My sweet finger sucker is 14 months old now. I love how easily this precious boy lulls himself to sleep when he is tired. I love that he lets me know he needs to rest. Upon being set into his crib with his blanket, he clenches is in the right hand gently rubbing his face. The first two fingers of his left hand slip into his mouth. He is asleep in just moments.
I have never had a finger sucker before. Manasseh was always bad at soothing himself. Cassius loved to be swaddled until he was 10 months old, and a pacifier helped to soothe him to sleep more quickly. It was easy to break him of the pacifier. I simply took it away. I stopped giving it to him. He learned to go to sleep without it.
The problem? I can not take the fingers away. I've heard that protective services frown on that anyhow. I know that they used to make yucky tasting nail paints that people used to help with finger sucking. I'm not sure it is my favorite idea. I do not want to just make him stop. I want to help him find a better way to soothe himself when he is tired. I have no idea what to do.
Please, share advice in the comment box below! Tell me a story about helping your young one stop finger sucking. Who was it hardest for, you or your child? What crazy things did other people tell you? What actually worked. What soothing techniques do you use with your toddler at bed time that help eliminate the fingers?
Emily loves her pacifier. She's nearing a year old and still uses it to go to sleep. I try to avoid giving it to her during the day so that she only gets it at nap and bedtime. I'm not looking forward to weaning her off of it.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I was a thumb sucker. Regularly up through kindergarten. Although the last time I remember waking up and finding it in my mouth, I was nine. I suspect I actually gave up on it around pre-school, but we moved half-way through kindergarten, and I think that made me pick it back up again. I do vividly remember my parents putting stuff on my thumb to get me to quit. I would just deal with the awful flavor for a few minutes until I sucked it all off. Then my thumb was fine. Eventually I grew out of it on my own. Didn't hurt me any.
I kinda wish that Em did suck her thumb or finger. I get so tired of always having to track down a binky when it's time to nap.