My daughter actually did start sucking her thumb for a bit after the binky fairy, which I was kinda worried about. She never really got into biting blankets or anything, but the thumb thing lasted a few months. Her dentist said her bite looked fine, but I still wonder if it set her back at all. Did your blanket biting actually mess up your teeth? I’ve always thought thumb or blanket habits were just as tricky as pacifiers, honestly.
I sucked my thumb for years after giving up the pacifier, and honestly, it did end up shifting my front teeth a bit. My dentist said it wasn’t terrible, but I needed braces later on and I always wondered if the thumb habit was part of that. My younger kid started chewing on his blanket edge when we took away his binky, but he dropped that after a few months. I agree—those habits can be just as tough to break as pacifiers and probably have similar risks for teeth. At least with a binky you can take it away, but thumbs and blankets are always right there. I wouldn’t stress too much if your dentist says her bite is fine now, but I get the worry. Dental bills aren’t cheap...
- Totally get the dental bill anxiety. Been there, paid that.
- My kid swapped the pacifier for chewing on random stuff too—TV remotes, his own sleeve, you name it. I think he just needed something to fiddle with.
- You’re right, thumbs and blankets are next-level hard to “lose.” At least a binky can mysteriously vanish (and yes, I did the “Binky Fairy” trick).
- Dentist said his bite was fine, but I still side-eye any new chewing habit. Feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, honestly.
- If only there was an app for this…
Feels like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, honestly.
That’s the most accurate description I’ve heard yet. I’ve had parents swear by the Binky Fairy, but then their kid just started gnawing on their shoelaces instead. It’s like, you solve one thing and something weirder pops up. I always wonder—are they actually soothing themselves, or just keeping us on our toes?
Totally relate to the whack-a-mole feeling. We tried the “cold turkey” method with our kid, but then he started chewing on the TV remote (which, honestly, is way pricier to replace than a binky). Sometimes I think they just find new ways to keep us guessing...
