How To Break The Thumb Sucking Habit In Not-So-Young Children HELP

 

How To Break The Thumb Sucking Habit In Not-So-Young Children

HELP

 9-9-2012

 

 

I’m not talking about one of the twins here. I have one finger sucker and paci sucker to break in the ‘not so far ahead’ future. I’m talking about my now 7 year old. YES..7. I have not wanted to embarrass her, and refrained from posting about this. But I seriously do need some help with the matter. The problem isn’t just ‘going away’ on it’s own, that’s clear.

 

I used to just figure the same would happen for her, as it did for me. That the desire to suck would magically vanish and she’d simply grow out of it. I was 5. She is 2 years passed that point now. I didn’t have my big girl teeth at 5 years old. She does have quite a few of hers and I am worried about them.

 

Let me point out she is only an ‘in-house’ sucker. She always has been. She still has the blanket given to her as a 3 week old baby. I say to myself all of the time, ”Aunt Grace can pay for your braces now” because it seems like the blanket forces her to suck her thumb. Thankfully, she’s never grabbed that blanket and taken it out in public, but she’s still very attached to it.

 

At home where she goes, it goes.

 

OK, one thing is clear…we can’t remove a thumb and simply can’t remove the blanket at this stage of the game. (She tried last night to let me take it away for two days and ended up caving after 5 minutes.) Would the blanket take away the thumb sucking? Maybe a little. But the night time, ‘in her sleep’ sucking would still be evident. I think she’d just grab something else to hold, honestly.

 

I didn’t want to use scare tactics, but I’ve seen that nothing else has worked. I told her the God’s honest truth. ”You are going to have a problem with your teeth in the future if you keep on sucking your thumb. They are going to buck out and you’ll need braces.” (Not that braces are terrible at all, but she does not want to have them.) If you can prevent any bad from happening, why not try? I already can see the beginning of the problem starting. This is killing me as a mom because it’s preventable.

 

Perfect, little baby teeth

 

(Click to enlarge. You can see the teeth starting to slightly come forward to a point on her 7th birthday)

She was trying on a Monster High gift she got from her party. I don’t dress her like this . 

 

Now look at what one month can do. We have to end this FAST!

(Click to enlarge if needed)

 She just lost a 5th tooth this past week.

 

 Her two front teeth are big teeth, and would be perfect like they used to be. But I notice them slightly turning in at the sides now, and bowing out in the front a little, like a triangle. She has a ‘shark’ tooth coming in on the bottom that will very likely get affected to if she doesn’t quit fast.

 

When I do use the ‘scare tactic’ she’ll pull her thumb out of her mouth and be like ‘BLAH!’ She’ll even beg me for help. So far, all I can really do is encourage her to stop, and keep reminding her when I catch her in the act. You are talking about a habit that has been around for an awful long time here.

 

She wants to stop, I want it to stop, as cute as it used to seem, but it’s extremely hard for her. It’s hard for me to as someone who was made fun of for her teeth at one time. I don’t want the same thing to happen to her, but I foresee it if she doesn’t stop. I’m very sensitive towards the subject I guess you could say.

 

When I was 6 and had Reye’s Syndrome I was on death’s door with a high temperature so unheard of, I was not expected to survive with brain damage and organ failure, much less without it. The medications they gave me permanently stained my front top and bottom teeth and it was a great number of years before my mother helped me fix them. (The top ones anyhow.) 

 

I didn’t like to smile, I was very insecure. It’s where some of my self-esteem issues stemmed from. I wish my mom had done more to help me sooner. I also have had a bit of an overbite that I wanted braces for, but my brother got the braces.. not me.

 

She wants to avoid needing these. Though braces are no big deal, they are a HUGE expense. If they can be avoided.. we should try, right?

 

 Of course, when you have been in a situation such as mine you have to try and balance your words carefully. You want to help your child but not let them think that outward appearances are the most important part of who they are because surely they are not. I just know children judge and judge cruelly. That is just fact and I’ve been there. It’s not the actual behavior that I mind, it’s now the possible repercussions of her behavior. I don’t want to see her hurt as I once was. Bullying stays with me even till this very day, in all honesty.

 

I talk to her, she understands, she wants to stop, but she’s not even thinking about the thumb sucking. It’s just so natural at this point. She’s asked me to help her by getting a ThumbGuard (it’s called). I found one on Amazon. It’s a little over $75 which is a lot of money for us right now, but if it works it’s a lot less than braces, and a lot better than tears. Has anybody tried a ‘thumb guard’ such as this to break the habit? If so, was it helpful? Did you use this or another like product? PLEASE let me know. The dentist told her to stop but offered no other help to either of us.

 

It looks interesting, but will it work? We are in a critical period here.

 

Some people say put Tabasco sauce or something icky on the thumb. She said to me, ”Seriously mom. You know I can just wipe it right off.” I guess that just won’t work on a 7 year old. I can visually see what she is doing to herself now..and it’s breaking my heart. I have to get her to stop pronto, but easier said than done. ANYBODY? I know I can’t be the only one with a child of this age sucking his or her thumb still.

 

I think we might be a bit passed this.

It does look cute for younger ones though. 

 

 

Many thanks in advance. Happy Sunday!