[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 12:13:14 AM, sheran@... writes:

<< I've heard stories about kids still sucking thumbs when they're

teens. That just doesn't seem ok to me. At what point do you do

something about it? >>

The something that most parents do is shame the child to the core.
When do you think would be the best time to do that?

And really, what else CAN you do? Because you can't stop the behavior very
smoothly without some damage to the child's esteem.

I know a girl who sucked her thumb until she was grown. She learned to hide
it, she learned not to care what others said, and I don't think she still
sucks it, since she's been in romantic relationships. (Maybe your son needs a
girlfriend! Joking, mostly...)

I'd let him sleep with the stuffed animal, for sure.

I slept with my teddy bear for years and years. A big breakup in my 20's got
him one more trip to the bed with me. (I wonder if Katie sucked her thumb
when she broke up with her first boyfriend!)

When my kids have had behaviors go on to the point I was afraid of what
others would say to them, I would say that. I would say they should try not to do
it in public because it makes others uncomfortable and not everyone will be
nice to them about it. There were some things we did tell the kids were okay
to do in private, but not in public. Holding their privates, picking their
noses... and maybe that could be one of those. It's sad, because it's NOT
scatological, but I think letting it go without ANY comment could be as cruel as
conditioning it out in ways that will leave other scars.

He's young. I wouldn't rag on him.

Oh! Holly has a friend now who's 10 or so who's a thumbsucker. Her parents
don't get along at all. They separated and hardly speak to each other. The
first girl I mentioned, her parents divorced, too, when she was young.

Sandra

Darlene Popoalii

Sheila my dd doesn't suck her thumb but she still drinks out of a bottle about twice a day, once during the day and then at bed time. Oh and she has no cavities or teeth deformity, we were just at the denist. Several months ago she stopped drinking her bottle out in the yard where people can see cuz she knows what people think and doesn't like their reaction I don't either, my hanai mom has finially learned to keep her mouth shut when she spends the night and dd asks for a bottle but I don't make a big deal out of it, she can quit when she's ready and if she's still enjoying a bottle or two when she's 35 oh well. BTW I have asked her when she thinks she'll be ready to give her bottle and she says she's drinking bottle forever, so that's where it's at for now.

p.s. I did make a one bottle a night rule becuz she sleeps w/me and I don't like being pee'd on. She can stay dry if she sticks to one bottle, but two and well I get a midnight shower I don't very much appreicate.

Personally I wouldn't worry about the thumbsucking and would just help her find ways to avoid peoples negitive reactions but then I really do believe in picking my battles wisely. I stand firm on issues of health and safety but pretty much everything else is negoitatable, not sure if that fits your parenting style but it works here.

Aloha, Darlene

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Andrea

Sheila, my first thought was, what's wrong with that? We all have different
ways of soothing ourselves and he has found one that works for him. My
youngest son, who will be four this week, still breastfeeds once or twice a
day - horrifying to some people but wonderful for him. He will quit when he
is ready.

My second thought was about his growing teeth. Is it really true that
thumb-sucking can cause teeth to grow crooked? If it is, it is much easier
to fix crooked teeth than a damaged spirit.

Donna Andrea

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 2:12:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time, sheran@...
writes:

> I've heard stories about kids still sucking thumbs when they're
> teens. That just doesn't seem ok to me. At what point do you do
> something about it?
>
> Sheila
>

JP is 8, still going strong on that thumb.. Well, he did take an extended
break when it got cracked, raw, and infected from being chapped so much.. But
,that got healed up and now, he pops in in once and while. JP sometimes gets
frustrated because he NEEDS his thumb when he is playing, but he has such a
strong habit of sucking it, its a conflict of interests. When he has been like
that, I offer to do anything I can to help him stop sucking his thumb I have
suggesteed buying some nasty tasting nail polish stuff ( they do make that
for breaking thumbing sucking) , putting a band-aid on it, giving him $$ if he
stops for an extended period of time.. He always opts out and choses to keep
sucking his thumb. My sister sucked her thumb til she was 15. Granted, after
she was 8 or 9, she only did it in the privacy of our home and among her
other friends that still sucked thier thumbs.. lol.

Teresa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 6:54:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
andrea@... writes:

> Is it really true that
> thumb-sucking can cause teeth to grow crooked? I

My sister who sucked her thumb til she was 15 has the straightest teeth in
our family. Among my children, Ethan's teeth are the most crooked, and he
never sucked his thumb and gave up his pacifier comparably earlier than Landon
and Anna. OH, and speaking of crooked teeth.. Anna will be getting her braces
off next month!!.. Then we can get Ethan in his braces, he is very excited..
He wants his teeth fixed so badly.

Teresa


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Deborah Lewis

***I'm looking for some opinions on thumb sucking. My son will be six
next month and still sucks his thumb. He also has a favorite stuffed
animal (Curious George!) that he needs to have in order to fall
asleep.***

Dylan is eleven and sleeps with his "bundle of snuggles". It's his old
baby quilt and afghan wrapped around whatever baby he's selected for the
night. He has a bunk bed with a futon below and the futon is full,
STACKED with babies. (stuffed animals) He talks to them to make sure
they want to sleep with him, etc. and snuggles them all night.

He never did suck his thumb but he twirled his hair and still does when
he's thinking particularly hard about something.

I sucked my thumb for a long time. I was six or so when my mom tried to
bribe me into quitting because she was afraid I'd do it at school and the
kids would tease me. I don't remember ever being teased (I don't
remember much about school) and I don't remember when I finally quit.
Today I'm reasonably well adjusted, no criminal convictions, no mental
illness, no emotional hang ups. Dylan says I'm a compulsive trampoline
bouncer, but can one really trust the diagnosis of a hair twirler? <g>

I think sleep friends are very nice and comforting and I think that's
what the thumb sucking is too. I wouldn't worry about it. He's pretty
smart if he's found a way to comfort himself and meet his own needs.
Lot's of adults don't know how to do that in a healthy way.

Deb L

jmcseals SEALS

<<My second thought was about his growing teeth. Is it really true that
thumb-sucking can cause teeth to grow crooked? If it is, it is much easier
to fix crooked teeth than a damaged spirit.>>

Some of my kids have been very attached to pacifiers. Nicholette, in
particular. She sucked on one until right around her 4th birthday. The bad
news, in some cases, is yes, it does cause tooth misalignment. The really
bad news is that it also can cause the pallet to mishapen. W have seen
several dentists who have all told us that thumb sucking can be even more of
a problem. (I tried to encourage thumb sucking over a pacifier for sanitary
reasons.) Her teeth grew in perfect, though after time, her pallet, and as
a result her teeth, grew in an arch. One of her front teeth began to recess
back into the gum. Not disappear but the whole tooth was visible, looked
like it was on top of the gum on the outside and the bottom of her tooth was
fluh with the bottom of her gumline, if that makes any sense. It took a
long time to fall out and her permanant tooth grew in behind it. Her
permanant teeth look better but she still has a noticable arch to her teeth.

The comments from others was very damaging to her. People asked all the
time if she lost her first tooth. This started very early, right about the
age of 3. She would tell them no and I would explain that the tooth was
still there. She cried many times because of it.

Hannah also sucks a pacifier. She will be 5 in September. She doesn't do
it very often now but she still does. It's been hard to discourage with
babies in the house. I've found that *losing* them really works. It
generally takes a couple of days, during which I offer lots of extra
comfort, love and attention. My boys and Hannah have almost completely
given them up. I notice that Chloe doesn't care for a pacifier and I wonder
if this is a result of breastfeeding. I was unable to nurse the other kids
for very long but Chloe is almost 9 months old and could care less about a
pacifier. She's the first one!

I have always been really torn about pacifiers. On the one hand, they are
very comforting to children, on the other, I worried that they were just
Mommy substitutes. In the end, it came down to paying attention to times of
use and reasons for use and I concluded it had nothing to do with the amount
of attention or comfort I provided.

I realize you can't just *lose* a thumb! LOL So, in that respect, I'm sorry
but I can't offer any solutions for stopping. I just wanted to add that it
*can* in fact cause permanant damage. I also agree though, that I'd go for
my child's comfort and deal with the damage later. Unless, like Nicholette,
the damge is causing the emotional pain, in which case, I would work on an
agreeable alternative.

Jennifer

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mary

From: "kayb85" <sheran@...>

<<I've heard stories about kids still sucking thumbs when they're
teens. That just doesn't seem ok to me. At what point do you do
something about it? >>



I don't know. I'll let you know when I get there!!! I have a family of
suckers here. Tara sucked her fingers not her thumb. She sucked them until
she was probably about 6 or 7. I never thought it was any big deal.

Joseph had a pacifier. He loved his pasher. Had a ton of them. He used them
until he was a little over 4. Then decided he wouldn't need them anymore.

Sierra sucks her thumb. She still does and she's now 7. She uses the that
thumb stuff that you put on the thumb to not suck it. She only uses it
during the day and only when she remembers. It was her idea. She was getting
sick a lot. It was always only her and I talked to her that it was because
of her thumb always in her mouth. So we talked about germs and washing her
hands and using the anitbacterial stuff. She decided on the thumb stuff
instead. It works for her and she hasn't said she doesn't want to do it.
I've noticed when she doesn't use the stuff, she doesn't suck like she use
to. She also always takes it off at night so she can still use her thumb.
I'm still not worried. If she reaches 16 and still does it, I'll let you
know how I feel about it then. I'm really not sure.

Alyssa loves her pashers. We've gone through hundreds. She loses them
regularly. She goes through periods when she never has them during the day
and then days when it's always in her mouth. Being that I nursed on demand,
I was sure, as I was told that she wouldn't need a pacifier. Well she did
anyway. She wanted to use me as a pacifier but didn't want the milk. So that
was her only choice as I saw it. When she talks I ask that she takes it out
so I can understand her. Most times at night she's sleeping without it.
Again I'm not worried.

Mary B

Mary

From: "jmcseals SEALS" <jmcseals@...>

<<I've found that *losing* them really works. It
generally takes a couple of days, during which I offer lots of extra
comfort, love and attention.>>


Does this mean that the child actually lost it or you did on purpose?

Mary B

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/2003 12:00:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mummy124@... writes:

> <<I've heard stories about kids still sucking thumbs when they're
> teens. That just doesn't seem ok to me. At what point do you do
> something about it? >>
>
>

My SIL is 42, last time she slept overnight here (six years ago) I went to
take her an extra blanket in the night, her thumb was in her mouth. She's done
it all her life in her teen years (and I knew her then) some thought it was a
problem. When she gave birth the first time I remember a nurse having a
problem with finding a MOTHER sleeping with her thumb in her mouth. Her front
teeth, despite wearing braces in her teens are still protruding. She doesn't find
it a problem, no one else seems to care anymore.

My oldest son was a thumbsucker, since birth. At seven the dentist put an
appliance in his mouth to prevent him from sucking his thumb at night. Matthew
tried every nasty tasting substance to avoid the thumbsucking. He REALLY
wanted to stop. He had a cabbage patch doll, he cut his thumb off, it worried me,
the appliance might have helped him NOT to suck the thumb but it helped him
emotionally to THINK it was over.

No one in our home cared if he sucked his thumb, SIL was still doing it,
Matthew didn't want to do it and eventually he did stop. I'm really not 100% sure
because he hasn't lived at home for a few years. When he does sleep over he
has his SO with him so I don't go in his room.

My youngest girl has a "binky" which is her blanket. She's 15, she still
packs it for overnight trips. Will she sleep with it when she's married?
Doesn't bother me but I have heard relatives comment on it, her friends accept it as
part of her. I do take it to wash it occasionally, making sure it's back by
bedtime. It's old, raggedy and getting pretty fragile. One time she did say
she thought we should put it in the cedar chest before it disintegrates, I
thought she meant right then, she didn't.

I would try to help the child overcome the thumbsucking if that was the
child's goal. If there were dental issues involved I'd let the child be a part of
that discussion with the dentist so they know what is at stake physically but
in all reality there isn't so much you can do about any of those things, like
thumbsucking or blankies and it can cause lots of stress if you try.

glena


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

jmcseals SEALS

<<Does this mean that the child actually lost it or you did on purpose?>>

The child! lol I guess the stars made that confusing. We go through
hundreds of them, too, like you. Unless requested, I don't make an effort
to locate them. Most of the time, they are lost while out shopping or
something. Those are actually good times to lose them, so to speak, because
the kids are occupied and don't notice. Caeleb gave up a pacifier in a
situation like this. He lost his at the mall and only asked for it twice.
Both times, we were at home and didn't have one. We snuggled and played and
it was forgotten. He only now takes one if he happens to find Chloe's.

There have been times they were lost at home and I didn't look for them.
This was how Nicholette gave it up, too. She lost it and we looked for it
but couldn't find it. She asked for it, but at the time we had a rental car
and couldn't fit everyone in it, so we couldn't go to the store to replace
it. I offered lots of extra attention and though she was fussy more than
usual, she went through the transition smoothly.

I'm saying that *if* you want to get rid of them, losing them is an easy way
to go.

Jennifer

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Tia Leschke

>
> My second thought was about his growing teeth. Is it really true that
> thumb-sucking can cause teeth to grow crooked? If it is, it is much easier
> to fix crooked teeth than a damaged spirit.

My sister sucked her thumb until she was maybe 11. Then she noticed that
her top teeth stuck out. Don't know whether it was because of the
thumb-sucking or not, but she took it on herself to put elastic bands around
her top teeth. I think she put the elastics on the teeth that were either
side of the ones that stuck out and included the sticking out ones. She
ended up with straight teeth.
Tia

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin
leschke@...

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 10:10:57 AM, mummy124@... writes:

<< <<I've found that *losing* them really works. It

generally takes a couple of days, during which I offer lots of extra

comfort, love and attention.>> >>

I wouldn't do that to a kid, personally.

One of the biggest disagreements I've ever had online was with someone who
said when she didn't want her kids to watch the VCR she unplugged it and said it
was broken. Even to trying to turn it on and acting surprised and sad and
sympathizing with them.

A few years later in a bigger discussion, someone came and said kind of the
same thing, and I took a big deep breath and others jumped in and said "Hey,
that's lying, and being lied to's got to be worse than watching videos."

Sandra

Fausey-Khosraviani

----- Original Message -----
From: SandraDodd@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 11:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] thumb sucking?



In a message dated 6/17/03 10:10:57 AM, mummy124@... writes:

<< <<I've found that *losing* them really works. It

generally takes a couple of days, during which I offer lots of extra

comfort, love and attention.>> >>



************************
Guh! I could never do that to my daughter. Geez! Quick story.... We were living in Helena, had just gotten our home, but were still sleeping nights at the hotel. The one night, Margaux forgot her Perri and Huggy (big pink bunny and blanket). Shahram was exhausted and I was exhausted. I didn't want to drive across town and get them. She said she couldn't sleep without them, so I told her that she didn't have to sleep, if she didn't want to. We told her that Perri and Huggy were keeping our cat company and they would surely not want to make her cry. So I held her and she eventually got uncomfortable and wanted to lie down. We both got into bed together, and 2 minutes later she was softly snoring. When she got up in the morning, she thanked me for staying with her and said she still missed Perri and Huggy. So, we left right away and went to the apartment to see Perri and Huggy. If Perri and Huggy were ever actually lost, the whole family would be devastated. They are such a part of her and who she is. I crocheted Huggy for her when she was still inside my belly. Perriwinkle, the bunny, was given to her one Easter when I had no money to spend and we were living solo. That bunny would not let me leave the store without her. So, I felt that Perri and Margaux were meant to be together. I could never intentionally lose Perri.

I don't think I could cause my daughter that kind of pain intentionally. I still have my Chewbacca doll from my childhood. I'm glad my mom didn't lose him.

Nichole

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

jmcseals SEALS

<< <<I've found that *losing* them really works. It

generally takes a couple of days, during which I offer lots of extra

comfort, love and attention.>> >>

**I wouldn't do that to a kid, personally.**

I know. I had to clarify that. I didn't mean ***I*** would lose it, I
meant the kid. It came out wrong. Sorry.

Thanks Mary!

Jennifer

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

jmcseals SEALS

<<I'm glad my mom didn't lose him. >>

Ack! Jeez, I need to VERY carefully reread my posts, huh? I didn't mean
ME! I meant the child!! I was trying to emphasize the fact that it was
lost, NOT that I was the one doing the losing!

Jennifer

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Tia Leschke

> Alyssa loves her pashers. We've gone through hundreds. She loses them
> regularly. She goes through periods when she never has them during the day
> and then days when it's always in her mouth. Being that I nursed on
demand,
> I was sure, as I was told that she wouldn't need a pacifier. Well she did
> anyway. She wanted to use me as a pacifier but didn't want the milk. So
that
> was her only choice as I saw it.

Too late for Alyssa, but a trick I learned from a LLL friend when Lars was
tiny was to just nurse on one side for 3 or 4 hours, no matter how many
times he nursed. Then switch sides. That way he got the sucking he wanted
without all themilk that I was producing so much of.
Tia

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin
leschke@...

Mary

From: "Tia Leschke" <leschke@...>

<<My sister sucked her thumb until she was maybe 11. Then she noticed that
her top teeth stuck out. Don't know whether it was because of the
thumb-sucking or not, but she took it on herself to put elastic bands around
her top teeth. I think she put the elastics on the teeth that were either
side of the ones that stuck out and included the sticking out ones. She
ended up with straight teeth.>>


Well I never sucked a thing (when I was little) and I needed braces. Tara's
sister sucked her fingers well into being 11-12 and didn't need braces.
(different moms)
Sierra has a very small mouth and crowded teeth from day one that she
started to get them. I figure all my kids will need braces so sucking a
thumb or a pacifier isn't worth the fighting.

Mary B

Mary

From: <SandraDodd@...>

<<One of the biggest disagreements I've ever had online was with someone who
said when she didn't want her kids to watch the VCR she unplugged it and
said it
was broken. Even to trying to turn it on and acting surprised and sad and
sympathizing with them.>>



I just want to say that I didn't say that about "losing" a pacifier. And I
also took it that the poster lost it herself. She explained that wasn't the
case already. I do agree with you Sandra as to those motives.

Alyssa loses a lot of pacifiers but only here in the house. We like to keep
two handy and she loses one a day if not both. The other day she had 3 of
them and by bedtime we were down to 1. She takes them out when she gets
interested in something and forgets where they are. Where she puts them is
the problem!!! Usually inside something. I always help her look for them and
I always keep spares here just in case. We're back to 2 again now. The new
one is still missing in action. There is also another one missing in this
house for about 6 months now. I figure we'll find a whole bunch if we ever
move!!!!

Mary B

[email protected]

I sucked my thumb until I was 8 or 9 I think. My front teeth don't stick out
and I needed braces but only on the bottom. They are all messed up now but not
from that.(side note) I still have my blankie that is always with me when I
sleep so I can rub my fingers on the silk.lol Sounds silly but I am asleep in 5
min when I do that. My husband will hand it to me now, lol <G> Laura D
>
<<Well I never sucked a thing (when I was little) and I needed braces.
> Tara's
sister sucked her fingers well into being 11-12 and didn't need braces.

> (different moms)
Sierra has a very small mouth and crowded teeth from day one that
> she
started to get them. I figure all my kids will need braces so sucking a

> thumb or a pacifier isn't worth the fighting.

Mary B>>>>>

>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

N i c h o l e

----- Original Message -----
From: jmcseals SEALS
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] thumb sucking?

I was trying to emphasize the fact that it was
lost, NOT that I was the one doing the losing!

Jennifer
*********************

Jennifer, Sorry, I took your " *losing* " as fake losing.
Guess I should have asked what you meant.

Sorry, friend.

But I wonder if you could answer this: Why do parents give their babies pacifiers if they want to take them away from them eventually. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, but I knew that this would come up eventually, so I never gave Margaux a pacifier. I think she'd rather have sucked her toes anyway. ;o)

Thanks, Jennifer.

Nichole

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Heidi

--- In [email protected], "N i c h o l e"
<ms_fausey@y...> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: jmcseals SEALS
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:19 PM
> Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] thumb sucking?
>
> I was trying to emphasize the fact that it was
> lost, NOT that I was the one doing the losing!
>
> Jennifer
> *********************
>
> Jennifer, Sorry, I took your " *losing* " as fake losing.
> Guess I should have asked what you meant.
>
> Sorry, friend.
>
> But I wonder if you could answer this: Why do parents give their
babies pacifiers if they want to take them away from them
eventually. I'm not saying I'm better than anyone, but I knew that
this would come up eventually, so I never gave Margaux a pacifier. I
think she'd rather have sucked her toes anyway. ;o)
>
> Thanks, Jennifer.
>
> Nichole

1) a kid can grow out of a binky, but a thumb you can't toss. When
Robby was two, and he saw his baby sister sucking a binky, I felt
like the time was right to ask him if he'd like to toss his binky? He
did so, right on the spot. Didn't want to be like "the baby". Well,
bedtime came, and he wanted his binky...walked over to the garbage
can...(It had not gone out yet)...and I said "You threw it away,
remember?" and he looked a bit sad for a moment, then said "oh yeah."
and looked in there, saw the binky...left it there. And did just fine
without it. Other than that few minutes, he didn't display any
anxiety about it at all. Never looked back, so to speak. If he'd
needed it, I'd have given it back to him, but he did great without it.

2) I tried with all four of my kids to get them to suck their thumbs,
so we wouldn't have to buy binkies, but it never worked. It was
easier to pop a pacifier in there, than try to get their little jerky
hands to their mouths, and thumbs out, to boot! What DID mothers do,
before the modern pacifier was invented...

HeidiC

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 2:40:41 PM, bunsofaluminum60@... writes:

<< What DID mothers do,

before the modern pacifier was invented...

>>

"sugar teats>

Sugar tied into the corner of a handkerchief, soaked in rum or whiskey to
help with teething pain.

Sandra

jmcseals SEALS

<<I figure we'll find a whole bunch if we ever
move!!!!>>

Mary B

This is almost embarrasing to admit, but I think you might understand. <g>

I'm almost done packing and so far, I have found 23 pacifiers! Yikes!

Jennifer

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

jmcseals SEALS

<<Why do parents give their babies pacifiers if they want to take them away
from them eventually.>>

No harm done Nichole! :)

To answer your question, for me, it was the humiliation Nicholette felt
about her teeth. Not from us, but from strangers, friends and even some
family members. I never had a problem with pacifiers until then. I still
struggle. On the one hand, they *are* a comfort. On the other, they have
inadvertantly caused my own child a lot of emotional pain as a result of the
physical damage done by them.

Hope this is what you were looking for.

Jennifer

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Nicholina ODonnell

In a message dated 6/17/03 12:13:14 AM, sheran@... writes:

<< I've heard stories about kids still sucking thumbs when they're

teens. That just doesn't seem ok to me. At what point do you do

something about it? >>

>>The something that most parents do is shame the child to the core.
>>When do you think would be the best time to do that?

>>And really, what else CAN you do? Because you can't stop the behavior very
>>smoothly without some damage to the child's esteem.

It seems to me that there are other ways. Have you talked to him about the pros and cons of sucking his thumb? Does he have any sores? Do his front teeth stick out? If there are any issues like this, you could bring them up in a calm, pro/con way, acknolowdging that there is one real pro - comfort.

My sister (who's parenting I don't always or even often agree with, but this one seemed alright) had a conversation with her daughter thumb sucker who is now 16 about the age of 4. My sister said she was worried about if daughter's teeth would be affected by the thumb sucking. They came up with the plan that daughter would stop sucking her thumb when her first front tooth fell out. I think my niece was 7 (I know some are younger and your son might already have lost his, I don't know) when that happened and she did stop. She had many years of knowing that was the goal and had no problem with it. By-the-by, though, she did still sleep with her special blanket even after stopping the thumb sucking.

Nicholina


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[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 3:13:11 PM, jmcseals@... writes:

<< <<Why do parents give their babies pacifiers if they want to take them
away
from them eventually.>> >>

I tried giving Kirby a pacifier when he was little, but he would spit it
RIGHT out. I figured out he wanted to be carried and ride up high, instead of
being in a stroller. That was easy! By the time Holly came along we didn't even
own a crib anymore, hardly had any baby carrying stuff that wasn't worn on
bigger humans.

Pacifiers right in their name mean to make a child peaceful--to pacify.
There are other ways to consider, but some kids DO love them.

Sandra

Nicholina ODonnell

>It seems to me that there are other ways. Have you talked to him about the pros and cons of >sucking his thumb? Does he have any sores? Do his front teeth stick out? If there are any >issues like this, you could bring them up in a calm, pro/con way, acknolowdging that there is one >real pro - comfort.


All this said, if he still wants to suck his thumb, that is his business, I'd say.

Sorry for the extra email for that, but I forgot to put it in the first.

Nicholina


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Nicholina ODonnell

> What DID mothers do,
> before the modern pacifier was invented...

Davan would never take a pacifier, or suck on her thumb, or suck on her toes. She nursed a lot. She would occationally suck on an adult's finger if offered, but mostly she just nursed. I tried many times to give her a pacifier, but no go.

Nicholina


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[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/2003 5:30:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:

> I tried giving Kirby a pacifier when he was little, but he would spit it
> RIGHT out. I figured out he wanted to be carried and ride up high, instead
> of
> being in a stroller. That was easy! By the time Holly came along we didn't
> even
> own a crib anymore, hardly had any baby carrying stuff that wasn't worn on
> bigger humans.
>
> Pacifiers right in their name mean to make a child peaceful--to pacify.
> There are other ways to consider, but some kids DO love them.
>
> Sandra>>
>
> My daughter never used one. My son now 1 uses one sometimes when I lay him
> down. He thinks of them more a toy that actually having a function to soothe.


> My first never used one either. I think because I nursed they never took to
> them. I also have various kinds so when he goes to bed its never a special
> one needed. If he lays right down which he usually does I dont give it to him.
> He has a musical soft pull toy that he lays his head on as a pillow and out
> he goes.
>
> Laura D



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