Thumb sucking sure looks cute when a little baby is doing it. When they get to be 5 years old and you have doctor’s telling it’s time to work on stopping, it’s not so cute. So, we have been working with Lydia for quite a while trying to kick this habit. We’ve tried taking away the stuffed animals she cuddles (while sucking), covering her thumb with a band-aid or tape, verbal reminders, keeping her hands busy, books about it, and bribery. We have told her for about a year now that when she stops we would let her pick a toy from a toy store.
Nothing seemed to work. So, one day I was looking online to see what had worked for other parents. I found a nail polish that had some good reviews, so I thought it was worth a try. I also made a sticker chart with her help. We told her she had to have 30 days in a row to go pick her toy. We only had to paint her nail with the polish a few times for 2 weeks and that was reminder enough. (She did forget one time so we had to add a few days to the sticker chart.)
I am proud to say that Lydia has been thumb free for about 5 weeks now. So, we made a trip to Toys ‘R Us and after much deliberation she picked this pretty, pink guitar and has been giving us concerts ever since.