What About Thumbsucking, Fingersucking and Pacifier Use
Thumbsuckers can be famous!
The Thumbsucking Blankie
My grandchild loved the soft crocheted blanket made by my husband’s aunt. She actually kept that blanket and sucked her thumb with it for four years until the ‘horrible-thing’ happened. The blanket was lost. Nothing could replace it, but what a great opportunity to stop sucking her thumb. As she was making progress with thumbsucking, I found half of the blanket under a bed in our home. My heart went out to her but I kept the blankie a secret. After a year of no thumbsucking, I made up a shadow box of her mementos; locket of hair, photo, hand print and yes…the blanket. I thought that she would be over it by then. When she saw the ‘blankie’ behind glass, she touched the glass but didn’t insert her thumb into her mouth. I had thoughts of her breaking into the shadow box in the dead of night, but she had finally overcome thumbsucking!
You may have questions about your child’s thumbsucking, finger sucking or pacifier use:
- Is it harmful?
- What age should it stop?
- What could happen if it doesn’t stop?
Thumbsucking is Natural
Sucking is natural and happens even before baby is born. It makes your baby feel secure and helps babies learn about their world.
When the permanent front teeth come in around age six, sucking may cause damage to the proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It can also change the roof of the mouth.
Intensity of sucking is also a factor that determines whether or not dental problems may result. Your child resting their thumb in their mouth is less likely to have difficulty like the vigorous thumbsuckers. A thumbsucker give off a popping sound when you remove the thumb from their mouth. Do you see changes in their primary teeth? Then it’s time to see your dentist.
What about Pacifiers?
They can affect the teeth in the same way as sucking fingers and thumbs. A pacifier is often an easier habit to break though. . NEVER dip a pacifier in sugar or honey before giving it to a baby. I had a friend who would dunk the pacifier heavily into honey before the child went to sleep.
Most children stop gradually between the ages of two and four. Growing older and peer pressure cause some school-aged children to stop. If they’re still sucking after age four, they should be discouraged.
Help for Stopping Thumbsucking
- Instead of scolding your child for thumbsucking, praise them when they don’t suck.
- Children often suck their thumb when feeling insecure or seeking comfort. Correct the cause of anxiety and comfort your child.
- Reward your child when they avoid sucking during difficult times…like being seperated from you.
- Ask the dentist to explain to your child what happens to their teeth if they continue.
Stopping thumbsucking and pacifier use when a child is older is a difficult thing, but give these ideas a try. You may be able to put their pacifier or blankie in a shadow box one day too…hopefully before they need braces!
Did you thumbsuck as a child? When and how did you quit? Leave your comments here for the parents that need help!
Hi Donna,
Great post! Yes, my daughter sucked her thumb. We tried several things but it wasn’t until we saw an orthodontist and they took a very close-up picture of her teeth, similar to the one you have here, that she stopped sucking her thumb. He also suggested taping a tongue depressor to her thumb as a deterrant. I like the thumb covers in your article better!
Hey, Martha!
Oh, those thumbsuckers!! I’m glad seeing the orthodontist helped with the ‘horror’ shot of her teeth. I debated on whether to put the photo in the blog, but it really is the end result. I feel sorry for the little kids that have trouble with giving up their comfort thumb. I know parents that have tried many different devices to stop it…some worked, some didn’t. Poor little pumpkins!
This is a strange thing in our house. My daughter who never sucked on anything had horrible teeth and is a year into braces. My 11 year old was one of those babies sucking her thumb in the ultrasound and she still sucks her thumb at night. Her teeth? So far, so good.
Thumbsuckers that suck with intensity and past their two front permanent teeth coming in have the problem with mouth and teeth malformations. A baby sucking their thumb or fingers is no problem until it goes on for too long and the sucking is very strong. Sometimes kids just ‘rest’ their thumb in their mouth and that’s not a problem. So nice to have you stop by, Bridget. I stopped by your blog and see you’re a writer. I’m joining and subscribing to your site today. Love the picture of your 4th of July baby! Donna
We have a pic of out little dude sucking his thumb in the ultrasound – it’s plain as day, the doc and the tech. both laughed to see him doing that! But for whatever reason, one day between his 3 and 4 year birthday, he just quit, just like that. Day and night, no more sucking. Not sure why, but not complaining!
Great memory! Did you get the photo to keep? It would have been a great before shot, one of him sucking during his early years and then the last one at age 4 at night with no thumb in his mouth.
I used a pacifier when I was little. I still remember the morning I woke up on my 4th birthday. I had made the decision to stop. I woke up, took the blue “uppie” out of my mouth, marched to the kitchen, and threw it away. I cried and cried but never went back.
My cousin sucked his 2 middle fingers all the way into HIGH SCHOOL! They always looked wrinkly!
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You have quite a memory, Audra! What a determined child…and not going back to dig it up out of the garbage. Whew! I know adults who have dug their cigarettes out of old garbage after changing their minds about quitting. Did you call it an ‘uppie’ or was it something your parents called it?
My husband said he sucked his thumb to age 4 and twirled his hair at the same time. His effort to quit was attached to money. He had all his relatives willing to pay him to quit, so he did.
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I was never a thumbsucker but my second baby LOVED her passifier. For a long time I worried that I would never know how to take it away but eventually I realized that she would grow out of it when she was ready. One time we left it at a friends house after a sleepover and couldn’t find it the next day. Whenever she asked about the passifier after that, I just reminded her that we left it at the sleepover. She had so much fun at the sleepover that she thought of it as a fond memory, haha. She was two and never went back to a binki again!
Fast thinking, CK! You do well under pressure or was it your ‘Jedi-mind trick’! :O)
You got off pretty easy on your little girl. I’ve seen six year olds still with their binki.
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