The Thumb-Sucker Support Closet: Population Me.
MrZ would like me to never take pictures of such a thing as our child sucking his thumb. Instead, I should be yanking it out of his mouth and replacing it with a pacifier. Which – because I respect MrZ’s parenting choices – I do. After I take the picture.
Probably 99% of the world would think the same was as MrZ does about thumb-sucking. But me? I find it fantastic. I was a thumb-sucker for a long time. I have very vivid memories of being scared/nervous and sticking my thumb in my mouth to immediately feel comforted. I know it’s stupid, and I don’t encourage my kids to such their thumbs, I swear. I do replace it with a pacifier when I’m not taking a picture. But – I did want to make sure that I went on record saying I’m one of the only parents in the world that would not be devastated if her kid was a thumb-sucker.
(MrZ – however – will do everything short of chopping off his own thumbs to ensure that doesn’t happen.)
Both of my children sucked their thumbs. I wasn’t devastated. Neither would take a pacifier at all and the thumb sucking soothed them. After a while I encouraged it. Now at 5 and 6 neither of them suck their thumbs anymore and their teeth didn’t suffer either.
I agree that a pacifier is better but the thumb is a wonderful thing too.
I sucked my thumb until I was nine and never needed braces. And I certainly wouldn’t care if my children sucked their thumb too…I figure if they are going to do it, they are going to do it, unless I spend 24 hours a day on thumb patrol.
I don’t mind thumb-sucking, either. Nor pacifier-sucking.
Yeah, I don’t see what the big deal is. Henry’s a thumb-sucker too and will NOT take a pacifier. Sucking his thumb helps him sleep, so I’m all for it. I’m sure he’ll need braces anyway. I didn’t suck my thumb and I needed them; my husband did suck his thumb and needed them.
Well, when the thumb-sucker in question is as cute as this one, I’d say you have no choice but to take his picture. Also, what’s the problem? When they’re this little, it’s not like their hands have been anywhere nefarious, right? Or maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, since I don’t have kids. Yeah, that’s probably the case.
Your lucky that your kids like pacifiers. My niece HATED them. Would have nothing to do them. They were both so so so so relieved when she finally found her thumb. She very rarely sucks it now and she is 16 months….
The great thing about thumbs is they don’t get lost under the couch or under a blanket at night!
Self soothing is a pretty awesome skill to have – go thumbs!
With most people – thumbsucking is just a hard habit to break (when you can throw away the pacifier) but with MrZ? It’s more an audio thing…the SUCKING sound bugs him out – and it’s less audible if it’s a pacifier.
Thumb, pacifier..I never minded. If it soothed the baby, then why not? I don’t understand the stigma. Plus, it’s cute!
I still suck my thumb… and both my kids suck their digits in some combination.
I’m stoked my kid sucks his fists (actually loves it so much he tries to fit both of them into his mouth). They’re always easily available, and I’m all for easy.
My brother sucked his thumb forever(like second grade). It was gross and he was made fun for it. Because of this, I was glad my kids never did it after they were newborns. I’m not sure what I would have done if they had. I can’t stand seeing 2 or 3 year old kids walking around with paci’s, taking them out to talk and stuff! I was always afraid that would be my kids.
Out of my three kids, only my daughter was a thumb sucker and none of them would take a pacifier. Daughter found her thumb ten minutes after she came into this world and the older she got the more she only sucked it at bedtime. I didn’t realize she was still sucking it at five until I went in to check on her one night and found it in her mouth. A quick picture of her sucking it and showing it to her the next morning broke her, she hasn’t sucked it since.
I’m all for the thumb. Can’t lose it and nothing calms a baby faster than his/her thumb. Doesn’t have to wait for someone to find the pacifier and give it to him. Just sayin’…Love you all
I sucked my thumb until I was 10. It was very comforting to me, and I didn’t die from it. I still have the blankie I used to cuddle while I sucked my thumb. It’s half-rotted away and resides in my pillow case, but brings loads of comfort when I need it!
So, I just noticed that I’m the leader for leaving comments this month. Odd, because I’m more of a lurker and I think the this is my second comment this month…the first being the one directly above it.
I sucked my thumb until I had my braces put on at twelve.
Neither one of my kids (so far) have taken to thumb sucking but use(d) (can you believe I typed ‘yous’ first? GREAT typo. LOL) pacis.
I remember finding great comfort in sucking my thumb which I can’t really see from sucking on a piece of rubber but whatever.
xox
My oldest is 5, and still sucks his thumb to go to sleep at night. My middle is 2.5 yrs and never sucked anything, and my baby is 7 months and has been sucking either thumb (mostly the right now after favoring her left for weeks) for the last 3 months or so. I like it because it keeps her happy and helps her sleep all night long. THe only time an oral habit bothers me is if they do it all day long or try to talk around it. My oldest only ever did it to sleep, so hopefully my youngest will do the same.
I sucked my thumb until I was nine (or possibly even ten). I did need braces, but not because of the thumb-sucking. I never developed the overbite my big brother’s orthodontist said I would — I had an underbite instead, suggesting that I should have continued to suck my thumb until the day the braces went on! I’ve never been bothered by the noise of thumb-sucking — and I’m a person who (I used to think) is easily disturbed by little noises.
How can anyone take a thumb from that cute face?
My hubby’s family has many thumb suckers, braces aside, none needed from what I know, lots of teasing ensued once school started. Just broke my heart to watch one of his little cousin’s pop her thumb in her mouth at age 4, because she was tired. I just hated the idea of her getting teased for the one thing that makes her feel better/safe. So her reaction would be to suck her thumb right? Kids can be cruel.
For this reason, we did binks in our house. The Bink Fairy came & took them when each girl turned 2, to give to new babies who needed them. My 2nd actually went around the house looking for ones she’d hid so we could send them off. Pretty cute.
If it makes him feel better, let him do it. I’m all about pro-sleep for mama over everything else.
My daughter was a thumb sucker and stopped when she turned two. My son is neither a thumb sucker or paci guy.
I side w/ the thumbsuckers. But, hey whatevah.
Huh. It never occurred to me that people would be against thumb sucking for an infant. My 3.5 year old is a thumb sucker, which I loved when he was a baby because I never had to worry about pacifiers when we were out. And now? I still think it’s nice that he can soothe himself in that way. It’s not even on my radar as something I want him to stop doing. My 1 year old takes a pacifier, which I find much harder because I always have to remember them and then they fall on the ground… it’s kind of a pain really.
Either way, I’m just glad they both have something that calms them and helps them go to sleep. If it has anything to do with sleep, I don’t mess with it!
I sucked my thumb until I was 9. So far I am (relatively) normal and I’ve survived till 29. I wore braces, but it had nothing to do with my thumbsucking! I would support it too…
How could you not think that this is so cute and I also think it is so cute when my 15 month old sucks her thumb it just makes me a little melty inside but it also puts fear in my heart because my almost 10 yr old still sucks her thumb when she is tired or upset and no amount of teasing, bribes etc has affected her enough to make her stop and we are looking at some serious dental bills if she doesn’t stop soon.
Truthfully, I was thrilled when Elliot decided that at only 4 months, he was done with the pacifier, and we hadn’t even been using it very long. He found his thumb quickly. There’s just something about a 2,3, or 4 year old still sucking on a “paci” that drives me nuts. I think the thumb is great! You’ll have to break them of SOME habit at some point. I’d just rather it be that.
Hmmm, I’ve never thought of keeping my daughter from sucking her thumb. She and both of her best friends are thumb suckers and they are the best sleepers amongst their peers. They are also very good at self-soothing when then are in an unfamiliar situation.
I wish I had a thumb sucker! I loved my thumb when I was little and still think it is so cute to see a baby suck his thumb. All three of mine (so far with the 6 month old) are pacifier babies.
Having not been a thumbsucker myself, I was vehemently against thumb sucking for my children. But Alliclaus would never take a pacifier. And when she found her thumb right as she was starting to get teeth, I was thrilled! She slept better and was more pleasant during waking hours as well. Mimiclaus doesn’t seem like she’s going to figure it out, but I’m still hoping.
Neither of my kids sucked their thumbs, or pacifiers, or anything else that would’ve made my life easier. My neighbor’s oldest sucked her thumb well into her 9th year, in public. That is not cool.
I think I’d prefer the pacifier because it’s an easier habit to break.