Thumb sucking and lovies in older children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of my children did this, even as babies. My younger sister did until she was 6, but she's the only person I know who did.

Well aren't you the perfect parent with the perfect children...

What exactly did you contribute to the thread besides telling all of us imperfect parents how perfect you are?

"but she's the only person I know who did"

and I find this last part laughable! You must also have perfect family, friends & neighbors too (well, with the exception of that younger sister, huh? She must be the black sheep of your perfect family now) LOL

[Anonymous]

No big deal.

[Anonymous]

My daughter took her baby blanket to college.

[Anonymous]

OP, how will your DD be teased if the behaviors are confined to the home? Just don't do sleepovers and nobody will ever know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of my children did this, even as babies. My younger sister did until she was 6, but she's the only person I know who did.

Weird family.

[Anonymous]

I slept with my “lovey” well into my 20s, long after I started dating my now husband. I only stopped because our puppy found it and ripped part of it apart and I didn’t want it to get further damaged. The lovey now lives on my bookcase.

A lovey is not the same as thumb sucking….

[Anonymous]

My kid ducked her thumb until 12 and it definitely led to major dental interventions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of my children did this, even as babies. My younger sister did until she was 6, but she's the only person I know who did.

Weird family.

It’s the most classic self soothing method so perhaps none of them
Can self soothe. Cool story. Nobody cares, lady.

[Anonymous]

This generally stops publically around kindergarten and most kids self-regulate because they don't want to be teased or thought of as a baby by their peers. MOst schools stop allowing lovies after around preschool and even in preschool loves stay in cubbies except for naps for the most part. As a parent you can make a rule that lovies stay ho,e this is practical to help cut doen on them getting lost or pickingup needles germs. Sleepovers can be the exception and then ou can negotiate a safe one to take but again most kids self regulate on this. The older kids with lovies say 10+ teends to correlate with some neurodivergence, and then you can navigate that with your specific child. For some, it's explaining why, socially, they might not want to suck their thumb or carry alovey around. And some they don't care at all. Not much for you to do here. If braces are a concern, they do have deterrents to help stop suckig if and when the time comes and braces themselves actually inhibit a lot of sucking it doesn't provide the same sensory satisfaction.

[Anonymous]

Explain that there may be social issues.
Then it's her choice. Hopefully won't suck thumb in college classes.

[Anonymous]

My 12 year old son takes stuffed animals to sleepovers. My daughter is 13 and brings her lovey, her friends still bring stuffed animals as well. I don’t see it changing any time soon.

[Anonymous]

I sucked my thumb, at least in some situations, until I was 20 or so. I don’t remember ever being teased although I mostly just avoided doing it around other people once I was a teenager.

I also still have my lovey (although I don’t sleep with it) and I am in my 60’s. I sort of imagine I might ask for it someday when I am dying.

[Anonymous]

Leave your kid alone and the “problem” will take care of itself.

[Anonymous]

I need to see pictures of these loveys.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about the loveys, I have a 50 year old cousin who still has hers from childhood in her bedroom.

The thumb sucking can be harder on teeth, I know other posters said that wasn't a problem but for us it really messed up her teeth. One of my daughters did that until early elementary school and our orthodontist put a spacer with a rake in her mouth, so it poked her finger if she tried to suck. Problem solved fairly quickly.