Friday, October 21, 2011

Thumbs down


I can remember the day at 5 months old - look, how cute - she found her thumb! I even have a picture...

I will tell you now, if you can do it - STOP the thumb sucking! I used to think that the grandmotherly types who would comment, and sometimes actually try to pull my child's thumb out of her mouth, were pushy (well, actually, that is pretty damn pushy). Now I realize they were not so subtly trying to say STOP the thumb sucking, before it is too late!

Fast forward 6 years and we are talking almost $4,000 in braces. Apparently, LittleBug has managed to pull her top jaw forward, make room for 8 teeth in front, where there should be 4, and push all her bottom teeth back. She can suck her thumb without even opening her teeth.

How did we let it get this bad? It is totally embarrassing. We are good parents - limit t.v., lots of books, art, fun activities. How could we let our daughter destroy her mouth? Her twin had a pacifier. At age 2 1/2 we "gave" all her binkies to her dentist's new baby son. It was a hard couple of weeks, but we did it. But what about the thumb? How do you take that away?

A few months ago, the dentist's promise of a new Barbie helped her stop during the day. But then she started to get so stressed about how to stop at night that she started sucking in during the day again. We've put bandaids on her thumb, she pulled or sucked them off. We tried putting a long sock on her arm at night - after 2 hours of crying, she asked, "Mommy, can I not do this tonight?" What am I to say? I feel her stress and know it is so hard for her.

So now, here we are. When desperate - go back in time: medieval torture devices. With her braces, the orthodontist will install a plate in the top of her mouth. She will have 3 weeks...if that doesn't stop her, then he will install prongs on the plate. Prongs - spikes - in my daughter's mouth. You have got to be kidding me.

So now, I am telling everyone I can: STOP the thumb sucking. It is not cute. It will torture you and your child later and cost you lots and lots of money (the orthodontist recommended that we switch insurance before she needs braces again at age 13 - seriously).

I may start pulling babies' thumbs out of their mouths.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so sad about this! But I know she's going to be okay.:(

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