Colorful Tape To Stop Thumb ****ing

[jojosmommy]

I have a 3 yr Dcb who ****s thumb constantly. His speech is almost unitelligible and his teeth are terrible b/c of it. At nap he ****s both at once. He is always sick and I attribute it to always ****ing his thumb (even when we are outside and his hands are dirty!) It also affects his play skills b/c he can't really play with one hand occupied and he doesn't really talk to the others much- too busy with his thumb!

Neighbor daycare lady has a dcg with duct tape or some colorful sport tape on her fingers (thumb and index) "to remind her not to **** her thumb". She says mom puts in on in the am and it stays on all day no issues.

Mom says she is going to let him **** his thumb until he is five but they have a dentist apt this Monday so I am hoping she changes her mind after that. Obviuosly I won't do anything w/o moms approval. Just wanted to know what you thought in case she brings it up after the dentist.

Anyone have any opinions about this?

[cheerfuldom]

I have never heard of tape. One of my friends has a 3 year old daughter that ****ed her thumb so much, she got this disgusting rash all over her hand. Now the parents have given the paci back because they cannot find a way to get the thumb ****ing to stop

[WDW]

I know someone who used sport tape on their son. He was in KDG and they wanted him to stop, it was only his left thumb. They taped it up.. he started with his right thumb. So they taped them both. He ****ed on his two fingers for about a day and then quit.... said he hated the tape and wanted it off. So, it worked. Not sure how he functioned in school with no thumbs, but it was only a few days in reality... I think they started on a weekend too. Just suggest it's changed everyday as it gets really dirty!

[nannyde]

I wouldn't do tape. I think that could be a choke hazard once it is wet and comes loose and break down the skin over time.

Run this by mom....

I would use a mitted sweatshirt on him. He just needs time to learn to cope with life without having the ****ing coming in between him and the world.

He'll adapt within a few hours and you will see a side of him you don't even know. Once it is blocked he will start PLAYING, talking, paying attention to the world around him.

During meals just give him a big spoon instead of a regular spoon. He'll be sloppy at first but he'll adjust to holding the spoon with the material around his hands.

It's OKAY if he tries to **** thumb thru the material. As long as it's thick he won't get his **** on... that skin to skin contact he's fixated on. Within a few days he'll see it is useless and quit doing it.

Make it a long sleeved fitted sweatshirt that doesn't have a lot of give at the neck. It needs to fit at the tips of his fingers when his fingers are completely extended and the body of the shirt needs to fit right up to his chest and abdomen. Otherwise he will try to pull his hands out thru the neck.

He's begging for someone to intervene. If his mouth has formed around his thumb and it's destroying his teeth and making it impossible for him to speak properly... he NEEDS a block put in. Tape can cause skin issues and the loose wet tape can be a choke hazard. Soft sweatshirt material will do the trick.

You will be shocked at how well he can play with his hands covered. He will be able to play WAY better with two hands mitted than both hands in his mouth or one handed with one hand in his mouth. He'll be clumsy for a few days but soon you will see that he can do 99 percent of what he could do without the sweatshirt. Kids are very adapatable.

He'll discover a whole new way of being... and he will like it. It will take a few weeks... but once he sees how life can be without the "addiction" he will most likely really start to enjoy playing. You will also most likely see his vocab skyrocket.

Mitted sweatshirt:

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924234

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924235

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924236

[Unregistered]

I wouldn't do tape. I think that could be a choke hazard once it is wet and comes loose and break down the skin over time.

Run this by mom....

I would use a mitted sweatshirt on him. He just needs time to learn to cope with life without having the ****ing coming in between him and the world.

He'll adapt within a few hours and you will see a side of him you don't even know. Once it is blocked he will start PLAYING, talking, paying attention to the world around him.

During meals just give him a big spoon instead of a regular spoon. He'll be sloppy at first but he'll adjust to holding the spoon with the material around his hands.

It's OKAY if he tries to **** thumb thru the material. As long as it's thick he won't get his **** on... that skin to skin contact he's fixated on. Within a few days he'll see it is useless and quit doing it.

Make it a long sleeved fitted sweatshirt that doesn't have a lot of give at the neck. It needs to fit at the tips of his fingers when his fingers are completely extended and the body of the shirt needs to fit right up to his chest and abdomen. Otherwise he will try to pull his hands out thru the neck.

He's begging for someone to intervene. If his mouth has formed around his thumb and it's destroying his teeth and making it impossible for him to speak properly... he NEEDS a block put in. Tape can cause skin issues and the loose wet tape can be a choke hazard. Soft sweatshirt material will do the trick.

You will be shocked at how well he can play with his hands covered. He will be able to play WAY better with two hands mitted than both hands in his mouth or one handed with one hand in his mouth. He'll be clumsy for a few days but soon you will see that he can do 99 percent of what he could do without the sweatshirt. Kids are very adapatable.

He'll discover a whole new way of being... and he will like it. It will take a few weeks... but once he sees how life can be without the "addiction" he will most likely really start to enjoy playing. You will also most likely see his vocab skyrocket.

Mitted sweatshirt:

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924234

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924235

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos...toid=106924236

I COMPLETELY disagree with this. I think this is mean, and if you did this to my child, I'd be LIVID. I also disagree that tape would be a choking hazard with a child old enough to use this one. You just would have to wrap it around their hand a bit so it didn't slide right off. I think someone should put you in a mitted sweatshirt and see how you adapt. MEAN.

[WDW]

I wouldn't do tape. I think that could be a choke hazard once it is wet and comes loose and break down the skin over time.

Run this by mom....

I would use a mitted sweatshirt on him. He just needs time to learn to cope with life without having the ****ing coming in between him and the world.

He'll adapt within a few hours and you will see a side of him you don't even know. Once it is blocked he will start PLAYING, talking, paying attention to the world around him.

During meals just give him a big spoon instead of a regular spoon. He'll be sloppy at first but he'll adjust to holding the spoon with the material around his hands.

It's OKAY if he tries to **** thumb thru the material. As long as it's thick he won't get his **** on... that skin to skin contact he's fixated on. Within a few days he'll see it is useless and quit doing it.

Make it a long sleeved fitted sweatshirt that doesn't have a lot of give at the neck. It needs to fit at the tips of his fingers when his fingers are completely extended and the body of the shirt needs to fit right up to his chest and abdomen. Otherwise he will try to pull his hands out thru the neck.

He's begging for someone to intervene. If his mouth has formed around his thumb and it's destroying his teeth and making it impossible for him to speak properly... he NEEDS a block put in. Tape can cause skin issues and the loose wet tape can be a choke hazard. Soft sweatshirt material will do the trick.

You will be shocked at how well he can play with his hands covered. He will be able to play WAY better with two hands mitted than both hands in his mouth or one handed with one hand in his mouth. He'll be clumsy for a few days but soon you will see that he can do 99 percent of what he could do without the sweatshirt. Kids are very adapatable.

He'll discover a whole new way of being... and he will like it. It will take a few weeks... but once he sees how life can be without the "addiction" he will most likely really start to enjoy playing. You will also most likely see his vocab skyrocket.

Mitted sweatshirt:

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924234

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=106924235

http://www.nanshouse.com/apps/photos...toid=106924236

I'm not sure how I feel about this at all, but I definitely think it should come off during mealtimes.

[QualiTcare]

why not just use band aids? get some cartoonish ones and he might be less resistant.

[Crystal]

I'm not sure how I feel about this at all, but I definitely think it should come off during mealtimes.

well, I think it's utterly ridiculous and there is no way in heck I'd allow it with my own child or do it with anyone elses. I see it as CAUSING a special need - it's like trying to teach a child what it's like to have limited use of the hands - and it limits their ability to manipulate materials, develop small motor skills, etc. nope....I'd be livid if someone did that to my kid - ESPECIALLY if it were over thumb ****ing.

sorry Nan...agree with you on quite a bit, but not this.

[mamaski]

Have you heard of Thumbuddy To Love? It really helps to stop thumb ****ing. check out their web site and kids love it because it is not shameful.
google it or go to thumbuddytolove dot com
you can also get it on Amazon.

[nannyde]

I'm not sure how I feel about this at all, but I definitely think it should come off during mealtimes.

Sure

That's the beauty of it. It's such a SIMPLE on and off. You can do a thousand variations of it...

Five minutes on... fifteen minutes off...
increase to ten minutes on ... ten minutes off
off for meals
on for nap
off for nap
on for walk
off for outdoor play
on for story time
on for sand play
off for climber play

easy peeazy

Do it gradually... do it full on... do it one day a week... do it seven....

It's a BREAK for the thumb... a break for the teeth.. a break for fixation... a break to speak....

When you have him paying the price of:
speech is almost unitelligible
teeth are terrible
always sick
affects his play skills
doesn't really talk to the others much

it's time to get creative and think about what can you EASILY do. The consequence of what he is fixated on is very high and could affect him for his lifetime. The consequence of having "mittens" or covers on is very very very very low and he won't even remember it. He's a human baby.... he will figure out the "work around" in short order and the "new world" will come into his brain.

[Lucy]

Smart and/or desperate kids would wriggle their arm right out of that sleeve. :: :: ::

[nannyde]

Smart and/or desperate kids would wriggle their arm right out of that sleeve. :: :: ::

Oh sure. It may take a few adjustments to get it to fit properly.

[Lucy]

Unless it's a straight jacket, they'd find a way. Believe me.

[nannyde]

Unless it's a straight jacket, they'd find a way. Believe me.

Nah

It's simple. I've used them for many years for different purposes and have never had a problem.

[PitterPatter]

My Mom got some thumb ****ing horrible tasting liquid for my sister when we were kids. It didn't stop her. She would **** and wipe **** and wipe until it was off then **** all day. If your kid wouldn't figure that out maybe dip the thumb in lemon juice or something that wouldn't cause harm but possibly deter it. I have never had that problem so that's my best advice.