeth she needs to stop. I have tried positive reinforcement, no luck, I took her to the dentist and he said he may have to put a device on her permanent teeth to break the habit, costly at that!!!

Any suggestions??

I sucked my thumb all the time when I was younger. I finally stopped around 9 years old. My upper teeth are perfectly straight and I never needed braces. It's just something I grew out of..eventually.

 

[cattitude]

They sell stuff at the drugstore that you paint on their nails - tastes nasty, won't wash off, but it won't hurt them.

Next time you see Boy, ask him to tell you MY story about that stuff. He and I laughed until we cried.

 

[cattitude]

I work with a thumbsucker!

So do I. Male ...40ish..attorney. He used to work across the hall from me. I would hear this and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I glanced his way as I was walking by his office and He became a dad last year.

He's on another floor now, thankfully.

On another note, I sucked my thumb until I was about 5..and carried one of those sock monkeys around with the tail wrapped around my nose while I sucked my thumb.

 

[sockgirl77]

So do I. Male ...40ish..attorney. He used to work across the hall from me. I would hear this and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I glanced his way as I was walking by his office and He became a dad last year.

He's on another floor now, thankfully.

On another note, I sucked my thumb until I was about 5..and carried one of those sock monkeys around with the tail wrapped around my nose while I sucked my thumb.

I bet that made for some adorable pics. I sucked my thumb until I was 7, I think. I had a little bunny that was made out of a blanket. It was flat and had the satin edge on the bottom. A fairy took it one night and gave it to a needy kid.

 

[cattitude]

I bet that made for some adorable pics. I sucked my thumb until I was 7, I think. I had a little bunny that was made out of a blanket. It was flat and had the satin edge on the bottom. A fairy took it one night and gave it to a needy kid.

A fairy


My nephew was 4 when he threw his binky out for the baby birds.

 

[sockgirl77]

A fairy


My nephew was 4 when he threw his binky out for the baby birds.

I had the Bottle Fairy come through my house last month.

 

[Tinkerbell]

My oldest sucked on her index finger. She wouldn't stop. I tried hot sauce, but the kid likes it. She still puts it on her food. She learned that the bitter nail biter stuff will wear off if you suck long enough, so that was a no go. Finally, she started developing a sore on her finger from her teeth and it just plain hurt to do it. Plus, she went to Pre-K and didn't want the kids teasing her, so she just quit one day. She never had interest in a pacifier as a baby, she discovered her finger as soon as she discovered her hands.

My youngest was given a pacifier. I didn't want to go through the thumb/finger sucking again. She had that until she was about 2, and then she gave it up and never went to thumb/finger sucking. She has a little stuffed horse that she's had from birth, however, that to this day she MUST have to go to bed. It's okay, though, because she doesn't insist on carrying it around outside of home.