Okay so each of my kids did or had something that brought them comfort. As a baby whitney used to pull on her hair or my hair for that matter and then she started to twist her hair-she doesn't do it much any more but on occasion i do see her toy with a strand or two. Amber has sucked her tongue since the moment she was born and still does this plus she still has her "blanket"-we're doing good since she used to have three. I really don't recall that I myself
had anything that I did to comfort myself-maybe excessive chatter was mine??? LOL
With that said, I felt lucky that I hadn't run into the old thumbsucking habit that alot of kids get into. And I guess my luck ran out because since Brooke has discovered her hands she has found her thumb a few times and this is what happens:
I know it's a precious picture but it does have me worried that she will continue this going into kindergarten or later-I knew a girl who still sucked her thumb at age 9. So i wanted to pose the question of how many of you had children that did this and when did they grow out of it--or if you have to break them of the habit, how long did it take and how old were they? Anyway I am probably being a little too paranoid-and no I don't take it out of her mouth just yet-I just let her suck to her hearts content-sooner or later it comes out...and she really only does it before falling asleep. My kids never took to paci's either so i'm thinking which is worse a tolddler that sucks her thumb or one who's got a pacifier in her mouth? And does it really affect her teeth??? I know it sounds rather vain of me but one thing that attracted me to my hubby was that he has straight teeth-like me without having had to wear braces.
4 comments:
Did that 9 yr old girl happen to be ME!!!! Yeah, thumb sucker, and hot sauce, "thumb sucker no more" liquid, and spankings didn't help. Just braces solved that problem. I would try and stop it sooner rather than later! Braces are no fun and it's actually quite embarrassing to admit that I did it until FIFTH GRADE!! I ask my parents why they let me. Their reply? It was so cute! At least that's from my mom. My dad didn't like it either. Maybe he could see the cost of braces running through his mind?
Alyssa sucks on her pointer finger. Same predicament! What do you do and when?
no it wasn't you i was referring to-i never knew-you sure hid it well. That makes two from my childhood..it must be more common than i or you ever thought.
I have a thumb sucker now. Alexa sucks her thumb for comfort, while sick, going to sleep or if crying. I didn't like it BUT she sure has been easy because of it. I have had a few others suck their thumb as well, but they grew out of it by about 6-8 months. But I would like to say my Dentist says it's not a problem unless they suck their thumb when their permanent teeth come in. So that gives you until they are like 5/6 yrs. old. Also, it depends upon what kind of sucking. Do they fall asleep and it falls out of their mouth? or is it the kind that while in deep sleep they continue to suck it. That is the damaging part, because it ends up being hours on end, not just for 15. min. a day. anyway, just a few thoughts!! :)
Arin I was snooping through Jennifer's list of people and saw yours. I sucked my thumb until I was 5!! My parents tried everything to get me to quit and it just didn't work. I guess I finally decided it was embarrassing, I don't know. But Hunter started to suck his thumb and yes it was so cute but I would always take it out and offer his pacifier. It took probably two months of continually doing that and now he just sucks his pacifier. He does the normal suck on fingers and everything else close to his mouth as most babies do at 6 months old but no more thumb. I am sure it is nice to let them suck their thumb because they can always find it but it is a lot easier to break a pacifier than thumb because you can just take it away, cut it and tell them it is broken. We got Kyla's pacifier away right after she was 1, we just cut it and told her it was broken and she was fine with that. My only advice is the sooner you get her to stop the better because she is going to become dependent on her thumb to fall asleep. Good luck!
Jande
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