Thumb Sucking Battle: Tried the Bitter Nail Polish Trick, Mixed Feelings

We had a similar experience with our daughter - she made faces at first but then just powered through the bitter taste. Honestly, I think some kids are just determined enough to ignore it eventually. One thing that worked better for us was redirecting her attention whenever we noticed her thumb heading toward her mouth. Like gently suggesting she hold onto a favorite toy or stuffed animal instead. Took patience (lots of it...), but gradually she started reaching less for her thumb and more for something else comforting. Might be worth trying if the polish isn't cutting it?

We tried the polish too, but honestly it made me nervous about her accidentally rubbing it into her eyes or something...probably just me being paranoid though. Redirecting attention worked better for us too - especially at bedtime. We gave our son a special blanket to hold onto instead, and after a while he seemed to prefer that comfort over his thumb. Took forever, but eventually it stuck. Might be worth a shot if you're feeling unsure about the polish route.

"Redirecting attention worked better for us too - especially at bedtime."

Yeah, distraction seems to help a lot more than the polish did for us too. We tried giving our daughter a stuffed animal she picked out herself, hoping she'd get attached to it instead of her thumb. Worked okay-ish, but not fully there yet. Curious, did your son pick out his blanket himself, or did you just introduce it randomly? Wondering if letting her choose might make a difference...

We tried something similar with my grandson, though it wasn't polish but some bitter spray stuff. Honestly, he just powered through after a couple days too. Eventually, we found reading him stories at bedtime helped distract him enough that he gradually forgot about his thumb...mostly.

Did you notice if certain stories worked better than others? We've been trying the bitter polish too, but my daughter seems determined to ignore it after a few days. Maybe distraction really is key here... Did bedtime stories help immediately, or was it more of a gradual thing? It's reassuring to hear your grandson mostly moved past it eventually - gives me hope we'll get there too.

We tried bedtime stories too, but honestly, it wasn't an instant fix for us either. My son would listen intently, thumb firmly planted in mouth the whole time. Eventually, we found that keeping his hands busy - like holding a favorite toy or blanket - worked better than bitter polish or stories alone. Maybe it's about finding the right combo of distraction and comfort? Still figuring it out myself...

At four, thumb-sucking by itself usually isn’t a reason to panic or label her stubborn. It’s worth asking a pediatric dentist for guidance if it continues as permanent teeth start coming in, seems to affect her bite, or irritates the skin on her thumb. They can help judge whether it needs attention and suggest an age-appropriate approach.