I'm not a huge fan of thumb sucking. Not in myself of course, but in Levi and/or babies in general. Not in a judgemental way, I'm just going to do my best to avoid Levi being a thumb-sucker. My theory is if he's just attatched to a nuk, not his thumb, I can easily take away the nuk. Yes, I know this is delusional thinking, but please, don't spoil my dream.
All this to say, Levi finally found his fists a few weeks back. No big deal, just sucking on his fists. Well this week it's turned to his thumb. His thumb is finally big enough and he's finally skilled enough to suck on it. So this is the daily struggle. When I notice him sucking his thumb I go to pull it out and put the nuk in. As soon as one thumb's out, the other goes in faster than I can plug it up...so here I am restraining both my son's arms to try to put a nuk in his mouth. I think it's a losing battle. And I'm not sure it's worth fighting, but for now, I will fight it! Especially since his thumbs and fingers now are super dry from sucking on them. He went to bed last night with super lotioned hands under mittens. Hopefully it'll help.
I'm not sure why I fight the thumb so badly, maybe because I saw too many kids teased for sucking on their thumbs. And maybe, there are theological concepts as well. I understand as a baby that sucking is a comforting thing, that's why I don't mind the nuk, but as Levi grows (I'm talking years) I want him to find his comfort in Christ, not his thumb. I know he won't understand right away, but when he's upset/distressed/sad, etc. I want him to turn to Christ to comfort him, not his thumb/bear/blanket. I do know there is nothing inherrently wrong with comfort objects, but I do want to teach him from an early age that our only true source of comfort is Christ. Now, I will always hug and hold and comfort Levi, I'm not totally stupid or naive. It's more the principle of the issue.
So I'm not sure how this one will play out, I only know I'm thankful it's teaching me to think about what I turn to for comfort...
Facebook? Food? Friends? Husband? Baby? Prideful thoughts?
When really, I should be turning to my Savior and True Comforter.
1 comment:
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There are many ways to help stop thumb sucking but always remember to do it in a positive way and never shame a child. Thumb sucking can cause the teeth to be pushed forward and the palate of the mouth to raise, therefore changing the structure of the mouth and can even lead to speech problems...and possibly lead to braces. Talk to your dentist on the repercussions of thumb sucking. There are some simple things you can do to break the thumb sucking habit. A natural remedy is to use lemon juice on the thumb, but if your child is smart, they can wash it off. There is a fun product that kids love called "Thumbuddy To Love" that you can google or get on Amazon. Remember to always use praise for the little accomplishments!
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