Thumb sucking is truly an addiction! We have tried everything just short of cutting off Cooper's thumb. Many of you know Bobby. He was a member of our family for quite awhile. Cooper did not leave the house without Bobby. I'll never forget my mother rummaging through a garbage can at the mall in search of Bobby because half way home we figured out he left Bobby somewhere at the mall and we had to go back and get him. I also remember our neighbors in MN searching for Bobby at their house for an entire evening until we found it. Bobby and his thumb went hand in hand. If Cooper had Bobby he surely had his thumb in his mouth. At 4,we decided that it was time for Bobby and Cooper to part ways because Bobby was starting to lose his insides. I did a few minor operations with some quick sutures but he was no longer able to be fixed. It was time for him to be put away in the keepsake box. We were also advised by our dentist that he needed to stop sucking his thumb so we thought without Bobby that would be accomplished. It took awhile and also a trip to the dentist and he finally quit. The dentist told him he needed to quit and at that same visit he saw what Braedyn had to have put in his mouth (an expander because of a cross bite) and he did NOT want that thing in his mouth. Our success continued thru the summer until it was time to start kindergarten.
He started sucking his thumb again when school started and I just figured it was because of the change and anxiety of going to school. Well it continued and actually got worse. I don't even think he was aware of it when he was doing it. He would come home from school and it was like he had to have his fix. He would run into the house, grab his pillow pet, and sit on the couch sucking his thumb. He transferred the affection from Bobby to his pillow pet. We tried bribes, threats, telling stories, talking about it, and also spraying stuff on his fingers you would use for your dogs so they wouldn't bite your furniture (it was safe for humans). Nothing was working and his teeth were getting messed up but at least he hadn't lost his baby teeth yet.
I called the dentist and they recommended I order this stuff called Malvala off of Amazon.com. I did. He got home from school yesterday and I asked him if I could paint his fingernails. Of course he said yes because he is usually the one asking me if he can have his fingernails painted. So I was careful not to get it on my fingers but not as careful as I thought! It's NASTY! I said nothing about it and he went on to play. At dinnertime they watch some cartoons while I get it ready. All of a sudden I heard "Oh man -yuck I need a drink". He kept making spitting noises. Braedyn was laughing (he knew what I did). He also wasn't supposed to say anything and of course he spilled the beans and said it wasn't nail polish its stuff to make you stop sucking your thumb. So I was surprised at Cooper's reaction. He didn't have a fit. He just went to the bathroom and got a drink. I told him he couldn't wash it off and he seemed okay with it. I think he wanted to stop but he just couldn't. Last night he was up about 4 times. I only heard him get up once. Daddy took over. He didn't want to suck his thumb because he tried once and couldn't get the taste out of his mouth so when he kept getting up he couldn't get back to sleep. Charlie took him upstairs and he threw his pillow pet across the room and was getting so frustrated but finally fell back asleep. So we are on day 2 with no thumb sucking! He is so proud and has a reward chart for it. He also thinks daddy is going to buy him a dirt bike if he stops. I am not sure if that will happen but he will get rewarded for his accomplishment. So this Malvala stuff really works and I also am hoping that the first shellacking lasts a long time because I don't think he is going to be so quick to paint his nails again.
