hazel has been sucking her thumb since she was 5 months old
i have kind of loved it
she sleeps well, soothes herself
but her teeth are forming around her thumb now
and the dentist told us that 3 1/2 is when they like kids to stop
to prevent permanent damage
well guess who's three and a half..
we've tried to talk to her about breaking the habit
but she always reverts to her thumb when she is sad or tired
so we bought her this book for Christmas
to help her
(after all, she potty trained solely because of this other book)
anyway, the book we bought her is called thumb love
and it is terrible
i hadn't read it by myself before i read it to her the first time
on Christmas
big mistake
when i read it to her, i realized it was awful
and i could tell it was hurting her feelings and making her feel ashamed
prior to reading this book i had never made her feel bad about sucking her thumb
i figured she needs it, and she'll outgrow it
and while i would like her to stop
i don't want to do anything to make her feel ashamed
i might try a reward chart..
any one have advice?
i'd better figure it out with hazel
since olive is also a thumb sucker
and eleanor looked like she was in her ultrasound, too
yikes!
update:
after a couple of days of trying
and a reward chart
we decided to leave it be for now
when i told hazel she could
still suck her thumb and it's ok
she said, "thank you!
you're the best mom in the whole world!"
sweet girl
update:
after a couple of days of trying
and a reward chart
we decided to leave it be for now
when i told hazel she could
still suck her thumb and it's ok
she said, "thank you!
you're the best mom in the whole world!"
sweet girl
8 comments:
Unfortunately, I have no advice, but would love to hear what works for you guys, since Ferdie is my first thumb-sucker. I don't encourage it, but it's kind of impossible to discourage at his age.
I found this on WebMD.com
9 Tips to Curb Thumb Sucking and Finger Sucking
When your child reaches the preschool age, it might be tempting to pop his thumb out of his mouth every time he starts to suck, especially if you think it might be affecting the growth and development of his teeth and jaw. But you may want to consider resisting that urge and use a different strategy.
"This is a self-soothing activity," says Jenn Berman, PhD, a family psychologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It is important to remember that you will not have a child who is going off to college sucking his thumb. It will eventually come to an end."
Adults don't realize how anxiety-provoking growing up is for children and sucking their thumbs or fingers is a soothing activity that can help reduce their anxiety, Berman says. So if your child is approaching preschool and still sucking away at her fingers, here's how to handle it right:
DO try to limit the time that your child sucks his thumb to his bedroom or in the house, not in public, Berman says. Explain to him that this is a bed activity, during nap time and at night.
DON'T turn it into a confrontation. "Don't tell your child, ‘You cannot suck your thumb anymore,'" Anderson says. "Try to recognize him and praise him when he's not sucking his thumb, instead of criticizing when he is."
DO talk to your child about her thumb sucking or finger sucking. "Help your child understand that when she is ready to stop, you will be there to help," Berman says. "She will eventually come to you and tell you, ‘Mommy, I don't want to suck my thumb anymore,' because you've empowered her to get there."
DON'T prohibit your child if he tries to suck his thumb or fingers after being hurt or injured. "He needs to be in his comfort zone, and by not letting him go there you're only traumatizing him more," Berman says.
DO practice self-awareness with your child. "When your child is sucking his thumb, ask him, ‘Do you know you are sucking your thumb now,'" Hayes says. "If he says no, help him recognize that, and find another way to soothe if he needs it, like a blanket or stuffed animal."
DON'T use the nasty-tasting stuff that is marketed to stop thumb sucking and finger sucking. "It's just cruel," Berman says. "It's pulling the rug out from under your child and that's not fair."
DO come up with creative ways to help them understand that they are growing up and one day won't suck their thumbs anymore. "Ask your child, ‘Do you think Bob the Builder sucks his thumb?'" Hayes says. "Then they'll think about, and start to process whether they want to be sucking their thumbs anymore."
DON'T try a glove or a mitten on the hand as a quick-fix to thumb or finger sucking. "This will just frustrate them and cause more anxiety," Anderson says. "Likely, they're old enough to just take it off, and as a result, they'll just want to suck more."
DO remember that a child will grow out of the need for thumb sucking or finger sucking when he's good and ready. "While parents may not like it, it's best left alone," Berman says. "Kids will eventually give it up."
I don't have experience in this area but I heard a pediatric dentist talk about how you slowly "take away" rooms or spaces where she can suck her thumb. So, start with somewhere she hardly sucks her thumb, like outside. Tell her there is no thumb sucking outside so if she wants to do it she has to go in the house. Slowly add spaces to the "no thumbing sucking" list. Kitchen, living room... so on, until the last place she can do it is in her room or bed. The dentist said it can take up to a year to fully break the habit, depending on the child. Anyway, it sounded good to me. Good luck!
My mother inlaw said that Matthew sucked his thumb forever too. Once he started to school he finally quite sucking it. So if all else fails maybe that will work. lol
I sucked my thumb for several years as a child. My parents' solution was to give me chewing gum during times when I would normally turn to my thumb. If I was chewing the gum there was no way that I could have my thumb in my mouth at the same time. I don't remember feeling upset about the transition at all. Although I guess it does depend on how your family feels about having a three year old having chewing gum on a regular basis.
Good luck!
I have missed your blog posts! We just got home and your blog is saved on my computer which I haven't had for 3 weeks, so it was fun catching up on your life. You look great, your kids are so cute, I love your table, I'm sorry Michael is still sick! That does not make life easy. I hope I get to see you soon!
I'm so sorry it's such a terrible book, but I have to admit I laughed when I read the preview on amazon.
Thank you so much for the plaques and the flower clips. Once again, you are so talented!!! I love you!
OH French, poor girl! She just wants to self-soothe! I like the idea of having "no-suck" zones...slow, methodical approach. She'll catch on. She's so sharp. She'll get there when she gets there. Maybe don't eliminate thumbs and sippies together? Love yahooz!
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