Hi, I’d like to ask how to stop my 2yo daughter from sucking her fingers. I wouldn’t mind it so much, but she scratches her face while she does it and picks at her face. It breaks my heart to see her hurt herself, just out of habit. I’ve tried mittens, try to distract her with toys and bitter solution on her fingernails, but she powers through it and keeps sucking her fingers! Please help
My mom ran my 2 fingers over with the wagon by accident. (I was dragging them on the wheels) by the time they healed i had been broken of the habit!
My 9 month old does this! 2 specific fingers all the time, they turn raw and get blisters on them She won’t take a paci. Her doc says to just keep Vaseline on them. Idk what else to do
I done this myself right up into my late teens… Like 18 19…I used to scratch and pick my cheek too but as i got older i stopped scratchin and pickin… My mam tried everything to get me to stop but the more she tried the more i powered thru and kept on doin it… I grew out of it eventually but on rare occasions like if im seriously scared or worried ill suck my fingers im 34 now…
I am wondering if it is an anxiety issue, or feeling insecure, 2 is hard they are starting to understand more and not quite a baby needing all of your attention not quite a big kid, only suggestion I have is keep her nails trimmed so she can’t dig into her face, she also might be teething still for the back molars. Might be good to talk to her doctor about it next check up.
This does not stop the problem but give her a thick rubber band ny parents did this for me when i was a kid i still sucked my thumb but i would figgit with the rubber band
My mom used hot sauce on me:sweat_smile:
It never worked but it may with your child
The only thing I can think of is give her a bracelet or stickers. My tot gets fixated on them and it keeps her from doing her other behaviors
Try putting pepper on her fingers while they are wet an the next time she puts them in her mouth she may not like how they taste an not do it again.
My niece sucked her thumb to the point of damging her teeth we tried EVERYTHING the one thing that finally worked was buying “no bite” nail stuff its like a clear too coat type polish but has a god awful pepper/chemical type flavor to make you not want to bite your nails, also helps not want to suck them i guess.
My son used to be a thumb sucker. Unfortunately one day he got a pretty bad cut on the thumb he sucked. So it needed a bandaid and that bandaid is what stopped his thumb sucking. It broke my heart as he slowly stopped trying to suck his thumb I could tell how badly he wanted to. So maybe try bandaids? Ones that have characters on them that she likes?
I had a friend who did hot sauce because nothing worked besides that
They make a nail polish that helps with biting nails. It tastes gross. Helps with finger sucking too!
Rub orange peels on them they’re so bitter. It should deter them
Get her a snuggly. My son was same and he six and still uses them 🤦💜
I chewed my nails as soon as I cut my first tooth, my Mom tried everything to get me to stop, nothing and I mean nothing worked. I stopped on my own when I was about 25 yrs old. It might be a stress or comfort thing. My son sucked his fingers until he was 8. He and his father made a deal as son wanted a dog so bad. Deal was no sucking for a month and he could get a dog. Me thinking he would never do it was stunned a month later when my son got his dog!! And he didnt go back to it, either after he got his dog!!
Dip in vinegar let dry it tastes bad without harming her they make stuff thats even more bitter if this doesn’t work
I was in my 30’s before I stopped on my own . Nothing worked my mom tried everything. It soothes her it isn’t going to kill her.
But the aloe Vera plant leaf. Gut it. Rub on finger. Remove the excess. The bitter taste will help prevent it. I use to suck my thumb and that did the trick. But you must be consistent with it.
My daughter is 10 and still sucks her thumb… it’s her comfort as long as the dr don’t say anything let her be and just make sure her nails are clipped
Have you tried putting hot sauce on her finger
mine does this too she turns 3 in january. maybe just try keeping her nails clipped pretty good, i check my daughters every other day just to make sure they aren’t sharp, it’s a comfort thing for her.
Good luck…I even went a far as having spikes put in his mouth…didnt stop him 13 is when he finally stopped
They grow out of it normally. My sister used to suck on her fingers, and eventually she stopped.
Finger and thumb sucking is a self-comforting activity. Let her be and don’t fuss over it, you’re just adding to her anxiety. Keep her nails short and give her plenty of hugs & positive reinforcement for other things she does well. She’ll outgrow it eventually.
Keep her nails short and leave her be x