Do you have a late thumb-sucker?
Joseph is the oldest of our seven children. He began sucking his thumb at 4 months of age, and continued until he was 8 years old. That was a long enough time for us to actually consult an orthodontist because we noticed that his top front teeth were being pushed forward from the pressure of his thumb.
We tried everything to break him of the habit. I Googled every trick in the book, but none of them worked for us. What many parents fail to realize is just how strong a thumb-sucking habit can be. It is a major source of comfort for many children and the older they get, the harder it can be to let it go. Now add the fact that sucking is an inborn instinct, and that the thumb is part of your child’s body (you can’t remove it or hide it like a pacifier), and you have a recipe for a mighty struggle.
So what finally broke the habit? Going to see the orthodontist. He didn’t do anything magical or terribly expensive. In fact, we went to his office twice and he never charged us a dime (the man is going to get ALL my business if we ever DO need dental work).
What the orthodontist provided was the gravitas of a trusted authority figure, plus accountability, and both of these things from an unbiased third party. The mere fact of going to the doctor and having a thorough interview and exam put in Joseph’s mind the idea that this was something very important. He knew that we were all getting really serious about stopping the habit. This definitely set the stage for success.
The doctor told me that Joseph’s teeth were not extended too far out; if he quit very soon, then the damage might actually be remedied by the natural pressure of his lips pushing back. If he didn’t quit….Joseph would probably need braces.
Dr. Edmonds then gave Joseph a great little pep talk. It went something like this: “Joseph, I’m going to ask you to stop sucking your thumb for a few days. I’m going to put this Band-Aid around your thumb to help you remember what I’ve asked of you.” He paused and wrapped a bright neon bandage around the beloved appendage.
And then he continued. “Sometimes you’ll want to suck your thumb really badly. I know it’s going to be hard. You’ll have two choices. Look at that bandage and think about what Dr. Edmonds asked of you and tell yourself not to suck it. Or rip that bandage off and suck it anyway.”
Joseph was listening with rapt attention.
Then Dr. Edmonds said, “The first few times you choose not to suck your thumb, it’s going to be difficult. But I promise you it will get easier. And if you come back in a month and your mama tells me that you’re not sucking your thumb at all anymore, I have a big box of toys for you to pick something out of.”
And then the two of them shook hands, like men do when they strike a bargain.
We went home and the trial period began. After three days, Joseph quit the habit. He never sucked his thumb again. You can bet that one very proud and grateful mother walked into the orthodontist’s office a month later. Joseph was on a high from his success…and from the neat toy he got out of that box!
I would recommend this type of method for any family dealing with prolonged thumb-sucking. And I’m not saying you have to go to the doctor. The key to this method was finding someone authoritative (and liked by the child) besides mama or daddy to “make a deal” with the child. It could be a local fireman or the lady who cuts hair at your local salon. Find someone that your child admires and looks up to; this is crucial because it provides the motivation for those moments of temptation. They will want to say NO because it’s even harder to go back to that person and tell them you failed.
Have you had a thumb-sucker that held on to the habit for years? What worked for you?
Norton is three, and still sucking his thumb. We’re hoping he’ll eventually break himself of it… but my oldest sister is approaching 50 and will still suck her thumb in her sleep when she’s stressed.
Wow, it’s powerful stuff apparently! ~Anne
I had a cousin who kept on sucking his thumb until now! But the “thumb-sucking” moments are starting to lessen to think that he is already Grade 6! Imagine that!
Isn’t amazing how long the habit can stick around! I know even of teenagers that still do it. ~Anne
How interesting! I haven’t had any thumb suckers (yet) but my oldest bites his nails – trying to break that habit.
I still do that! (yikes) ~Anne
I sucked my thumb until I was 12. I managed to not get braces (mostly because I would have to get teeth removed to do so), but I am so happy I stopped. I didn’t do anything miraculous, I just stopped. I hope my kids do not suck their thumb, but I am happy to know this might help if they do! Thank you!
I’m impressed that you were able to just stop! Your will power must be strong, Amanda. ~Anne
That is so awesome!
My husband is 24 and still sucks his thumb! Lol. Our daughter started in the womb and I will have a hard time breaking her of it if daddy does it too
Dr. Edmonds is great! We go to him for all our orthodontics (3 sets of braces so far, and probably 2 more on the way!) Never had a thumb-sucker so far. Although I got a lot of flack for it, I started all my children on pacifiers early. I know I can take that away at a certain point, you can’t just take a thumb away! : )
I sucked my thumb until I was six and would have continued by my dentist said it would push out my front teeth. That did the trick for me! I loved sucking my thumb so much, and sometimes wish I could still suck my thumb. I probably would if it was socially acceptable, lol.
You took a better approach to this than my mother did. I sucked my thumb until almost the first grade, and in order to stop me, my mom painted this vile liquid on my thumb. I don’t know how I’m going to break my 5mo old son from sucking his thumb. He refuses to take a pacifier.
What a good orthodontist you seem to have! I will definitely remember this post for any case of thumb sucking that needs to be addressed. Its great that it was this easily fixable.
I remember going to camp when I was about 8 or 9, and not wanting the other kids to see me, that broke the habit for me.
Peer pressure could definitely do it. Thanks for sharing that, Laurie! ~Anne
my 4 yr old just got off the bobo and im exstatic!! but i never worried about it being a teeth issue as to these are his baby teeth but i dont think its an issue many many people suck their thumb to older ages and are just fine as long as they can eat they are fine
My five month old has found her thumb. Thanks for the advice.
My brother was a big thumb sucker and we resorted to trying to make his thumb toxic (coating it with soap, peppers, etc), which eventually worked, but your method sounds so much better!
That’s one of the first things we tried with Joseph but he was very clever about washing or wiping it off. And even if he couldn’t get it all off, he would actually suck it until the bad taste went away. Pretty stubborn! ~Anne
Wow, what a great doctor! I know my parents had a really difficult time getting me to stop sucking my thumb too. It was something I did to comfort myself at bedtime and it took a lot of effort to get me to stop.
Anne- now THAT is a good dentist! I hope we can find a dentist that is really great with kids for our daughter. I’m a little concerned about her paci-addiction… but at least she’s still just got little baby teeth. =)
As far as your son goes, Way to go! =)
I know, Copper, wasn’t he?? Not that I wanted Joseph to get braces, but it would have felt good to give the man some business! LOL But he’s at the top of my list if we ever need services in the future. Stay tuned because I’m doing a paci post very soon! Thanks for stopping by! ~Anne
We’re not yet to this stage, LO is only 10 months. But he is a BIG thumb guy when it comes to sleepytime. This has some good advice for when it is time to say goodbye to the thumb. I’ll probably see if Gma or an honorary uncle can do the deal when it comes.