Now this is not scientifically proven or anything but they are practical steps my wife and I took to end our children sucking their thumbs.

Maybe due to a voracious appetite or hereditary, I discovered both of my children sucked their thumbs at ages below 1 year.

For the first child, when the child was about a year and 2 month, we simply plastered the thumb. Every time the child made effort to suck, the thumb just did not appear the same again. After leaving the plaster on for just a week, the child stopped sucking completely. The same thing with the second child.

My thinking is that the "procedure" should only be carried at a few months around age one. At a latter age, the child will be too wise and will simply pull the plaster off and suck. At a younger age, the child may not be able to tell the difference but simply suck both plaster and thumb!

Do you agree with this hypothesis? Have you done something similar? Let's hear you.

Our son sucked his thumb around the age you described above. Somehow he stopped the act a few months later.

Our daughter, Sophie, has just started sucking her thumb. It seems these kids derive some joy or relief from this habit. She is a few days above 3 months, but I think I will also deploy this procedure along the line.

Rub pepper on the hand

tobechi74:
Rub pepper on the hand

Haba! For a baby? That's extreme.

tobechi74:
Rub pepper on the hand

Few yrs back, I wanted to stop this problem wit one of my baby cousins. She was abt 3yrs old and would suck endlessly. I rubbed nivaquine syrup all over her thumb. The first day,i was on close watch and as she tried sucking,she quickly pulled it out and frowned terribly.i laughed.

She waited for 2 mins and put it bak in her mouth and kept sucking it. I tried it for 2 days and wen it didnt stop her,i gave up. Shes a lot older now and has dropped the habit.

dein77:


Haba! For a baby? That's extreme.

it is, but it works. My cousin tried that on her child and she stopped. We even used the hot feelings he got to make him stop completely. We told him that the hot feeling was because he sucked his tumb. But he was four, i think that was why it worked.

rub bitter leave and come and thank me later!

Use bitter leaf or Cameron pepper to do the magic , thank me lera

tobechi74:
Rub pepper on the hand

These pepper, salt, etc, are rather extreme for children don't you think? I suggested the plaster solution bc it is so simple and it works.

And obviously it shows that the time to effect this corrective measure is also vital: not too old and not so young. About that one year is just perfect.

dein77:

Haba! For a baby? That's extreme.

My point exactly.

WinsomeX:


My point exactly.

Yeah. Moderation is the key. We must be careful not to harm our kids as we try to stop what is considered a harmless habit in them.

dein77:


Yeah. Moderation is the key. We must be careful not to harm our kids as we try to stop what is considered a harmless habit in them.

So you're married with kids? Good to know.

smokescreen4:
So you're married with kids? Good to know.

Yes. Happily.

Just dedicated my second baby earlier this month.

I'm learning everyday.

Get a pacifier for your kids. Put it in their mouth to suck on.It calms them down and you can stop them at later stage by taking away the pacifier.

I think they sell them in big pharmacy shops. Better than them sucking on fingers.

Pic

dein77:

Yeah. Moderation is the key. We must be careful not to harm our kids as we try to stop what is considered a harmless habit in them.

The funny twist to this matter is that our second child whom we are carrying this procedure out on, who precipitated the thread, did not allow us to sleep yesternight as he screamed for his thumb. We had to buckle and removed the plaster. But trust, it's back on again today and no matter the cry this time, nothing is removing it.

saucechilli:
Get a pacifier for your kids. Put it in their mouth to suck on.It calms them down and you can stop them at later stage by taking away the pacifier.

I think they sell them in big pharmacy shops. Better than them sucking on fingers.

Pic

That's true. A pacifier.

But my wife has a thing against it. She claims it causes the front tooth to protrude.

How true is it?

WinsomeX:


The funny twist to this matter is that our second child whom we are carrying this procedure out on, who precipitated the thread, did not allow us to sleep yesternight as he screamed for his thumb. We had to buckle and removed the plaster. But trust, it's back on again today and no matter the cry this time, nothing is removing it.

hahhahaah. Smart kids. They can blackmail parents with their tears.

My baby sucks and she's learning to stop when I put plaster on her thumb and lace it with bitter leaf water. Her gumshion has told her to stop

SAMBARRY:
My baby sucks and she's learning to stop when I put plaster on her thumb and lace it with bitter leaf water. Her gumshion has told her to stop

That's good. But I don't think the bitter leaf is necessary. These kids know the thumb they suck well enough. Any little distortion to the surface area will discourage them sucking.

The plasta stuff did not work for my 2yrs girl, each time i plaster her tumb, she will switch to another one

WinsomeX:


That's good. But I don't think the bitter leaf is necessary. These kids know the thumb they suck well enough. Any little distortion to the surface area will discourage them sucking.

she's learning fast. Thumb sacking sef distorts the teeth and that's why you see some adults that their teeth will push out like kangaroo own

Lizboh:
The plasta stuff did not work for my 2yrs girl, each time i plaster her tumb, she will switch to another one

This is exactly what I feared. If the "exorcism", permit I use that word, is not carried our early enough, the child will grow wiser than the very simple plaster procedure. The plaster thing might work only for one year olds, I think. Anything older might require more severe actions to stop them sucking.

dein77:


Yes. Happily.

Just dedicated my second baby earlier this month.

I'm learning everyday.

May God bless your home.Op my son is 1year 7months he still sucks his thumb.

smokescreen4:
May God bless your home.Op my son is 1year 7months he still sucks his thumb.

Try the Plaster Solution. lol.

I hope he is not too wise for it now though.

Lizboh:
The plasta stuff did not work for my 2yrs girl, each time i plaster her tumb, she will switch to another one

Ur baby na adult na! She's very wise.

smokescreen4:
May God bless your home.Op my son is 1year 7months he still sucks his thumb.

Bless yours too...

My sister who is getting married soon was controlled with juice from fresh bitter leaf which was ever available in our compound while growing up, she would suck & suck while staring into space, you would have thought her spirit was somewhere else!

WinsomeX:


That's true. A pacifier.

But my wife has a thing against it. She claims it causes the front tooth to protrude.

How true is it?

yes, the teeth protrude for some, same as the thumb sucking. It even damages the thumb.
The pacifier should be introduced early, then gradually reduced when the baby starts adapting maybe a teddy bear for comfort.

some use a piece of clothe.

How do I stop a 3yr plus child cos. I ve tried everytin(plaster,bitter leaf,pepper) wen she was less than a year n it didn't work?

WinsomeX:


That's true. A pacifier.

But my wife has a thing against it. She claims it causes the front tooth to protrude.

How true is it?

so I was told by a lady dat said her aunt baby had a protruding tooth because of pacifier ever since I have been skeptical about buying it for my baby#

WinsomeX:


This is exactly what I feared. If the "exorcism", permit I use that word, is not carried our early enough, the child will grow wiser than the very simple plaster procedure. The plaster thing might work only for one year olds, I think. Anything older might require more severe actions to stop them sucking.

Pls state the next severe action dt can b taken

Lizboh:

Pls state the next severe action dt can b taken

I can't say authoritatively. Children differ. But from posts here we can see people employing all sorts of things to stop it. My younger brothers, now in their thirties, sucked their thumbs till they were 10. They only stooped when it was clear to them that it was socially unacceptable to suck your thumb. We did everything, including the ones mentioned here, to stop them but to no avail. Maybe the plaster thing could have just ended it early enough if it was used when they were about one. So severe will vary and I use severe in comparison to the very simple plaster procedure which I think works like magic at about 1 year old.