How to stop my daughter from sucking her thumb?

Question

My daughter is two she only does it for comfort. Hellllllllllp

Answer 1

In this world I think a child should get comfort while they can. My daughter sucked her thumb till she went to school and she was the best baby I had and outgrew it on her own. When others made a comment, I always replied that she wouldn't be walking down the aisle sucking her thumb...all kids have habits that are comforts for them, let them grow on their own. Once kids get in school, the thumb sucking gets less and less. Don't think this is the worst a kid can do, you will have many years ahead of you to deal with bigger issues. Cherish you child and enjoy, they grow up so fast. Good luck!

Answer 2

ah shes only two!! for god sake give her time to grow!!!

Answer 3

lemon juice! unless the girl loves to suck on lemons.....

Answer 4

Let her grow out of it in her own time.

Answer 5

well, i sucked my thumb until age ten. and my parents did EVERYTHING to try and get me to stop.

the nail polish that tastes bad - i would position my thumb so the fingernail wasnt touching the tongue.

embarrassed me - told me that my teachers would think i was a baby. yeah. i just sat with my thumb in my mouth giving any teacher who gave me a look, the stare down.

the mitten with no fingers, just the mit part? - uhhhm, took it off?

tried to reward me - would suck my thumb in private.

BUT, soon enough i was over it. and stopped sucking my thumb.

so, try and stop her now. but if she just want stop, wait it out.

but if she goes past the age of four,

see an orthodontist early.

i think they are recommending age eight now for the first consultation?

Answer 6

you can buy this stuff that goes on your nails becuase it tastes really bad, then she will stop. The medicine does not hurt your child. It is probably available at wal-mart.

Answer 7

If you make a huge deal about it then it becomes a huge deal. If you can't wait for her to grow out of it then every time you see her sucking her thumb find an activity for her to do that involves both hands. Don't say anything about it to her just automatically start an activity. Play catch, a clapping game, etc. If you are constantly getting on her about stopping then it may take even longer.

Answer 8

don't, it's simply a stage

Answer 9

First, don't make a big deal out of it or it will make her want to keep doing it even more.

Now - you can try a couple of things -

LITERALLY EVERY TIME you see her with her thumb in her mouth, take it out WITHOUT saying anything to her about it - and put something like a blankie or stuffed animal in her hand.  Don't worry about her becoming so dependent on the item that she'll carry it with her till she's a teen - my son had a blankie and by 3 1/2 - 4 he realized none of the other kids walked around with one and it was left permanently behind.

If she clings to the blankie/stuffed animal and returns the thumb - again, walk over - and simply remove it from her mouth WITHOUT SAYING A WORD!  This could go on for hours, or days or even weeks but you must be diligent - eventually - it will work.

You can also try the nail polish like the one person said - but honestly kids get to where they get used to the taste so it loses it's effectiveness.  Take a cotton ball and soak it in vinegar and apply to her thumb frequently. Also, cotton ball soaked in Worcestershire sauce. Also cotton ball soaked in Horseradish sauce. Also cotton ball soaked in 50/50 Tabasco water mix.  Alternate between "flavors" every few days so she doesn't get accustomed to one.

Or - you can always just wait it out.  As long as her pediatrician is not concerned, you need not worry.

Answer 10

Let her suck it as long as she wants. This is about comfort, oh and FYI the whole buck teeth from thumb sucking is an old wives tale, not at all true.