Handmade thumb guard helps stop thumbsucking

My 5 year-old daughter wants to stop sucking her thumb, but somehow, when she's tired or bored or hungry, her thumb finds its way back into her mouth. She's trying to kick the habit, but she's frustrated with (and I think a little embarrassed by) grown-up reminders.

We've tried putting a bandaid on her thumb to remind her, but it invariably fell off halfway through the day. We gave her a sparkly thumb ring to wear, but it got uncomfortable so she'd take it off. As soon as the props were gone, she'd suck her thumb again.

So, I did what every parent does when they've got a parenting problem: I Googled. After reading every thumbsucking remedy I could find, I came across this handmade cloth thumb guard on eBay. Each is sewn to fit by the lovely dparks1000 of Andersonville, Tennessee.

My daughter was thrilled with the idea, and picked a dragonfly print for her thumb guard. I ordered it (along with my daughter's hand measurements), and it was on its way via priority mail the next day.

Well, it's Day 2 and she hasn't sucked her thumb at school at all. She loves how it feels (it's soft enough not to interfere with writing or playing but sturdy enough to withstand daily washing), and her friends think it's cool. Best of all, she's proud of her accomplishment. I think we're on our way.

Related: Peanut butter spoon as a substitute for thumbsucking

Comments

[Paul]

Good that her friends think it's cool.

A cheap alternative is to spritz the thumb with cheap perfume/cologne. Not so much that your kid smells like a brut. The taste will stop thumb sucking fast. And the smell will warn the kid after their first "taste" before the thumb hits the mouth again.

[Amy Michelle T.]

Yeah.. so lucky that the other kids think it's cool. I would've never guessed that. But now it might just catch on as the next big thing! hehe.

Wish they had them when I was little. I sucked my thumb until I was 9. It only stopped after my parents "lost" my blanky that was my buddy when I sucked it.

[Niki]

I think this thumb sucking device is obscene and unhygienic. Children outgrow thumb sucking through peer pressure and maturity. I sucked my thumb until I was 9 and stopped because I had no desire to put my thumb in my mouth anymore.

[Greg C.]

Not to mention the additional benefit of improved hitch hiking success.....

[Parent Hacks Editor]

Niki: Obscene? Wow -- pretty strong term for what is essentially a helpful tool.

I wouldn't recommend this as a cure-all -- it has to be something the child *wants* to do, and peer reaction may play into it as well. But it's certainly working for us. Your mileage may vary (which is true with every hack ever published on this site).

[Parent Hacks Editor]

Paul: Perfume -- what a great idea. Never thought of that.

[Checks]

This is an interesting solution. I'm sure you could make one at home just like it. And if you made one for both hands it wouldn't look so silly. It may be the next trend in elementary school!

As for being obsurd-my brother in law is 21 and he sucked his thumb til he was at least 20. His mother tried everything-hot sauce, nailpolish that tastes bad, bandaids... Nothing deterred him. Who knows he might still be doing it today.

[Erin]

My 6 year old still sucks her thumb also, luckily she only sucks it at home (at least that I know of). Really just when she is tired, but I have tried everything also. My pediatrician actually told me to take an ace bandage and wrap it around her elbow so she couldn't bend her arm. Let me just tell you that she couldn't bend her arm, however she would then just lay her arm on her pillow and bring her face to it! They are relentless, but I guess I was too! Thanks for the idea!

[MidlifeMidwife]

I am a nurse on an OB floor and we see new mothers sucking their thumbs from time-to-time! Other than the fact that thumb sucking can cause you to need braces and (if your hand is dirty) be unhygienic, what harm is there in doing it? As a society, we use all sorts of substitutes for thumb sucking, such as chewing on pencils, putting cigarettes in our mouths, chewing gum, sucking on lollipops...

[Karen Smith]

MidlifeMidwife, amen.

[Parent Hacks Editor]

MidlifeMidwife: I appreciate what you're saying, but I don't agree. Society has certain rules of decorum (don't pick your nose in public, etc.) and I think it's fine to encourage kids to follow them.

We don't paint it as a "bad" or "babyish" activity, but as one she doesn't need to do all the time. Personally, I would be sad if she were still sucking her thumb all day during her freshman year of high school. And I don't mean that with a snide tone -- I mean that it would gain her lots of unwanted attention, and, no matter what we said, she'd feel some level of shame based on peer reaction.

Why shouldn't we, as her parents, help her end some this habit, and find other, more age-appropriate ways to soothe herself?

[MidlifeMidwife]

Editor, you missed my point. What I was trying to say is that peer pressure causes most people to eventually stop sucking their thumbs, but, if done in private, I don't see any real harm here. Of course, I agree that you need to set the limits in your family that you are comfortable with. I'm just saying that humans are oral creatures and some continue their oral habits for quite some time.

[Dawn Parks]

Hi everyone! I am the mom who makes these thumb guards and I am very appreciative of everyone's comments. I hope those who do want to help their children stop this habit will come to me. I started making these because my son was a thumb sucker and the reasons I did was because when he started school, we were so sick. All the germs that go in their mouths get there a whole lot faster because of their habit. I did not want to force him to give this up, but I felt it was neccessary. His teeth were another issue. He had sucked so much that they stuck out and with in a month of stopping they went back to normal. I was really surprised at that! It is truely a choice for any parent to want to help their child stop the habit and I am very greatful to the editor foe publishing my information!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God bless you all!

[Parent Hacks Editor]

MidlifeMidwife: Thanks for the clarification. In that respect I absolutely agree with you. In fact, this is why we haven't bugged her about it till now (despite pressure from family starting when she was 2).

[Thumbsucker]

I sucked my thumb until I was 11. The only reason I stopped was my braces. They pulled my teeth down straight and it hurt to suck my thumb.

I tried in vain to stop sucking and I never did it during the day or when I went to sleep. It was WHILE I was sleeping that I would suck it. It was so embarrassing to spend the night at a friend’s house and worry if they would notice. (A little brother woke me up once to tell me I was sucking my thumb)

I think wearing this for a few nights would have helped me kick the habit years before I did.

[braces las vegas]

This is great idea..I will share this to my friend who's daughter is always sucking her thumb.