Thumb sucking and lovies in older children

[Anonymous]

How old is your child and if they are older (9+) do they do any of these things? And, if so, how do you handle sleepovers with other kids?

My DC still sucks her thumb at night until she falls asleep (as did I as a child . . I would do it in my sleep, unknowingly, until middle school. At some point I just stopped). None of the tricks have really worked (e.g., the nail polish) and they didn't work for me. She's also very attached to her lovey. At some point, she's going to be made fun of and I've told her as much (though I don't think I ever was; or at least I'm not remembering it).

How have you handled? She's otherwise smart, active, has lots of friends, etc. I guess just let it die out on its own? She's going to need braces (and she likely would have regardless of the thumb sucking) and I think that will probably facilitate the end of thumb sucking. But, the dentist said not until closer to 12.

I'm not interested in name-calling or anything unhelpful. I know from my own experience that I cannot FORCE her stop with the thumb. I'm interested in what you've done or other constructive thoughts.

[Anonymous]

No lovey outside the house. Our son is 7 and adores his blanket and stuffed animals but never outside the house. Exceptions made for vacations.

[Anonymous]

I feel you OP. My daughter was a major thumb sucker, starting in utero. Nothing we did could stop her. We reminded her nonstop to take it out. It would still sneak back in when she was tired, or zoned out. Finally at age ten she made the conscious choice to monitor it herself. She's known it's a baby thing to do, but it wasn't until now that she chose.

[Anonymous]

Our DS 11 still sucks his thumb - primarily only at home, only when tired, sick or having problems falling asleep. Since he can control it during the day and in social situations we haven't been too worried. Dentist doesn't see an impact on teeth and to be honest I think it will finally stop once he reaches puberty. As of right now we remind him not to and haven't been really drastically trying to stop it.

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old still sleeps with a lovey. She brings it to sleep overs and overnight camp. At camp, virtually all the girls also slept with stuffed animals.

[Anonymous]

DC - age 12 - sleeps with lovey since 6 months of age.

Thumb sucking stopped in 2nd grade (daytime) and by 4th grade completely.

age. Who cares? If it brings comfort, go for it.

[Anonymous]

Sleep overs will stop soon. I slept with a lovey until after I got married (then the dog ate it, and I cried, but learned to sleep without it). It's a bit different than thumb-sucking since it doesn't affect my health, so let her keep the lovey. No one will tease her if they don't know about it.

[Anonymous]

So many kid have movies, especially girls. Heck, my 11 yo DS has a swarm of stuffed animals and so do many of his friends. Let that one alone. Stop the thumb sucking for dental reasons.

[Anonymous]

For the nighttime thumb sucking, our DD wanted to stop but was having trouble doing it. We finally agreed on a big reward (this was years ago but we gave her an Ipod) as a goal. She then went for several days going to bed with a sock covering her thumb hand. That broke the habit and she has not gone back to it. It was tough on her even though she wanted to do it, almost like a smoker trying to kick the habit. But she wanted to stop for the sleepover/embarassment reason so it worked. Loveys are less of a big deal and I think you can just limit them (such as the in the house rule) and they will eventually move off of it.

[Anonymous]

I stopped sucking my thumb around age 10, specifically because of sleepovers. It was rough, as I recall, but I got through it.

[Anonymous]

my sister brought her loveys to college. She got made fun of but didn't really care. No, I'm not making this up.

[Anonymous]

My guess is if the "lovey" goes, so will the thimbsucking. I would explain to her why the thunbaucking isn't good for her and also I would ask her if she would suck her thumb without the "lovey." If the answer is no, you could discuss getting rid of the lovey. She does need to be the one to decide to give it up. You could talk about rewards with her.

[Anonymous]

My 11 year old still sucks his thumb and sleeps with his stuffed dog. He only sucks his thumb when he's tired or sick and only at home or when we are travelling in the car. I never did anything about sleepovers and I have no idea if he sucks his thumb during them. Matter of fact, I've only ever addressed the thumb sucking with him a few times ever. Casually asked when he was going to stop and he would give a timeline (that he never stuck to). At t his point no one even says anything about it (him or me). I always forget to mention the thumbsucking to his dentist but she's never indicated he will need braces now or in the future.

[Anonymous]

I sucked my thumb until probably 3rd grade and have perfect teeth (never had braces). I still have my lovey at 33 - it lives in my bed. I am perfectly normal, I swear. I know several 30-somethings who still have their childhood loveys.

[Anonymous]

Our daughter is 13 and still takes multiple stuffed animals along to sleep with, wherever she goes. People think it's "cute," since she's a girl.

She was a thumbsucker since before birth, and cut back to bedtime by the time she was about five. The next couple of years she wanted to stop altogether, and I got her a couple of pacifiers to switch to, so if she had a strong urge, she'd use the pacifier briefly at bedtime. And the pacifier came to replace the thumb, but since the pacifier wasn't as good as the thumb, it helped her stop completely. I think she still has the pacifiers somewhere, "just in case."