Thumb sucking with an almost 3 year old

One of my boys is an incessant thumb sucker. He's a few months away from turning 3, but I honestly don't see him stopping this on his own. I have been told not to worry yet because he's still young, but I can already see that it is affecting his teeth. I'm a teacher who has had many students over the years that still suck their thumbs even once they're school age. I don't want this for my son. I actually tried Tobasco (sp??) the other day. He gave me a rotten look, sulked for a few minutes, then sucked it anyway. I think he's sucking it harder and more the older he gets. I've seen the little wrist/thumb splint/brace you can buy to try to stop the habit, but it's around $80. I'm totally willing to buy that, but would like to try cheaper things first - if I had any ideas.

So, do any of you have any suggestions on ways to discourage this habit? TIA

 

I look forward to the replies, I was just telling my dh tonight we need to try to stop dd from sucking her thumb.

 

Well, when my daughter was 3 the dentist told her she needed to stop sucking her thumb. I think it really helped having someone besides me telling her that she needed to stop. Then, we used that stuff you can buy that goes on like nail polish & tastes really bitter (it's made to help people stop biting their nails & you can find it with the nail polish in stores). That way every time she put it in her mouth, the bitter taste was a reminder that she needed to stop & she did. I have to say, I think having the dentist tell her was the most important part for her. Sometimes they listen to doctors & dentists more than mom & dad.

 

My son who is now 8, he used to suck his thumb it was so bad that he had a bump on his thumb from sucking, but as soon as he went to school he stopped himself, i had tried tobasco, that nail stuff, put band-aid and lots of other stuff but nothing worked he stopped it himself so just talk to your child abt it keep reminding them and they will stop themselves. i hope it helps but really don't worry abt it, he will stop eventually

 

My dd was a thumb sucker and it was starting to affect her teeth and she had these blisters on her thumb. We tried the nail polish but it didn't really work. I finally bought Mavala which is similar to the nail polish and it worked like a charm. She cried the first afternoon and asked me to take her thumb off which was heartbreaking but she broke her habit within a day, I think we had to put on another application a week later as a reminder and that was it.

 

Is is sucking it all day, or just at night/nap time? If it is all day, I would try to encourage him with things that require both hand. In other words, instead of the focus being "stop sucking your thumb", make it, lets work on cutting, or play with playdough. That way, he won't realize that he isn't sucking on it so much, and he won't be as frustrated. Mine only sucked theirs at bedtime, or if sick or hurt. Somewhere around age 5, they stopped. I noticed when he had a thumbnail that I could cut. I praised him on growing his thumbnail--the positive behavior, not the thumbsucking (negative behavior).

Hope this helps.