We seem to be a thumb family...at least a bunch of us.
I sucked my thumb. I can remember carrying my blanket around the house as I did so. I know that by kindergarten I had stopped, but I have memories of sucking my thumb (and a picture to prove it) so it must have still been a habit around four years old. Oh, I can still remember how good my blanket smelled.
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| I am 3 yrs. + 3 months old in this picture. I had to check the date twice because it looks like I am more like 5! (Pic taken at Grandma Spacky's house). |
David was a non-thumb sucker.
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| David (No date....maybe 2-3 months?) |
Luke was not attached to his thumb either.
He had colic and we tried and tried to get him to take a binky to help soothe him. Didn't happen. This boy didn't or wouldn't suck on anything. I obsessively baby proofed our house and then realized I shouldn't have bothered as nothing ever went in his mouth. It took him a long time to figure out that Cheerios were for eating and not holding. The first time this boy put something in his mouth, for the fun of it, was when he was 2 and saw his baby brother doing it. He didn't like it much.
Then Caden came along. We were so grateful that he could be soothed with a binky. At 11 weeks he began soothing himself by sucking his thumb. He likes his right one. Honestly, I was pretty ok with it. He couldn't lose his thumb and I didn't have to constantly pop a binky back in. And it makes for great little sleepers. With the exception of the first few months, he has only sucked his thumb while sleeping. Never during wakeful hours. He still used the binky during the day here and there until he was about 6 months old and then stopped taking it all together.
I worried a little about having to take away the thumb when it came time, but those worries were appeased by each dentist we have had. When Caden was 3, I asked our dentist when to take measures to stop the thumb sucking and she said he was far too young and that dentists don't (or shouldn't) make such recommendations anymore (when so little) as most kids stop on their own by school age with no ill effects to their mouth. So, we haven't worried much. When he turned 4, we casually mentioned that when he got bigger he would have to stop sucking his thumb. And left it at that. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that he stopped reaching for his blanket when we tucked him in at night (thumb suckers seem to love their blankets!). Not long after that he informed me that he had stopped sucking his thumb. When I asked why, he said, "Because I can't dream when I suck my thumb." Really? Well, then he got sick and was back to using the thumb. Now at 4.5 he tells me that he only sucks his thumb at night "sometimes." And for now, I am good with that. If he still thinks it is cool to suck his thumb in a year, well, then maybe we will see what can be done about breaking the habit. I have a hunch he'll be done before then.
When Porter was added to the crew, I wondered if he would be a binky baby, a thumb sucker, or neither. I was secretly hoping for the thumb...not that I really had a say. At 10.5 weeks he found his thumb too. He is not super picky about which one, but the right seems to get more use. He took a binky as well, but stopped accepting it after about 4 months old. He kept the thumbs. Like Caden, after the first few months he only sucked his thumb while sleeping.
About 6 weeks ago, Porter got it into his head that sucking his thumb during the day might be a cool thing to try. I think he wanted to be like Ryland. After a month, both thumbs were red and raw from overuse. I don't think he liked that too much and is now back to sucking only at night. Silly boy.
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| Luke - 2 months |
Then Caden came along. We were so grateful that he could be soothed with a binky. At 11 weeks he began soothing himself by sucking his thumb. He likes his right one. Honestly, I was pretty ok with it. He couldn't lose his thumb and I didn't have to constantly pop a binky back in. And it makes for great little sleepers. With the exception of the first few months, he has only sucked his thumb while sleeping. Never during wakeful hours. He still used the binky during the day here and there until he was about 6 months old and then stopped taking it all together.
I worried a little about having to take away the thumb when it came time, but those worries were appeased by each dentist we have had. When Caden was 3, I asked our dentist when to take measures to stop the thumb sucking and she said he was far too young and that dentists don't (or shouldn't) make such recommendations anymore (when so little) as most kids stop on their own by school age with no ill effects to their mouth. So, we haven't worried much. When he turned 4, we casually mentioned that when he got bigger he would have to stop sucking his thumb. And left it at that. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that he stopped reaching for his blanket when we tucked him in at night (thumb suckers seem to love their blankets!). Not long after that he informed me that he had stopped sucking his thumb. When I asked why, he said, "Because I can't dream when I suck my thumb." Really? Well, then he got sick and was back to using the thumb. Now at 4.5 he tells me that he only sucks his thumb at night "sometimes." And for now, I am good with that. If he still thinks it is cool to suck his thumb in a year, well, then maybe we will see what can be done about breaking the habit. I have a hunch he'll be done before then.
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| Caden - 11 weeks |
When Porter was added to the crew, I wondered if he would be a binky baby, a thumb sucker, or neither. I was secretly hoping for the thumb...not that I really had a say. At 10.5 weeks he found his thumb too. He is not super picky about which one, but the right seems to get more use. He took a binky as well, but stopped accepting it after about 4 months old. He kept the thumbs. Like Caden, after the first few months he only sucked his thumb while sleeping.
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| Porter - 6 months |
By the time Ryland joined us, I was openly hoping for another thumb baby. He did not disappoint. At 10.5 weeks this one found his thumb also. He likes both, but seems more partial to his left one. He also took a binky but started refusing it around 3-4 months. He currently sucks his thumbs while sleeping and sometimes during the day too (usually when tired or teething).
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| Ryland - 5.5 months |
About 6 weeks ago, Porter got it into his head that sucking his thumb during the day might be a cool thing to try. I think he wanted to be like Ryland. After a month, both thumbs were red and raw from overuse. I don't think he liked that too much and is now back to sucking only at night. Silly boy.
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| Porter - 2.5 yrs. |
What a funny little family that loves their thumbs.
It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that people who are thumbsuckers as children, grow up exceptionally awesome as adults. We are living proof of that :-).
ReplyDeleteHa! I love that we both hope for thumb sucking babies and so many people fight it with their kids. It makes for the happiest and best sleeping babies! Both my thumb suckers took a binky for awhile and then switched to thumbs when I started letting them cry. Sleep training turns them into thumb suckers! Scout it only sucking her thumb at night now too. I'm a tad sad about it because she use to be happier when we were out and about, now she fusses.
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