I need some VERY creative ideas to get my 4 yr. old to STOP SUCKING HER THUMB!!!

thumsucking should not be discourage among children. according to pilliteri, author of the book maternal and child health nursing, it is normal and does not deform the jaw line as long as it stops by school age. but instead give your child something to eat or give your child his milk bottle. that way, your child can suck on his bottle not his thumb. and also, to be certain that your child has adequate sucking pleasure. If you make an issue out of it, the child rarely stop, he will intensify and prolong his thumbsucking. hope this will help you.

hi there zavansky... for me just let her suck it. why? i used to suck my thumb and my mom had a hard time stopping me as well. but i eventually grew out of it. as far as i can remember i stopped sucking my thumb when i was in kindergarden. i ignored everybody who helped my mom for me to stop doing it, i stopped because my classmates are laughing at me. let her make a decission or let her realise that it is the time to stop.

As I type, my 5 year old is sucking her thumb. I wish I knew how to get her to stop as well. Her doctor told us, that it won't do any damage to her teeth. I am worried about her speech, since her thumb spends a lot of time in her mouth. So I have been getting on to her about talking with it in her mouth, one good thing she doesn't suck it 24/7 like she used to. Mine also carries her blankie aka Nic Nic with her, come August when she goes to school shall be interesting.

There's always the way the germans taught there kids in Der Struwwelpeter... see pic.;~D

All I have to say to you at her age is: Good luck. My oldest child (and only daughter so far) is 12 years old. She started sucking her thumb when she was an infant because of her father's neglect while I was at work. He's out of our lives now (and have been for a decade) but she still lingers with the thumby. I've tried everything as well. But, at your daughter's age, she's more than likely already set in her ways. Perhaps when she gets older you can let her know how it looks for her to continue with the habit. I've told my daughter the things, but she doesn't care. She'll suck on her thumby right in front of her friends.

Try putting a plastic strap or a thumb guard. Thumb guard is a plastic cap taped on the thumb ...will not make it possible for your kid to put all of that in his mouth. try lollipops try mustard when they sleep ..will eventually slip the thumb out of his mouth. tobasco sauce...they can't suck their thumb with that too long also dentist give some zig-zag braces,something like that which is put in the mouth that prevents the kid from sucking his thumb coz that hurts,its not that sharp though. Some chillies rubbed on her thumb ...could eventually lead to stop suckin her thumb kids suck their thumb when they are nervous,afraid,scared,angry,or in a high pressure situation....explain him that she sucks his/her thumb whenever she is scared angry or whatever ... make her realize ..coz most of the times they do it unknowingly & it eventually forms a habit. give them a better alternative. try explaining the kid this when he is calm or in a peaceful environment & not when he is angry,nervous,tired... cause we all know people do not take in most of the things said to them in high pressure situations. IF nothing works ... remember...... sometimes ignorance is a bliss.

Its very hard for me to give you tips. Because I don't have a baby yet even I am not married yet. So can't be of much help to you. I am extremely sorry.

Hey,dont worry friend there is one way,paste anything on the finger which she suks mostly something odd,i mean bitter taste thing or that which she hates to eat or hates to see,if at all this does not work then seek the doctors advise and may god help you dear,all the best.

Most children spontaneously stop sucking their thumbs, but a small percentage need some help. You are right, at four years old, she needs to stop now. Take her to a dentist and ask him to speak with her. I did this with my own daughter who wouldn't give up her pacifier. A few words with him and she became too self conscious to continue with it so she stopped. If that doesn't work, don't draw attention to it because it will only make her more anxious. Instead keep her hands busy doing other things like painting or drawing or doing crafts. Sometimes the sourness of pickle juice or vinegar will work, but children adapt to tastes very quickly and these are the least effective methods. She's old enough now that you can sit down and have a talk with her and ask her if she really wants to stop sucking her thumb. If she says she does, then let her know that you are willing to help her. If she knows you are going to be supportive, then she might be more inclined to give it up.

zavansky Childhood habits like thumb sucking are not usually something to worry about. In fact, many young children suck their thumbs, probably as a way to cope with stress or anxiety. Thumb sucking can be soothing and comforting to a child. Most childhood habits go away on their own — especially if a parent ignores them. If kids continue to suck their thumbs later on, it may cause shifts in their teeth. If your daughter doesn't seem to be outgrowing her thumb sucking, try some positive reinforcement. Reward her with an extra bedtime story or another favorite treat when she doesn't suck her thumb. Be generous with the praise, too. And remember, most habits at this age are just passing phases.

I'd leave it up to her, honestly. This is not a moral or safety issue, and you can't control it no matter how hard you try. If and when she decides to stop, you can offer help. There is an appliance that makes thumbsucking difficult and will remind the child who is thumbsucking by habit. Myy 3rd child sucked his thumb. I didn't allow anyone to hassle him about it at all, and he stopped on his own at 2yo. I think harrassment only makes them keep doing it.

I recently designed a behaviour modification program for myself to stop biting my nails. I might be able to provide you with some tips. Firstly, the nail bitters stuff you used and painted on her thumb. Is it a good brand? Give it a taste yourself and see how strong it is. I used one brand during my program, and wondered why I found it to be quite mild compared to what I expected. Using another brand, I found that the previous brand I used was quite ineffective. Give it a try out yourself, it should taste VERY STRONGLY BITTER. Punishment has been found to be a very fast and effective tool for modifying behaviour. HOWEVER, punishment should be severe enough to counteract the behaviour, but NOT severe enough to cause physical or emotional damage, and delivered consistently for each time the behaviour occurs. If it's not delivered consistently, then it won't be effective. I found for myself that a rubber band around the wrist and flicked each time I bit my nails to be effective, but that may not work so well in this situation. If the punishment doesn't stop the behaviour immediately, then it's not strong enough. A combination punishment/positive reinforcement method is found to be the most effective. Use punishment to stop the behaviour occurring, and use reward for when alternative good behaviour is carried out. For instance, a token system where for each day she doesn't suck her thumb she gets a token which she can cash in for a toy or something after a certain number are collected, or something simpler, such as a small candy at the end of the day if she hasn't sucked her thumb. It may also be useful to "shape" her down instead of expecting her to stop cold turkey. If she is especially stubborn, perhaps by giving her the reward when she cuts back to a certain level per day. Then once she has reached that level for a few days straight, raise the bar. Keep doing this until she is able to control herself altogether. A similar method can be used for the punishment - start by counting to ten before punishing her if she hasn't stopped sucking her thumb. Then, only count to five, then three, etc. This helps her to make the transition gradually. Hope that gives you some ideas and helps you out! 'Shady

I am 21 years old and occasionally I still find myself with my knuckle in my mouth! It doesn't happen very often and as soon as I realize what I am doing I feel like the biggest doofus!! My mom would get on me about it, but I did stop it when I noticed I was the only one of my friends that did that.