Stinker is growing into a toddler, and still sucking those same two middle fingers. She is spending the time when she is not eating or otherwise using her hands her left hand is occupied by her mouth. She has recently discovered how to use this obsession to multi-task, as evidenced by the picture below:
She’s been learning from her sisters, for sure. Say it with me: EEEW, YUCK!! I have never dealt with sucking fingers (or a thumb, for that matter), or ultimately breaking the habit. I do not want her to be embarassed as she grows into childhood. With all of my daughters, I tried pacifiers, just to get them off the boob for ten minutes or so. Never worked. I actually introduced Stinker to her fingers before we were even home from the hospital. She preferred those, since she never dropped them on the floor, left them in a restaraunt, or lost them under the sofa. Makes sense to me. I’m just curious if any other parents have advice on how to get her to stop, even if it is just to let her be a baby a little while longer. I cannot believe it either. I AM ASKING FOR ADVICE. I’m sure that Satan is shivering in his Uggs right now.
Being Two Sucks, literally
January 23, 2006 at 7:09 pm (For everyone!)
Family Circus 
Simone said,
January 23, 2006 at 2:49 am
Lydia had a ‘dummy’ (pacifier!)till we moved house. I genuinly forgot to put them in our bag, thought it would be hell for days, but she never mentioned them again, she was 2, now she is amazed that she ever had one!
Elijah sucks his thumb, to be honest I am pleased, he can never loose that one! Don’t they grow out of it? I hope so. If he is still sucking his thumb when he gets to school, he’ll either stop because he is being ridiculed by his class mates, or we’ll have to use plasters. Apparently that helps, it;s not nice to suck plasters ( I think you call them bandaids?)
Ami said,
January 23, 2006 at 10:02 am
My daughter (5) still sucks her thumb and desperately wants to stop. It ashames her but it is such a deep habit, esp. when watching a show or driving – you know, quiet moments. We have been working with her on stopping for about 2 years now. We tried bandaids, huge gauze casts, that thumbsucking liquid stuff, rubbing her thumb inside a jalopeno, wearing a mitten 24/7, etc. It never really got better until we said a few months ago, “OK, we can’t do this on our own. We should have gone to Jesus about this first because He is the only one who can help us and He said without Him we can do nothing.” Now she is constantly taking it to Him in prayer and seeing the answer to her prayer in remembering to keep it out of her mouth. Two lessons in one!
Anonymous said,
January 23, 2006 at 10:58 am
I haven’t had any luck with my three suckers yet. Amie is 8 and still sucks her thumb. If she remembers than she is fine, but if she’s watching a movie or something, she ends up with it in her mouth. Christine is 5 and does the same thing. AnnaBeth is 3 and sucks her finger. She doesn’t see why she shouldn’t do it yet.
Julie
the bee's knees said,
January 23, 2006 at 11:52 am
multi-tasking at its finest…LOL!
I have not had a thumb-sucker but I feel your pain.
PS. My boys are 5 and 7. We could still go for that arranged marriage. ~giggles but there is still that problem of us having nothing in common. I think the only thing we don’t have in common is our STATE…
Have a super Monday!!
Ciao Bella!
Anonymous said,
January 23, 2006 at 11:55 am
My mom tried e v e r y t h i n g to get me to stop sucking my thumb. I was probably 10 or so before I finally quit. I would only suck at bedtime, or in my sleep and eventually I grew out of it. My brother was the same way. My sister on the other hand gave it up totally on her own around age 3. It differs from kid to kid, sooner or later it just won’t taste good anymore!
Joy said,
January 23, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Caught in the act! You captured it well, Erin. I just can’t help but smile at the picture and at the same time feel your dilemma. kids outgrow thumbsucking for sure, it’s just a matter of time. Melvyn had a pacifier until a little over 2 years. Good thing, he got rid of it sooner than I thought.
What about some tricks to make her realize that fingers don’t taste good (especially that multi-tasking thing)? :-)) Bon courage, Erin!
irene said,
January 24, 2006 at 4:14 am
“I’m sure that Satan is shivering in his Uggs right now.”
made me laugh so loud. ah, kids with habits. both my kids had pacifiers. but right now, my son is into licking his lower lip and showing his tongue 24/7. so if you have advice about that, I’d be happy to hear!!!
I sucked my thumb until I was 7 or 8. what stopped me? well, my boyfriend at the time, a little boy named Thierry said he thought I was a super girlfriend but wished I did not suck my thumb like a baby anymore. I stopped then. instantly.