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| "Thumbusters" (image courtesy of www.thumbusters.com) |
So.. like I wrote and that post, the appliance seemed to be working just fine and Olivia didn't even attempt to suck her thumb for a few days (a week, maybe?)... She was so proud of her new apparatus and kept showing it to everyone and telling them how she didn't suck her thumb anymore...I, of course, was a happy mama!...
Until.....she SUCKED HER THUMB AGAIN! Apparently she figured out a way to put her thumb behind the appliance and still suck it comfortably...Granted, because of the position of the appliance, she can no longer push her teeth out and cannot suction like she did before...(yay for no more nasty noises and crooked teeth!)
She is no longer impacting her teeth and they actually seem to be straightening on their own.. Her thumb's dermatitis is also not as bad and the smell isn't as terrible because due to the lack of suction, she doesn't produce as much saliva as before....
And while I know I should be looking at all these positives and counting my (her) blessings, I really want her to STOP altogether.. I want her to forget about it and to NEVER do it again... (wow, I sound like a selfish brat!)...but really...can a mother hope?
So, our next step is "Thumbusters", a glove-like device sold online ($13.95), which claims to serve as a reminder for kids who want to drop the thumb-sucking habit... In our case, I know Olivia just forgets and that's how her thumb ends up in her mouth again..She has told me several times how bad she wants to quit and how she wants me to help her (what a junkie..LOL)... So.. since we've already gotten rid of part of the problem (her pushing her teeth out), we're now going to deal with the other part of it since the "reminder appliance" didn't quite remind her not to suck the thumb... I now have my hopes vested on this device, which should be delivered to us this week... we'll have to wait and see how it works out...
I hope to write another follow up post in a few weeks reporting the awesome results we will get from this (wishful thinking, anyone?).....
Wish us luck! (again!)
4 comments:
When I was young I used to chew my finger nails down to nothing! My parents bought this nail polish that they would apply to my nails and when I bite them, the taste in my mouth was horrific! I still remember the taste more than 25 years later. Perhaps you need to find that and put it on her thumb nail!!! :)
Kara- we have tried EVERYTHING.. Including all of those nail polishes, thumb sucking solutions, etc..
Olivia licks them all and doesn't seem to mind the nasty taste.. at all!
The reminder was our last (and most drastic) resource.. it seems to do some of the job, but not all.. so we'll see if this glove helps to fix the rest of the problem!
can you find an alternative for her thumb sucking, something to redirect her too? if you can't her doing it, do you ask her why she is and how she is feeling? it's probably a comfort/ habit that strikes when she is nervous or anxious? maybe you could get a consult with a behavior therapist to see if they have any ideas for you. you do not want to see my left thumb. i am constantly picking at it and the nail is all messed up and so is the skin around it but i can't stop picking at it and i mostly do it when i'm bored or anxious.
She does it when she's sleepy or during long car drives..
She does stop whenever she is reminded..it's just such a powerful habit.
Her doctor says she will stop when it's time. The school psychologist saw her too and she doesn't seem to think it's a behavioral issue...
We'll see I'd this new thing works!
Fingers crossed!
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