New thumb sucking habit.

[Junglemum]

My eldest daughter is 3. She has started sucking her thumb in the last couple of months. She does it in front of the TV and in bed.
It's obviulsy a comfort thing. But she's never had a dummy, bottle or sucked anything except when she was BF, and she weaned at 15 months.

I don't get it. How can i encourage her to stop? Help!

[Janie]

Oh bugger. Hmmm, it's not really common for kids to start at this age, so I don't have any great ideas for you. I'm trying to think what technique would work best, but as her mum, you will probably know better than anyone. She's a bright little thing, could you talk to her about it, and how it could hurt her teeth? And then remind her when you see her doing it? Buy her a special *something* to hold on to, instead of sucking her thumb? She doesn't get to do both, if she's sucking her thumb, the special thing gets taken away, etc. Um, tell her it's something that only babies do? (Though that would be a last resort for me).

Sorry babe, I'm racking my brains, but not coming up with alot!

[toomanyshoes]

No idea, our DD is 4 and has always been a thumb sucker, breast fed baby no dummies...I can't get her to stop, hopefully someone else knows some ideas!

[Junglemum]

Janie- i tell her that her teeth will fall out! Is that bad? Yeah the baby thing wont work, she loves pretending to be a baby. weird. I might try the special toy thing. Thanks for the tips. xx

Thanks for replying anyway shoes!

[Ozstar]

JM L started sucking his thumb a few months back too. He had a dummy to sleep but we got rid of that without any real problems at the start of the year, he has been asking for a dummy for the last month or so too. No idea why it started or how to stop it.
If you find something that works let me know lol.

[Janie]

Are there any OTs or speechies regularly on here??? Sounds like something of that ilk......no biggie, but it would be good to get tips on how best to discourage it. I don't think it's bad to tell her that but if you have *a very grown up conversation* about it all, she might take it seriously, IYKWIM.

[Junglemum]

really Oz? What's with these kids and their late thumb sucking habits?!

ETA- yeah Sez, you're right. I'll give it a whirl, we'll sit down over a wine tonight and talk serious.

[Olive]

when we wanted DD1 to stop at around 2 we used sports tape on her thumb as she couldnt take it off! worked a treat!

[Junglemum]

So J, did you put the tape on all day? did she take it off?

[Olive]

yep all day and night, she couldnt take it off at 2, 3 may be differnt, but that stuff is reallllly sticky lol!