[OT] Thumb or Pacifier?

Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

I would vote for the thumb. When he gets bigger, he will not be able to
suck his thumb and use both hands at the same time. I have 4 kids and have
never used a pacifier. My 7 yr. old sucks 2 fingers when she sleeps. It is
true that its not that easy to get her to stop, even though she wants to but
I think the pacifier leads to more sucking since they can use it and their
hands at the same time.
One of my children started sucking her thumb when she was a couple months. I
removed the thumb everytime I saw it in her mouth and she never developed
the habit.

Good luck, whatever you decide!!

Kirsten Sollie

melinda wrote:

Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA


How old is he?

I never sucked my thumb. I sucked my bent index finger. Until I was 6 or
so, I'd suck on it to fall asleep. I stopped on my own, even though I
was getting nagged at the end.

For the most part, it's perfectly natural, and they'll stop when they
grow out of it. Better his thumb than random things he's just picked up
off the ground or your shelves if he's just at the oral stage.

-georg

Took me until my daughter was 4 to get her off a pacifier. First I had to
stop her at 2 using it when we went out then at 3 only at bedtime and at 4 I
finally managed to get her to throw them in the bin herself. Other people
have had better luck. But usually when children suck their thumbs they
don't prefer pacifiers. training them out of either is going to be a job
either way. And even if you gave him a pacifier when he was without it or
he lost it the thumb would go back in again.

Good luck on whichever he chooses )

--
Jules
"melinda" wrote in message
news:1063609472.932311@webserver...
Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

On 9/15/03 3:31 AM, in article ,
"georg" wrote:

melinda wrote:

Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA


How old is he?

I never sucked my thumb. I sucked my bent index finger. Until I was 6 or
so, I'd suck on it to fall asleep. I stopped on my own, even though I
was getting nagged at the end.

For the most part, it's perfectly natural, and they'll stop when they
grow out of it. Better his thumb than random things he's just picked up
off the ground or your shelves if he's just at the oral stage.

-georg

As a Speech Language pathologist who specializes in oral myofunctional
therapy (tongue thrust) don't encourage either. I see lots of children who
extend the use of both and it becomes problamatic. Thumb or digit sucking is
much worse as he will always have the thumb available. You can always say
the new baby down the block needs the pacifier. Extended use of either will
cause dentition to be off (open mouth, buck teeth, "hole" in his mouth where
the thumb fits) and musculature to be weakened. Speech is often affected by
late talking (something in the mouth to inhibit ) and significant lisps
(th/s : as well as other sounds). Oh, and stay away from the sippy cups with
the valve that don't spill as he gets older....they act exactly like a
nipple/thumb/pacifier. I work with tons of kids that this is the issue!
Not trying to scare you....just giving you the extended use of any of them.
MOST kids give these all up in a timely manner. It is the extended use of
bottles and the like after the normal time (12-18 months) where you begin to
see problems.

Karen in MD

I'd go with a pacifier because you can wean them away easier by limiting the
time with it later on. A thumb will always be there for him.

Yvette



"melinda" wrote in message
news:1063609472.932311@webserver...
Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

I know we all hate to see a child still sucking on a pacifier when
he/she's older but let me tell you, it's easier to take away the
pacifier than the thumb. My youngest daughter was so bad a thumb sucker
that we had to have special orthodontics put in her mouth so she
couldn't fit her thumb in her mouth and then also pay for braces to fix
the damage done by thumbsucking. I vote for the pacifier.

Carolyn from DE

Babies and children have a natural instinct to suck. I do see more late
thumb/finger suckers than late pacify suckers. I have seen enough late
suckers with good speech and teeth and enough non-suckers with speech and
teeth problems to be unconvinced of the connection between sucking and teeth
or speech problems.

DD was weaned from day time pacifier around 3 1/3 and night time at 4 /12.
Dentist said she'd need braces. I'm happy to report that her teeth are
growing in enviably straight. I'm sure genetics are stronger in any
normally raised child than external factors like pacifiers.

Yvette


"jules" wrote in message
...
Took me until my daughter was 4 to get her off a pacifier. First I had to
stop her at 2 using it when we went out then at 3 only at bedtime and at 4
I
finally managed to get her to throw them in the bin herself. Other people
have had better luck. But usually when children suck their thumbs they
don't prefer pacifiers. training them out of either is going to be a job
either way. And even if you gave him a pacifier when he was without it or
he lost it the thumb would go back in again.

Good luck on whichever he chooses )

--
Jules
"melinda" wrote in message
news:1063609472.932311@webserver...
Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his
thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

My mother was told, back in the dark ages when I was a child, that the thumb
is the natural curvature of the mouth. I personally was hounded and
ridiculed aobut sucking my thumb ( NO I wont tell you how long I sucked my
thumb nor how long I bit my nails) BUT I did not have a lisp or speech
impediment or buck teeth (as matter of fact have always been complimented
on my beautiful teeth) nor did I have to have braces. There was evidence
that I sucked my thumb in the womb(large black mark along the side of my
nose whenI was born) I truly believe its very much like anything else,
potty training walking etc....each child develops on their own.
My DGD uses a pacifier and talks up a storm, she's2, vocabulary of about 200
words, I ask her to remove it when she is trying to communicate. No
problem....she is now forgetting to use it, I never offer unless she asks.
The baby sitter doesnot allow them(health regulations) so on Fridays no
pacifier. Her father used neither could not get him to use it, but he
needed a bottle to go to sleep which I slowly turned to plain water at
about 2 1/2. GREAT Teeth at 25, no speech impediment, its the reverse
trying to get him to shut up! :grin.
I'd say don't fret either, my grandmother would say they need that comfort
for some reason. Perhaps he's teething and that helps break those toofies
through.

--
Mauvice in Central WI USA
"melinda" wrote in message
news:1063609472.932311@webserver...
Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

My daughter used neither. I gave her a pacifier when she was only a few days
old and she was super fussy. I watched it fly across the living room and
never gave it back to her. My son on the other hand was quite different. He
was born quite sick and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. He is paralyzed on one
side of his mouth and sucking either me or the bottle was a major problem.
The bottle became easier and he would not nurse. The nurses gave all the
babies in the NICU a pacifier. He did not like it. I only used it when we
were in the car when I first brought him home. The day he found his thumb,
he was able to suck all he wanted, was happy. Add to the fun we had to deal
with major oral aversion, and if the thumb was able to go in the mouth, so
eventually would various foods. He broke the thumb habit himself. By the
time he was 2 1/2 and had his 4th surgery he was starting to only use the
thumb when he was tired (the thumb worked better than anything while he was
recuperating from open heart surgery at 2 1/2. By the time he was 3 or 3 1/2
I would tell him to put his thumb in his mouth when he was really really
whinney. One day he announced he does not use his thumb anymore and that was
the end of that.

The biggest advantage of thumb over pacifier is that they can't lose a thumb
and you can't forget to pack it. There are those who need something for
comfort other than a toy, I was always afraid of not having the pacifier
when I really needed it before he found the thumb.

Debbi in SO CA


"melinda" wrote in message
news:1063609472.932311@webserver...
Is it easier to train a kid out a pacifier or sucking on the thumb?
The reason I ask is that DS has just taught himself to suck on his thumb!
I'd prefer him not to suck on his thumb, so how do I get him to stop?

TIA

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol