Adorable Little Babies Sucking Their Thumbs 

What Could Be More Precious?

Ninay: The Thumb-sucking baby

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My Baby Thumb Sucking

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My baby sucking his thumb

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First of All, Let's Make One Thing Perfectly Clear 

Thumbsucking is NORMAL!

Many infants have such strong sucking instincts, that the little bit of oral satisfaction they get from nursing or from a bottle just isn't enough. So they turn to something else.

Some babes are happy with a pacifier, but many prefer their thumb or a couple of chubby fingers. Let's face it, fingers are handy and thumbs never get lost!

Thumbsucking is a pleasurable habit that increases an infant's sense of well-being. In fact, studies show that thumb (or finger) sucking actually releases endorphins to the brain and boosts relaxation. This puts little Susie in the powerful postition of being able to soothe and calm herself without too much extra intervention from a harried parent.

In a young child, thumbsucking is not an indication of insecurity or emotional problems. On the contrary, it is a God-given gift of self-comfort.

So smile, enjoy the blessings and take lots of photos and videos!

But Then They Get Older 

And Suddenly, Thumbsucking is Not So Cute Anymore.

As the need for sucking diminishes, so do the number of children who suck their thumbs. Recent studies show that most (85%) of children have completely dropped the habit by the end of their third year.

It's that niggling 15% that continue the practice that make parents and dentists and well-intentioned relatives nervous.

* Isn't it about time for Little Pumpkin to stop sucking her thumb?
* How old is too old?
* Is her thumbsucking really doing any harm?
* Isn't she ruining her teeth?
* Aren't her friends going to make fun of her?
* Surely she should quit, but how can her parents motivate her to do so?

Tell the Truth now... 

Enquiring Parents Want to Know:

Adult Thumbsuckers 

There Are More of You Than I Ever Dreamed!

Thumbsucking Adults

According to this website: For all those years you thought you were the only person on the planet thumbsucking at your age. Well, you finally found the right place! Forget the past and all those bad thoughts you've had about yourself (if you have, some don't you know); here we can come together and share our feelings on this subject.

Adult Thumb Suckers Come Out

This CBS News story will assure you that you are not weird and you are not alone.

What Does Thumbsucking Mean in Adults?

This is a question and answer forum where your fellow thumbsuckers chime in on the subject.

Orthodontia Can Help You Kick the Habit

No matter how many folks tell you that adult thumbsucking is natural or acceptable, many of you will still want to quit. Orthodontia is one means to that end.

This site also has quite a bit of discussion from fellow thumbsuckers.

India Parenting

More teen and adult thumbsuckers speak out.

Does Thumbsucking Cause Buck Teeth?

If you are a teen or adult thumbsucker, then I imagine you know the answer to this one; Join in the discussion!

The Great Debate: Is Adult Thumbsucking Normal or Odd?

This is my very own MonkeyBrain debate lens. Come on over to give us YOUR opinion loud and clear!

What's Wrong With Thumbsucking for Older Children? 

Isn't it Just a Harmless Habit?

According to the American Dental Association, a child can suck his thumb until 4 or 5 years of age without causing any lasting damage to his teeth or jaw. BUT once the baby teeth start to fall out and those adult teeth start coming in, thumbsucking can precipitate some lasting difficulties.

Persistant thumbsucking can cause malocclusion (misalignment of the teeth, problems with spacing etc.) like the ones in this photo.

I have a 5 year-old who is an ARDENT thumbsucker. Her overbite is so bad that she can't bite a piece of fruit or meat with her incisors; They don't come together at all! We have to cut the food into pieces before she can eat it.

Thumbsucking can also cause malformation of the upper palate, speech difficulties (lisping), and tongue-thrusting while talking.

And there's MORE!

Thumbsucking can also cause chapped lips, cracked skin, calluses and fingernail infections.

My own thumbsucker has had repeated skin infections like impetigo because her hand is always on her face. She also contracted Hand-foot-mouth disease from another thumbsucker. They were the only two children in our circle of acquaintance who contracted the illness. Coincidence? I don't think so!

For these reasons the ADA recommends that thumbsucking be stopped by the time a child is 6 or 7 at the latest.

It's just that simple.

OR IS IT?

Helpful Books From Amazon 

When You Need Some Help Along the Way...

David Decides About Thumbsucking: A Story for Children, a Guide for Parents

by Susan P H. D. Heitler

Amazon Price: $12.55 (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $13.95

David Decides: No More Thumbsucking

by Susan, Ph.D. Heitler

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $8.00

Bye Bye Thumbsucking (A Muppet Babies Big Steps Book)

by Golden Books

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $3.49

How to Stop Thumbsucking (and Other Oral Habits): Practical Solutions for Home and Therapy

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price: $20.00

How to Stop Thumbsucking

by Pam Marshalla

Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
List Price:

What's a Parent to Do? 

OR, Better Yet: What's a Parent NOT to Do?

The first thing that all the experts seem to agree on is that if you, the parent, make a big issue out of thumbsucking, the habit will become more firmly ingrained.

That is to say:
Moms who nag,
Dads that threaten,
Grammies who cajole and
Uncles who tease
are only making things worse.

In fact, it is estimated that many of the children who DO suck their thumbs beyond age 4 or 5 do so because they have become entrenched in a power struggle with the powers-that-be.

If this has become the case in your home, then step number one is to BACK-OFF!

**********************************************

So, if you can't MAKE junior stop sucking, what CAN you do?

Overcoming the Habit 

There are Several Things You CAN Do!

1. If your child is 5 or under, ignore the thumbsucking. However, if they seem bored (as opposed to tired,or sick or stressed) you can give them something to do with their hands to distract them. You can also apply some psychology at this stage by telling them,

"I'm so glad you enjoy sucking your thumb. You know, you won't be able to do that when you're a big girl - big girl's don't suck their thumbs - so suck it all you can now!" (We have planted in our daughter's mind that 6 year-olds don't suck. She'll be 6 in May...)

2. Starting with age 6 and up you can enlist your child's help in quitting during the day. At this age most children can be reasoned with and are developmentally ready to work with their parents on overcoming a bad habit.

* Read a book or two together about how other children have faced and overcome thier thumbsucking woes. I have links to some great ones above!

* Ask your dentist or pediatrician to help you. They'd be happy to explain to your youngster why continued thumbsucking can cause them problems.

* Use a mirror to show your child what thumbsucking is doing to their teeth, jaw, and skin now. Explain to them how their habit may result in permanent harm. (Keep it short please, or you'll lose their interest!)

*Appeal to your child's sense of pride and maturity. He's growing up now and big boys don't suck their thumbs!

*Hopefully after this discussion, Junior will be ready to cooperate with you. If he's ready, then there are several methods you can try to help him kick the habit.

But if he's NOT ready, then back off and try again in a couple of months. It may very well be that a little peer pressure from playmates will give him the motivation he needs.

Helping Your Child Kick the Habit 

Strategies and Methods for the DAYtime

Once your child agrees with you that thumbsucking is a bad idea, you're ready to proceed.

It's easiest to eliminate thumbsucking from your child's daytime routines first.

*Start a little at a time. Set a timer or designate a specific activity (read one book, watch 1 half-hour video, play one board game, etc.) during which Susie will not suck her thumb. The more hands-on the activity, the better. After all, it's hard to suck a thumb that's busy!

If she forgets and plops it in, just give her a gentle reminder. Perhaps you can come up with a signal to use - lightly tapping her arm or quietly saying, "Thumbkin" or putting an arm around her and saying, "Guess what?" Anything that will point out that she's sucking without making her feel bad. (Remember, if you resort to nagging or shaming her, you may end up with a very unecessary battle on your hands!)

When Susie makes it through the designated time without sucking, give her a hug and praise her; She's done a great job! And then lengthen the amount of thumb-free time each day until she's conquered her daytime habit.

* Thumbsucking is a HABIT. That means kids rarely think about the fact that they are doing it. Consequently, You want to make them very aware of their thumb. You can do this by covering Mr. Thumb with a fun character bandaid or by painting the nail with yucky tasting medicine. These are available in almost any drugstore or pharmacy.

*Give Joey some ideas of a substitute behavior when he really feels like sucking. Perhaps he could:
-Chew some sugarless gum.
-Squeeze his hand tightly into a fist for a few moments.
-Hug a stuffed animal with his sucking arm.
-Squish a "stress" ball with his sucking hand.
-Squeeze his thumb with his other hand for a few moments.
-Suck on a piece of hard candy.

*Provide incentives to coax your child toward the goal. Give her a star on a chart and let those stars earn her some sort of tangible reward such as:
-a dime or quarter
-an extra story
-a snack
-extra playtime

********************************************

Once your Little Sunshine has overcome her daytime habit, it's time to tackle the tough part - Nighttime sucking...

Get Your T-Guards or Thumbsters Here: 

Each of these places sell devices to help stop the thumbsucking habit

Practicon Dental

This is a nicely done dental sales site. They sell booklets and factual info as well as...ta-da...T-Guards!

Thumbsters

Ok folks, these are colorful and they seem to be MUCH more affordable than T-guards!

It's All About Methods 

Tell Us How You (or your child) Overcame The Thumbsucking Habit

And Now to Finish the Job 

Quitting Nighttime Thumbsucking

Bedtime is the final hurdle in the race to stop thumbsucking.

Most children rely heavily on their thumbsucking habit to help them relax and fall asleep at night. This connection that may take quite a while to break, so be prepared to put some time and effort into assisting your child.

First of all, pick a week that's low on the stress scale. Trying to get Junior to kick the habit on the week of the big dance recital or little league play-offs could be quite counter-productive!

Parents should plan to be available to spend some time with little Julie or Johnny the first week. My friend Mary had to lay down with her daughter each night until she fell asleep to give her a little extra snuggling and comfort. This really helped ease her daughter, Sarah (age 7), into thumb-free sleeping.

Needless to say, anytime your child is not actively thinking about keeping his hand away from his face, that thumb WILL find its way back into his mouth. Your child may feel very bad or guilty when this happens. Assure Sally that Mr. Thumb is sneaky. He is always looking for opportunities to pop into a warm mouth.

Fortunately, there ARE ways to outsmart Mr. Thumb. The best way is to provide a strong, consistant reminder to keep that thumb away. Take a clean tube sock and put it over the child's entire hand. Problem solved.

Unless...In a sleepy moment, little Bobby pulls the sock off. Then you will need to employ a slightly more powerful tool: The T-Guard (TM). The T-Guard is a safe (FDA approved) device that is attached by a parent to a child's wrist using a colorful, lock-band bracelet.

The T-guard won't keep Freddie from putting his thumb in his mouth, but it will take all the pleasure out of sucking because the child's lips won't be able to seal over the device. You can buy a T-Guard for your child below.

Finally, PLEASE remember: All your work and efforts and support will be for naught if your child is not on board with the decision to quit thumbsucking. The only way your princess (or tiger) is going to quit is if they really want to. If your child isn't ready to cooperate with you, then, once again, back off and wait a few months - and NO NAGGING in the meantime!

Nag, Nag, Nag... 

I Just Can't Let it Go - Thumbsucking Drives me Crazy!

Let me leave you with this sage advice from Marilyn Heins, MD - an experienced physician and mother of a thumbsucker:

"Put a rubber band on YOUR wrist and snap it to remind YOU that thumbsucking is a harmless habit and you need not interfere."

What's Your Thumbsucking Story? 

mason81 Yeah I have a friend about 30 that still sucks her thumb too LOL Great lens, thanks! Chris Posted June 07, 2008

groovyoldlady Well now, AMK - that depends on what you've been eating! Posted March 20, 2008

AMK I went from sucking to eating. Us men don,t neccesarily get more intelegent with age :) Posted March 05, 2008

groovyoldlady Well folks, we are making progress in the Groovy household. Little 6 and 1/2 year-old Cupcake has willingly agreed to wearing tape on Mr. Thumb during school hours. Soon we will expand the taping to an all day event as those pesky adult incisors are finally coming in... Posted October 26, 2007

groovyoldlady I've never heard the quinine recommendation. Once some ongoing family craziness settles down, our little girl has agreed to try using bandaids to help remind Mr. Thumb to stay OUT! In the meantime I've been popping a zillion elastics on my own wrist so I'll keep my mouth shut!! Posted October 01, 2007

 

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Here are Some Gems for Your Thumbsucker 

Get them now...They won't be so cute in a few years!

Thumb Thucker Rectangle Magnet

from Bee My Baby

Price: 6.99

Thumb Thucker Sticker (Rectangular)

from Bee My Baby

Price: 4.49

Thumb Thucker Teddy Bear

from Bee My Baby

Price: 17.99

from

Price: 0.00