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Would we be nuts to start using a pacifier with a 1yo to stop her from sucking her thumb?
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Anonymous
| DD is 1yo and never took to a pacifier. Instead she puts whatever she can find in her mouth. Lately she seems to be developing a thumb sucking habit. I don't think she does it to sleep in the crib; I've only seen her do it when she is playing. She is sick right now and we have to give her small amounts of fluid frequently, and she was so hungry she wanted to keep sucking on the empty bottle so I gave her a paci instead in desperation and she seemed to really like it. Now I am wondering if we should start giving her a paci to try to stop the thumb sucking. I've heard that a thumb sucking habit is harder to break than a pacifier habit, and I think both are bad for the teeth. But I realize that at this age most parents are trying to get rid of the paci, not introduce one! We're seeing the ped for a regular checkup soon and I will ask, but in the meantime - does anyone have any experience or advice about this? |
Anonymous
| It's probably a good idea. Sucking the thumb is worse for the teeth because it's way harder than a pacifier. My cousin sucked her thumb and had to have braces for the longest time. |
Anonymous
| My daughter was a thumb sucker until she was about 3 and a half. She too didn't take to the pacifier. I wasn't too concerned about it, although the dentist said that the thumb sucking could cause some dental problems. So I told my DD that if she kept sucking her thumb that she would have crooked teeth. So she eventually stopped. It didn't happen overnight but she seemed to just grow out of it (plus the crooked teeth thing kind of freaked her out). I personally wouldn't introduce a paci so late. It just might cause more problems. The upside to a paci is that you can take it away... but if she doesn't thumb suck in her crib, then she doesn't seem that dependent on it. Let her use her thumb for now. So many babies do this... and most grow out of it. |
Anonymous
| I wouldn't introduce a pacifier at this age. I'm not so sure it will completely replace the thumb and it can create just one more thing to have to get rid of. |
Anonymous
| Try Thumbuddy To Love...you can google it. |
Anonymous
| probably it's too late. |
Anonymous
| I sucked my thumb until much older and my parents tried all kinds of remedies. They would douse my thumb in hot sauce before bed, tie my arms down, wake me up in the middle of the night (if they saw I'd fallen asleep with my thumb in my mouth) by spanking me out of a sound sleep. Sucking thumb/paci are all that bad. Kids grow out of it when they're ready, usually way before adult teeth grow in. Even so, do you know any parents who aren't planning braces for their children? In the scheme of things, straight teeth are more important than a college education. |
Anonymous
| Aren't all that bad* |
Anonymous
This is just so stupid. Did you know that having your teeth straight is not just for aesthetics? Me and my had had serious TMJ disorder and until today we struggle with it. |
Anonymous
|
If your daughter is sick, this really isn't the time to break her of thumb sucking.
Yes, you would be nuts to introduce a paci in lieu of thumb sucking. What's the point? |
Anonymous
| I would prefer a paci to thumb sucking, because pacis can get taken away (and hopefully not replaced with thumb sucking), but at this point, I doubt she'd take to the paci. I know plenty of kids who didn't ever want to use a paci (parents tried, but it didn't work) who did end up sucking their thumbs. But also, most kids stop thumb sucking too, or at least, stop it at any time but night. |
Anonymous
| I'm sure this will aound ridiculous to 99% of you but, to me, thumb sucking is actually kinda cute. Pacifiers not so much. I mean, given the choice, I'd prefer my child not do either one, but I'd actually prefer thumb sucking. |
Anonymous
|
Eventually, she'll stop sucking her thumb and eventually kids stop using a paci. Don't replace one bad for another (my kid uses a paci). Just let her use her comfort thing and know eventually, you'll have a bad habit to break.
Every parent has something to deal with - thumb, paci, bottle sleeper, weaning, so - just know this will be your "thing" |
Anonymous
| My 3 year old and 5 year old dds occasionally still start putting things in their mouth and sucking on them. I got them some teethers that I keep in the freezer, and when I see them sucking on things, I get them one of those. This has worked really well for us. |
Anonymous
| Could DD be teething? If her need to suck just came on, I'd try to figure out the cause if possible. That might help with the solution. |