Seems a pretty innocuous habit to have, all things considered. Why do we make our kids stop doing it?
Apparently it aggravates an overbite. I have a good six grand in dental work that my orthodontist attributed to my long and persitent thumb-sucking habit.
It’s also unsanitary, and whan it progresses beyond a certain age it becomes a point of contention for peers.
extreme cases can result in chronic skin changes in the thumb, and even infections around the nail and in other soft tissue. The human mouth is very dirty, bacteria-wise, and one can get very tough to treat infections. Besides, the kids get whaled on in the 2nd and 3rd grade if they’re caught doing it (by the other kids at least).
According to http://www.ebody.com/orthodontics/thumb_sucking.html,
[quote]
Thumb sucking can cause:[ul][li]Narrowing of the upper jaw[]Crowding of the lower teeth[]Flared upper front teeth[]Prevention of the nose from growing down (and so it is tipped up)[]Crossbite[]Open bite[]Altered facial growthSpeech problems[/ul][/li][/quote]
Suck at your own risk.
Of course, that’s just the opinion of an MD…I, on the other hand, saw a guy on the Jerry Springer show who had been sucking his thumbs for 27 years, and he had huge, nasty-looking calluses on his thumbs.
Also, my sister’s dentist told her that she would probably have to have oral surgery of some kind if she didn’t stop sucking her thumb. Worked like a charm; she hasn’t done it since.
Isn’t it nice to get the same answer from multiple sources?
I like this question.
Humans get a lot of comfort from sucking, at least as infants. I knew a massage therapist who believed we’d have world peace if everyone could still have pacifiers through adulthood.
That said, I think others have answered the health reasons why we discourage thumb-sucking after a certain age. Thumb-sucking is actually a pretty good self-coping mechanism in babies. It helps them learn how to chill out, fall asleep, cope with stress, etc. We just hope they lose the habit before they get too old.
Societally, after one year of age (and on up!) we tend to discourage any behavior that seems “babyish.” I think this is partly tied to the American goal of “independence” in children. Kids will jump all over other kids who seem babyish, and I assume it’s because they get those messages from their parents and the media. Blankies bad. Not being potty trained by a certain age bad. Fear of the dark bad. Being too attached to mommy bad. I’m not real keen on this trend, yet I hear myself praising my son for “being a big boy” all the time. Sigh.
I don’t know about you, but it just creeps me out when some stranger on the bus starts sucking on my thumb. Ick! Who knows where that mouth has been? Why wouldn’t you discourage thumb sucking?
Wait, is that not what you meant? Never mind.
Why would anyone encourage a kid to suck his/her thumb? And yes, fear of the dark is bad and being too attached to Mommy can be bad. Sure, let them keep messing in their diapers at the age of three when it could have stopped shortly after they were one. Just let the kids do what they want to because you are afraid they won’t grow up and love you. There is a new public message on TV that uses teens to say that parents are the ones responsible and in the end the kids will appreciate parents that don’t give in and take the easy way out.
What I’d like to suck is Sandra Bullock’s thumb and other various parts. Is that normal or should I see a doctor?
I always thought society discouraged thumb-sucking for the same reasons they discourage 2 year olds from running around naked squealing with glee - it annoys the adults, who are jealous. And we want the kid to get a head start on forming neuroses.
Which isn’t to say sucking thumbs to excess is a good thing… many results have already been listed. But a little bit of it in a young child is normal, and most stop on their own.
kniz, kniz, kniz. I don’t entirely disagree with you–yes, I’d like my kid to be pottytrained by a normal age.
All I’m saying is, a lot of the ideas we have about what is appropriate for babyhood and toddlerhood and childhood and adulthood tend to be cultural concepts, not milestones based on human development or medical fact. I wouldn’t argue with many of them. Some of them, however, I believe are arbitrary. And I think for thoughtful parenting, one should consider the difference between culture and universal laws and be clear on where one’s ideas are coming from.
That, or I’m just scared widdle Cwanky Junior will gwow up and not wuv his mommie anymore.
Bill sez: to encourage cork-sucking.
I thought that’s why cigarettes were invented … .
I was a thumbsucker as a child and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it…
There was hardly a moment when it wasn’t in my mouth, day or night.
I was told if I didn’t stop I would have buckteeth etc. Well…
My teeth are very straight, and I never needed any ortho work.
The only thing to come of it was…
The sucked thumb is just a hair slightly smaller than the unsucked thumb. Guess I should have sucked the other one but it just didnt feel right…lol
blush I have to admit, when I get tired, I can still occasionally suck my thumb. I always have done. I am 23
The effects…you can sort of see it on my thumb…slightly wrinklier I’d say.
I’d say it is a lot less damaging than, for instance, smoking.
As for attractiveness. Well, some guys may not find it very charming. But then, in the company of gents I do not feel the need (censored, make it up) , so I do not let them find out.