Son still sucks thumb

[radiantquest]

I sucked my thumb til I went to kindergarten. My best friend did until 2nd grade. I think that it was unfair for you to take away his money when you caught him sleeping and sucking. He didn''t know he was doing it.

When I quit sucking in the beginning I would suck and not realize. I would watch TV and after a while I would notice that I was sucking. My mother never gave me a hard time about it, but told me that there would be alot of germs at school and that she didn''t want me putting any of my fingers in my mouth. She really grossed me out about the germ thing so then I wanted to stop. She got this stuff that looks like nail polish, but isnt. It tastes awful. I can still remember the taste. It isn''t toxic so don''t worry about that. Since I wanted to quit sucking I wasn''t doing it all the time, but when I didn''t realize like when watching TV and the thumb would go in I would get that nasty taste and it helped break the habit for me. Try and see if you can find it. I don''t even know if they sell it anymore, but it really helped.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/12/2009 8:09:10 PM
Author: radiantquest
I sucked my thumb til I went to kindergarten. My best friend did until 2nd grade. I think that it was unfair for you to take away his money when you caught him sleeping and sucking. He didn''t know he was doing it.

When I quit sucking in the beginning I would suck and not realize. I would watch TV and after a while I would notice that I was sucking. My mother never gave me a hard time about it, but told me that there would be alot of germs at school and that she didn''t want me putting any of my fingers in my mouth. She really grossed me out about the germ thing so then I wanted to stop. She got this stuff that looks like nail polish, but isnt. It tastes awful. I can still remember the taste. It isn''t toxic so don''t worry about that. Since I wanted to quit sucking I wasn''t doing it all the time, but when I didn''t realize like when watching TV and the thumb would go in I would get that nasty taste and it helped break the habit for me. Try and see if you can find it. I don''t even know if they sell it anymore, but it really helped.

My first post said I tried the nail polish product on his thumb and he learned to wipe it off.

Maybe the quarter deal seems unfair to you, but him and I made a deal and it''s working! If he was only sucking his thumb at night, then of course, the entire game plan would have been different, but he was sucking it in the car, while watching movies, etc., so I had to try a new method.

 

[radiantquest]

I think the only reason I didn''t wash it off was because I wanted to stop. And I wasn''t sucking often. It worked for me because when I didn''t realize it was there to remind me.

I see what you are saying, sorry about the confusion.

I don''t know any adults that suck so maybe with the quarters and positive reinforcement he will just grow out of it in time.

 

[SeaStar]

I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old. Yes. 13 years old. My parents tried EVERYTHING to get me to stop: bribes, bitter apple, cayenne pepper, rum (all on my thumb), something called thumb stop...nothing worked but me feeling ready to stop. I had braces for 4 years and sucked my thumb while I had them. I ended up turning out okay in the end.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 8/4/2009 1:30:10 PM
Author: ChinaCat
Hi MC!

This probably isn''t what you want to hear- but I was a thumb- sucker and sucked my thumb until I was almost 12.

My parents tried all of the above- though they never attempted to put the device in my mouth. To be honest, nothing worked and nothing affected me, I just didn''t care. Sucking my thumb was so comforting that it was worth it to me. Nobody ever made fun of me, and I probably wouldn''t have cared if they did- for some reason peer pressure just didn''t get to me as a kid.

I didn''t end up with buck teeth or anything like that. I did need braces, but that was due to the fact that I am genetically missing 2 teeth, so I would need them no matter what. As far as I know, sucking my thumb did no damage to my teeth.

One day I just decided I was too old to suck my thumb and stopped overnight.

Anyways, I hope you find something that works, but in case you don''t, I would say don''t worry too much about it. Kids will stop when they''re ready. At least I don''t feel like it really hurt me in anyway.

Good luck!!!!

I 100% agree wtih chinacat here.

I don''t remember the age I stopped sucking my thumb but it must have been old because I have clear memories of sucking my thumb. And I remember having a huge callous on my thumb from sucking it. I think it was like 8 or 9? Perhaps even 10?

BUT that being said, I had braces in jr. high and today I have super straight teeth. I get complements on my teeth. So no long term damage done.

I think that there is not much you can do but wait for him to outgrow it.

Interestingly enough, none of my kids were thumb suckers.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/16/2009 1:06:11 PM
Author: SeaStar
I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old. Yes. 13 years old. My parents tried EVERYTHING to get me to stop: bribes, bitter apple, cayenne pepper, rum (all on my thumb), something called thumb stop...nothing worked but me feeling ready to stop. I had braces for 4 years and sucked my thumb while I had them. I ended up turning out okay in the end.

I think my son is ready to stop. He''s completely stopped during the day. Part of the problem was on my part. Now that I think over, I probably was babying him too much. Since beginning "the program," lol, multiple times per day he''s being told what a big boy he is. I''m also having him work around the house more - that is bring in groceries and help weed the yard. When my other son gave up weeding after 20 minutes, my ex-thumb sucker kept at it for nearly an hour. He had fun doing it and was thrilled every time he managed to get a root out of the ground!

I''m trying in every way to make him feel more grown up. Hopefully we can keep this up.

The other night, around 3 am, I checked in on him and he was sucking, so I just pulled his thumb out. Didn''t mention it to him.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/16/2009 1:17:13 PM
Author: asscherisme

Date: 8/4/2009 1:30:10 PM
Author: ChinaCat
Hi MC!

This probably isn''t what you want to hear- but I was a thumb- sucker and sucked my thumb until I was almost 12.

My parents tried all of the above- though they never attempted to put the device in my mouth. To be honest, nothing worked and nothing affected me, I just didn''t care. Sucking my thumb was so comforting that it was worth it to me. Nobody ever made fun of me, and I probably wouldn''t have cared if they did- for some reason peer pressure just didn''t get to me as a kid.

I didn''t end up with buck teeth or anything like that. I did need braces, but that was due to the fact that I am genetically missing 2 teeth, so I would need them no matter what. As far as I know, sucking my thumb did no damage to my teeth.

One day I just decided I was too old to suck my thumb and stopped overnight.

Anyways, I hope you find something that works, but in case you don''t, I would say don''t worry too much about it. Kids will stop when they''re ready. At least I don''t feel like it really hurt me in anyway.

Good luck!!!!

I 100% agree wtih chinacat here.

I don''t remember the age I stopped sucking my thumb but it must have been old because I have clear memories of sucking my thumb. And I remember having a huge callous on my thumb from sucking it. I think it was like 8 or 9? Perhaps even 10?

BUT that being said, I had braces in jr. high and today I have super straight teeth. I get complements on my teeth. So no long term damage done.

I think that there is not much you can do but wait for him to outgrow it.

Interestingly enough, none of my kids were thumb suckers.

Did you kids have "binkies?" My older son never sucked his thumb, but he did endulge in a binky for a number of years. When my younger son was born, we tried the binky with him, but his brother would take it away, so that is how the younger one turned to the thumb! lol

Yes, braces will help, but it turns out my older son may need two sets of braces. He''s getting his first pair w/in a month or so - he''s about to turn 9, and that is because he has one single tooth that is too far back and grinding against his lower teeth. This is for corrective measure (and he''s getting an expander too). The next pair, if he needs them, will be for cosmetic. Luckily we have good insurance, but still, we''re out $1,300! Eh! I cannot imagine having to pay for 2 sets per child.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 8/16/2009 2:28:47 PM
Author: MC

Date: 8/16/2009 1:17:13 PM
Author: asscherisme

Date: 8/4/2009 1:30:10 PM
Author: ChinaCat
Hi MC!

This probably isn't what you want to hear- but I was a thumb- sucker and sucked my thumb until I was almost 12.

My parents tried all of the above- though they never attempted to put the device in my mouth. To be honest, nothing worked and nothing affected me, I just didn't care. Sucking my thumb was so comforting that it was worth it to me. Nobody ever made fun of me, and I probably wouldn't have cared if they did- for some reason peer pressure just didn't get to me as a kid.

I didn't end up with buck teeth or anything like that. I did need braces, but that was due to the fact that I am genetically missing 2 teeth, so I would need them no matter what. As far as I know, sucking my thumb did no damage to my teeth.

One day I just decided I was too old to suck my thumb and stopped overnight.

Anyways, I hope you find something that works, but in case you don't, I would say don't worry too much about it. Kids will stop when they're ready. At least I don't feel like it really hurt me in anyway.

Good luck!!!!

I 100% agree wtih chinacat here.

I don't remember the age I stopped sucking my thumb but it must have been old because I have clear memories of sucking my thumb. And I remember having a huge callous on my thumb from sucking it. I think it was like 8 or 9? Perhaps even 10?

BUT that being said, I had braces in jr. high and today I have super straight teeth. I get complements on my teeth. So no long term damage done.

I think that there is not much you can do but wait for him to outgrow it.

Interestingly enough, none of my kids were thumb suckers.

Did you kids have 'binkies?' My older son never sucked his thumb, but he did endulge in a binky for a number of years. When my younger son was born, we tried the binky with him, but his brother would take it away, so that is how the younger one turned to the thumb! lol

Yes, braces will help, but it turns out my older son may need two sets of braces. He's getting his first pair w/in a month or so - he's about to turn 9, and that is because he has one single tooth that is too far back and grinding against his lower teeth. This is for corrective measure (and he's getting an expander too). The next pair, if he needs them, will be for cosmetic. Luckily we have good insurance, but still, we're out $1,300! Eh! I cannot imagine having to pay for 2 sets per child.

Yes, some did. At our pediatricians advice, I offered the binky to all 4 of them at birth. His reasoning was that you can take away the binky but you can't take away the thumb. He also suggested I take away the binky around 6 months because the sucking response/need as a newborn starts to go away around 6 months.

2 of my kids wanted nothing to do with the binky and 2 wanted the binky and loved their binky. Of the two that used the binky, one developed bronchitis around 5 months old and could not suck on her binky and after she got better, I never gave it back to her and she did not seem to miss it. Easy there. The second child developed a bad cold around 6 months old and I used that as an opportunity to take away the binky. Again, no big deal for him to give it up. He did not object at all.

I guess I was lucky in that regard.

$1,300 for 2 sets of braces? Wow, thats great insurance.

I am payiing $7,000 for my son's braces, and my second oldest will be getting them next year. Most likey all 4 of my kids will need them. Thats in the $30,000 range for braces.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/17/2009 9:52:47 PM
Author: asscherisme


$1,300 for 2 sets of braces? Wow, thats great insurance.

I am payiing $7,000 for my son''s braces, and my second oldest will be getting them next year. Most likey all 4 of my kids will need them. Thats in the $30,000 range for braces.

Oh, no way! I WISH $1,300 was for two sets of braces. That price is for the expander and braces on only my son''s top four front teeth (those will be on for one year). We only got dental insurance a few months back and I am so relieved we finally decided to get it. Who knows how much the second set will cost. My son has spacer in his lower mouth, so this has kept his teeth straight. We paid $1,200 for that before we had insurance.

Man, $30K is crazy. Do you have insurance?

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 8/17/2009 10:30:53 PM
Author: MC

Date: 8/17/2009 9:52:47 PM
Author: asscherisme


$1,300 for 2 sets of braces? Wow, thats great insurance.

I am payiing $7,000 for my son''s braces, and my second oldest will be getting them next year. Most likey all 4 of my kids will need them. Thats in the $30,000 range for braces.

Oh, no way! I WISH $1,300 was for two sets of braces. That price is for the expander and braces on only my son''s top four front teeth (those will be on for one year). We only got dental insurance a few months back and I am so relieved we finally decided to get it. Who knows how much the second set will cost. My son has spacer in his lower mouth, so this has kept his teeth straight. We paid $1,200 for that before we had insurance.

Man, $30K is crazy. Do you have insurance?

Oh, I thought, $1,300 thats so great. But seems like its definately more than that.

The $30K number is for all 4 kids and its an estimate based on my first son. Yes I do have dental insurance which is pretty good on the dental side but the ortho coverage sucks. It pays $1K per child. My son''s actual cost is $8K, so the $7K I''m paying is after the insurance coverage.

On the other hand, I took all 4 kids for a cleaning last week and it was $34 out of pocket to get all 4 kids teeth cleaned and floride treatment and one needed xrays.