Thumb Sucker...

So about 2 days ago, I noticed Aubrie had her thumb in her mouth when I'd go check on her during her naps. Since she has discovered her thumb, she's taken extra long naps (like she's been sleeping about 1.5 hours longer than usual - 3.5 hour naps vs 2 hours) and last night she slept over 12 hours (which I totally loved - especially since my dh is gone with the army for a few weeks and I'm holding down the fort alone...) So I'm really loving how she can easily self soothe and not need me to put in her paci, etc...
BUT.... out of my 6 children, I have never had a thumb sucker and only hear horror stories about 8 year olds still sucking their thumbs and it causes lots of orthodontal problems, etc...
Do children usually outgrow this habit before getting "too old" or should I really discourage this and just keep sticking in her paci???
I'm loving the longer naps/bedtime but don't want to be worse later on to break a bad habit!

 

It sounds like she is self soothing. Annalise will do this when she's soothing, tired or hungry. She doesn't do it for long. I don't have any tips for you. I'm sure you'll get some great advice.

 

I can tell you what happened with my ds and dd. Dd found her thumb at around 3months,and would suck it when she got upset or to help calm herself down before naps, and she did this for a few weeks (her little thumb was even red and raw from sucking on it), and then all the sudden she stopped doing it - all on her own. My ds did the same thing, at about 5mnths he found his thumb and would suck it before falling asleep, he did it for a few weeks and now has stopped. So sometimes when they start a behavior it doesn't last - or it didn't in my case.

I think there are arguments for and against using their thumb - it's always there and handy and you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to reinsert it, but OTOH it could become a problem later on.
If I were you, I would let her use it for awhile and just see what she does try not to stress out to much, she is still very young, she may grow out of it on her own, or perhaps try giving her a little blanket of some sort to hold onto instead.

 

My little brother was a thumb sucker. He also liked cotton balls, he'd put a cotton ball in his hand and his thumb in his mouth to go to sleep. He did this into preschool but then just stopped on his own. No orthondontic problems or anything. I think he just outgrew it, personally if my girls sucked their thumbs I would not worry at this age.

 

My one girl does it more when she is tired and she will put her thumb in her mouth after each spoonful, but seems to do that more too when she is tired.

Heather

 

My older DD who is 3.5 started sucking her thumb at 3 months. She still does at night to go to sleep. It is her way of soothing herself, so I have chosen not to make an attempt at an intervention. Our Ped and Dentist are okay with her still doing it as she has no permanent teeth. But IMO at such a young age, I would let them soothe themselves how they want.

 

My girls are still really little, but found their thumbs when they were about 4 months old. I loved it! Big fan of the no middle of the night paci reinsertion!

And they actually prefered their thumbs over the paci, wouldn't have anything to do with it once they discovered their thumbs!

They now only suck their thumbs when they're tired, so the plan for now is to just let them be.

 

I have a thumb sucker. She only does it when she is tired so I'm not too worried about having to break her of this habit. But then again I'm a bit biased since I was a thumb sucker too...

 

i was a thumb sucker and i don't have an overbite or anything, tho i did suck till i was 5 :blush: only at bedtime

 

I sucked my thumb until I was 6 (yikes!) my parents bribed me by saying if they didnt see my thumb in my mouth for a whole week I could get me ears pierced...that worked for me! So, I guess I would enjoy the self soothing and if it becomes a problem later in life there is always bribery

 

We allowed our son to suck his thumb until he started school--then we focused on him stopping. He has a lower jaw underbite, but more likely caused by genes than thumbsucking. It was a nightmare for us to get him to quit. However, he did completely stop. I really wouldn't concern myself about it now, especially if it's having such lovely effects. Sometimes it can impede speech though, but so can a paci for that matter.

 

Well I'm a little embarrassed after reading other thumb suckers that stopped at 5 or 6 yrs old. Not me, I was a thumb sucker till I was 9 yrs old :FIFblush: and yes it did cause a little teeth issues. Nothing huge, I had an overbite that was corrected with headgear and I have smaller teeth then normal people have (that's what my ortho said) from my thumb blocking my teeth to grow all the way out. I'm not complaining, I like my teeth.

It is hard to stop when you are at that age though. I eventually just stopped on my own, but I would suggest by age 1 yr if she is still doing it try to nip that in the bud before it gets to hard for her to stop.

 

QUOTE(bday111707 @ Jul 29 2008, 01:41 PM) [snapback]902633[/snapback]
Well I'm a little embarrassed after reading other thumb suckers that stopped at 5 or 6 yrs old. Not me, I was a thumb sucker till I was 9 yrs old :FIFblush: and yes it did cause a little teeth issues.

I was one until about 10! No teeth problems though. good luck! my mom tried hard to break me of the habit!

 

QUOTE
Well I'm a little embarrassed after reading other thumb suckers that stopped at 5 or 6 yrs old. Not me, I was a thumb sucker till I was 9 yrs old and yes it did cause a little teeth issues.


QUOTE
I was one until about 10! No teeth problems though. good luck! my mom tried hard to break me of the habit!


Okay, I have you both beat! I did until I was 17! :blush: Only at night or if I was really upset or tired, once I hit about 3rd grade. It was only at night once I hit the teen years. I would keep up with the paci, but that is my opinion. I know it was extremely difficult for me to stop. I understand what you are saying about the self soothing, but if you can find another way for her to self soothe, I would do it. Paci's can be thrown away, thumbs are too easily accessible. It's like any other habit... hard to break! (My grandmother still does it at 83)

 

QUOTE(TamLenox @ Jul 29 2008, 03:32 PM) [snapback]903091[/snapback]
Okay, I have you both beat! I did until I was 17! :blush: Only at night or if I was really upset or tired, once I hit about 3rd grade. It was only at night once I hit the teen years. I would keep up with the paci, but that is my opinion. I know it was extremely difficult for me to stop. I understand what you are saying about the self soothing, but if you can find another way for her to self soothe, I would do it. Paci's can be thrown away, thumbs are too easily accessible. It's like any other habit... hard to break! (My grandmother still does it at 83)


Wow, 17? How did you conceal that from friends or boyfriends? Yeah it is an instant comfort. That's crazy that your g'ma still does it at 83 whatever works though.

 

Both of mine started around that age (and neither would take a paci). One quit at 8 months when he got his first tooth (guess he didn't like the new feel) and the other quit around 28 months (might have initially been related to pain from the 2-year molars but he didn't start back up when the teething was over). SO, for two adults with memories of sucking thumbs well into grade school, we feel like we lucked out with two who stopped on their own but I hear it's actually quite common.

 

well... you guys are making me feel better... the past 3 nights she has done 12+ hours at night! I'm sooo thrilled! I guess for now, I'll let her continue and worry about it later - LOL
mama likes her sleep! Now if we could get her sister to do the same (she goes about 9 hours at night)

 

QUOTE(shandy @ Jul 30 2008, 12:15 AM) [snapback]903693[/snapback]
well... you guys are making me feel better... the past 3 nights she has done 12+ hours at night! I'm sooo thrilled! I guess for now, I'll let her continue and worry about it later - LOL
mama likes her sleep! Now if we could get her sister to do the same (she goes about 9 hours at night)



I'd say count your lucky stars! I'd have given money in those early days for a thumb sucker!

 

I had/have a fussy boy who would NOT keep a paci in, so we actually encouraged him to find his thumb. I know we may regret it in the future, but it's SO nice that he's got that instant soother that HE can control (vs us shoving a Nuk in his mouth). My other son doesn't take a paci, a thumb, or a lovey but does fairly well at self soothing anyway. My thumb sucker used to ONLY suck his thumb if he had his blanket but just recently we've noticed him doing it more WITHOUT his blanket. It's typically when he's tired or upset, but we do tend to try to keep the blanket for bedtime only to discourage thumb sucking while he's out playing & such. I don't plan to worry until he's MUCH older. For now, I'm glad he's happy .