How did I get him to stop sucking his thumb?

DS has always sucked his thumb, and it has never been a problem. But now his thumb nail is all sorts of messed up and he has a hard spot on his thumb. The doctor said the hard spot wasn't a big deal. But I haven't asked about the nail because it just recently started to get bad. Well, someone told us to try putting hot sauce on his thumb to get him to stop. So, today DH put Louisiana hot sauce on his thumb. Five minutes later DS was asking me for more. Needless to say that is not going to work. Do any of you have any ideas how to get him to stop? I don't want him to do any real damage to his thumb and nail. TIA.

 

I dont have any advise other than If I were you I would call the Pedi and tell them about the nail and see if they have any advice as to how to get him to stop.

 

Ronda, I haven't had a thumbsucker, so I am just guessing here...what about putting a bandaid/bandage on his thumb?

 

QUOTE(becky5 @ Apr 27 2007, 07:10 AM) [snapback]235543[/snapback]
Ronda, I haven't had a thumbsucker, so I am just guessing here...what about putting a bandaid/bandage on his thumb?


He takes them right off. <_<

 

Ahhhh, yeah, lil stinker. <_<

 

I was a thumbsucker for 7 years!!! Nothing could have stopped me from sucking my thumb!

On a serious note, I truly dont have any advice. Keep us posted on how his nail is. Hopefully it gets better.

 

All of my kiddo's were/are thumbsuckers and I have no advice either. I would think that his nail would be ok because their certainly are enough children out there that do this. I haven't found anyway to stop it either so I gave up with the older two and they eventually stopped on their own by Kindergarten. Our middle one did it so badly that he had sores on his thumb and I tried to bandage it up but he just sucked right over it everything.