Finger sucking

Posted: Thu, Mar 30 2006, 6:05 pm Post subject: finger sucking

My dd who is 2.5 sucks two middle fingers. This on it's own wouldn't bother me so much but she seems almost obsessed with licking her fingers also (all of them) at various intervals. This drives me meshuge! I ping ping between feeling like slathering her hands with purell every five minutes to kill germs and rubbing pepper on her fingers to make her quit the habit altogether. Well ladies did you ever have to deal with this? What did you do to get your child to drop the habit. Did you leave them be? what's the most appropriate age to get a child to stop a bad habit?

Posted: Thu, Mar 30 2006, 7:59 pm Post subject: re: finger sucking

Awww my oldest used to suck her middle fingers. It was cute. But yes, annoying!! Our dentist said at the age of three you should start trying to get them to stop because before that they don't really understand.

I'll tell you how we stopped DD, but I don't recommend this method... DH accidentally slammed her fingers in the door!!! BH they were only bruised and scraped. I told her they would get infected if she sucked them, and she stopped cold turkey, that was 6 months ago.

Silver Member Joined: Sep 09 2004 Posts: 548

my almost 2 yr old started sucking her thumb a few months ago, and I really hate it. her finger is always wet and it causes blisters. I've rubbed soap on it, but she sucks it anyway. I really want to get her tpo stop.
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Silver Member Joined: Jun 06 2005 Posts: 624

My 2 year old sucks her thumb and I am very happy about it. It is better than a binky b/c it never gets lost. She uses it to sleep and comfort herself.

If it really bothers you and your child is young, I would recommend distractions. Make sure she gets chances to use developing language skills and have her snack on healthy food instead of sucking her thumb. For older kids, try gum.
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