My kid sucks this thumb....or I should say suckED!

Anyone who has ever met C. from 8 weeks on knows that the boy loves his thumb.

Heck, when he was 8 weeks old (and sleeping through the night), I loved his thumb.

When he woke in the middle of the night and needed a "fix" he just popped the thumb in and went back to sleep. 

A. was much different.  He had a pacifier....the lost that pacifier every night.  So, I'd put 4-5 in there with him, and he'd loose them too.  It was a very sleep deprived first year.

So, we were grateful for C and is ever-loved thumb.

Until he wouldn't give it up.

After 2, we started hounding him about it.  At 3, we were trying gentle coaxing, yelling, discipline, etc.

Nothing was separating that boy's mouth from his thumb.

Everyone said that once he started preschool, the social pressure would cause him to quit on his own.  We waited a whole year....and nope....he was still sucking.

Then he turned 4!

And was still sucking his thumb.

Then we went to his first dentist appointment a month ago.

I knew she was going to say something about his overbite.

I was hoping she would be stern with my boy.

No such luck.  But she did write something on a piece of paper for me to get.

Malava.

That's what she wrote.

So, I looked it up.  It's actually called Malava Stop.

I painted it on C's thumb nails (both for good measure- just in case he's an ambidextrus thumb sucker), and he stopped!  It has a VERY bitter taste in the polish, and really tastes like what I imagine a skunk smell would taste like.  Really, it's awful.

It wore off after 5 days (during the bath).  I just reapplied it again, and off we went.

Now, after 20 days, I believe he's kicked the habit!

I applied it 3 times so far, and hope I'm done with it for good!