Finger sucker

Hi everyone, this is my oldest with “thumb sucking teeth,” who will be 12 this year. She still sucks on her finger; not her thumb. she really only does this when she is sleeping. As she has gotten older sucking her finger has become less and less during the day. When she was little, I worried about it affecting her teeth. Her dentist suggested to implant a bar in the roof of her mouth to prevent her finger sucking. Back then, I didn’t think the implant would be bad for her but, she never got the bar because they had a policy that the child must be able to say that it’s a problem and they need help, and they realized she was too young to fully understand this. I am thankful for this now because for one, it didn’t damage her teeth, and two, I would have taken away her way of soothing herself. I don’t hope she does this once she is a teen or older, but if it’s not causing any problems with her teeth then it doesn’t bother me. people put too much pressure on us moms. we feel like failures if someone points out something wrong with our kids. Let’s support each other as we work through what’s best for our own kids. Hang in there momma’s, our finger sucking 12 yr. old’s will stop when they are ready.