I've frequently posted about my three thumb suckers. Roo has never sucked her thumb, the other three think their thumbs are made of chocolate. Or crack. Take your pick because they are addicted. I've tried chats about how we're "big girls now." I've talked to them about what this will do to their teeth. I've threatened to cover their hands with socks at night. That was the dentist's suggestion. It sounded good, but then I thought about how uncomfortable I would feel with my hands covered all night, so I don't know if I'm willing to go that route. Nothing has worked.
The other night, out of sheer frustration, I came up with something that might actually work. Roo is going to get her ears pierced this week. That's my new rule: if you don't suck your thumb, you get to have pierced ears. She is really talking it up and her sisters are jealous! They're trying to stop sucking their thumbs because they want earrings. I think the real motivator will be when Roo comes home this week sporting her earrings. I had always planned to wait until they were a little older, but if it means no more thumb sucking, then bring on the piercing gun!
January 03, 2011
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8 comments:
Ooh, nice work! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to work for an reward like this. Wish I could use ear-piercing as an incentive for Dahlia to pee in the potty right now, ha!
Keep up with me, Ted, and our Fab Four at four-by-two.blogspot.com.
I hope the earrings work! I'm glad I don't have any thumb suckers, although the flip side of that is that I have no self-soothers, and bedtime is a nightmare any time their schedule gets disrupted. I used to think parents who were schedule sticklers were silly, but I've joined their ranks!
That's the rub... they really only suck their thumbs when they're tired. It could be a long process.
Ooh, that's a fantastic "big girl" incentive! I'm filing that one away for future reference! :)
Only one of our girls sucks her thumb, and only when she sleeps. Literally, the moment I zip up her sleeper blanket, she puts her thumb in her mouth; otherwise I never see her do it. Did your dentist encourage you to break the habit? I've mentioned it to our pediatrician and pediatric dentist, but no one expressed any concern to date. I wonder if it is "OK" to a certain age?
The earrings will also be a contant reminder for the other three about the big reward waiting for them - I think it's a great idea. Good luck!!
I'm all for providing incentives to encourage behavior changes. I hope yours works! You'll have to let us know how the experience goes for Roo. Will you let her choose the studs?
I'm really trying to steer her toward her birthstone, but I don't know if I'll win that battle.
I have three thumb-suckers, too, and we're finally making some progress with my 7 year old. We had an appt with an orthodontist, who explained to him how he's getting braces no matter what, but that he'll make things a lot worse if he keeps it up. She gave us 5 different suggestions on how to stop him, but he liked the idea of wearing a sock on his hand to bed. It's worked for almost two weeks now!
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