DD is sucking on her hand/fingers...

My dd sucked her thumb when she was about 3 months old.. but then just her plug until we got rid of it (she only used them at nap/bedtimes) at just under 3 years old. Lately, she has taken to having her fingers in her mouth 24/7! It is driving me nuts. No matter what I do, she keeps them in her mouth. I know she doesn't even realize they are in there. Is there something, some kind of lotion I can put on her hand that tastes horrible? Any suggestions?

 

IT's called Thum - it's pretty yucky - although I have only smelled it!! Ali chews her finger and toenails, so I am putting it on her and asking her to keep her fingers out of her mouth...it's specifically for that! (I have done it once only - I am not doing it again till I BUCK up and taste it!)

 

QUOTE(~* dfaut *~ @ Apr 11 2009, 01:08 PM) [snapback]1268762[/snapback]
IT's called Thum - it's pretty yucky - although I have only smelled it!! Ali chews her finger and toenails, so I am putting it on her and asking her to keep her fingers out of her mouth...it's specifically for that! (I have done it once only - I am not doing it again till I BUCK up and taste it!)


It doesn't work. I bit my nails until just about a year ago. My parents tried that with me when I was younger and I just chewed it off. The taste wasn't stronger than the habit.

Jackie, is your problem with it that she does it all the time or that she does it at all? In other words, would you be okay with her sucking her fingers when trying to go to sleep? For some kids it is just another self-soothing practice. Some kids have blanket and some suck their thumb. Mine have blankets, bears, and suck their thumbs.

Both of mine suck their fingers/thumb and have from the moment they first discovered they could. I have no problem with them doing it when trying to sleep. But, I do make them take their fingers out of their mouths to talk. Just a simple, "I can't understand you with your fingers in you mouth" works. If she doesn't realize she is doing it, maybe just try reminding her. Talk to her about only sucking her fingers at night-night time or something like that.

 

She does it 24/7. If she did it in bed, I wouldn't know about it. She can be sitting watching tv, and her fingers will be in her mouth. I know how hard it is to break, because I was a thumb sucker (at bed) until I was 10. I know that drawing attention to it isn't the best answer.. just looking for another way.

 

We used the nail biter stuff, there are several brands out there, with Tess when she was little & it worked for her. She mainly needed a reminder (she knew she shouldn't be sucking her thumb but wouldn't even realize she was doing it) and the bitter taste was enough of a reminder that she would take her thumb out of her mouth. Also, when she went to the dentist, he told her she needed to stop. I think sometimes having someone else tell them gets the point across better than mom & dad telling them, you know?

 

Jessy sucks her first two fingers when her ears are bothering her. Maybe she has an ear ache and the sucking it relieving some of the pressure

 

My son used to be like that a couple of months after we took his pacifier away. He would put his fingers in his mouth constantly. If he was sitting next to me or in the area I was in I would just take his fingers out of his mouth and not really say anything and just keep doing it until he got the hint and stopped. If he was across the room or something I would mention to him to take his fingers out of his mouth. He was really bad for about 4mths and now he doesn't do it as often. He still does it but not as much and he also doesn't stick his fingers that far into his mouth anymore either (it used to look like he was trying to fit both hands into his mouth). He doesn't do it while he is sleeping or trying to sleep just during the day.