This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Moms Talk: Thumb Suckers

Sure, it's cute…but not when they are 5.

Our question this week comes from Michele A. from Cottage Lake. She wants to know how to deal with her older child’s thumb-sucking habit.

Well, Michelle, I hate to say it but it’s all your fault and you need to fix it. Kidding, of course. But really, if you want this habit broken you are going to have to be the one to do it, not your kiddo. Here's my recommendations to get you through it:

Decide to Break it (and it’s OK not to): First off, relax. I know adults that still suck their thumbs. It’s relaxing and soothing and it’s not like they are nicking off behind the slide for a cigarette. Babies naturally suckle to self-sooth and it stands to reason that that behavior would transition into toddlerhood and school-aged kids, too. Some kids will naturally give it up, some will not.

Find out what's happening in Woodinvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From personal experience, my son Nate was ADDICTED to pacifiers. I had at least four on me at any given time. In fact, I often stuffed them in my bra so I was like some kinda jacked-up piñata at the end of the day when I finally took it off. But guess what? My kid was rarely sick and he had exactly one ear infection. Nate never stuck random things in his mouth and instead went for his “tae-tae” instead. We let him keep it until he was 3 and the dentist was perfectly OK with that. But then 3 hit and we had to make a plan…

Make a Plan with your Kid: Prepare yourselves to fight the addiction. Thumbs are always there so it’s not like you can just stick them on top of the fridge…and the LAST thing you want to do is go to war with your child over something that soothes and comforts them. The anger they feel will land squarely on you and trust me, you don’t want to be the bad guy.

Find out what's happening in Woodinvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Talk to your child about why they suck their thumbs and when they tend to suck their thumbs. Once these tendencies are identified, offer an agreed upon alternative (holding a blanket, chewing gum or anything else you are comfortable with). I would not recommend any kind of punishment for “catching them” sucking their thumb. Make up a secret code to alert them if they have popped a thumb in and make it fun. One mom I know snipped off the thumb of her own glove for her daughter to wear to bed and she loved it. Remind them that they are stronger than the feeling and that your love for them has nothing to do with what they put in their mouth.

Stick to the Plan: As you know, falter once and the plan is flushed. Be sure you have buy-off from everyone in the home, especially the child. Kids are not going to wean themselves and they really need you to be strong for them. Love them through this problem and they will love you for it. Celebrate the thumb-free days and keep the frustration to yourself.

Good Luck Michelle.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Woodinville