Is Thumb Sucking Really Such A Big Deal?

The other day I was browsing an app on my iPad called Zite. It's my online magazine with only the stuff I'm interested in. You choose which categories you want to read about and this amazing app pulls all the recent articles and blog posts about your desired topics from the internet into one convenient location for you to read. I love it.

Anyhow, I came across a blog post about thumb sucking and whether or not you should allow your child to do it. The blogger herself said she wasn't worried about it and when her 6 year old was ready to kick the habit, he/she (can't remember which) would.

Then I read the comments. Wow.

For the most part people were pretty laissez-faire about the whole thing. Some were quite concerned with their kids' teeth and needing braces and whatnot. And some were downright nasty. They said it was disgusting and ridiculous for anyone over the age 2 to do it and they would nip it in the bud as soon as possible.

I did a little online research to see what the medical professionals had to say. Up until around 5 years old, it's perfectly normal and fine for your kid to suck their thumb. After that it may be a problem because thumb-sucking after age 5 is in response to an emotional problem or other disorder, such as anxiety.

As someone who sucked their thumb for a long time -- and I mean a LONG time -- I think I am fairly qualified to give an opinion on the matter.

I sucked my thumb and had a pillow. They were a HUGE comfort to me. When I was sad, mad, glad, hungry or bored, my thumb and my pillow could soothe me right away. I didn't do it at school but I would while watching TV and of course, to get to sleep. I did it despite the fact that one of my friends in grade 1 said "only babies suck their thumbs" and despite the fact that one of my friends in grade 2 told me to stop sucking my thumb when she was over for a slumber party. I did it despite the fact that my parents tried to get me to stop. I remember them trying to get me to realize how childish and silly it was by buying me a pacifier. I did feel pretty stupid sucking on a suess in grade school but I was so determined to keep sucking my thumb that I did it. 

At one point I wasn't allowed to take my pillow from my room and since a thumb without a pillow is nothing at all, I ended up doing it mostly at night or when I went to my room to read (nothing like reading a good book while sucking your thumb!). 

As for my teeth: no problems, no braces. My mom always said that teeth are really a luck of the draw. Some people have good teeth and some people have teeth that are just prone to problems. I sucked my thumb for ages and didn't need braces while my sister kicked the habit way before I did and needed braces. I was warned of teeth issues when I gave Jr the suess but I stick to what my mom said: if Jr is going to need braces it won't be because of a suess. It's just her genes and the teeth God gave her.

My doctor told me I had an oral fixation.  According to Freud, an adult who is orally fixated will engage in abundance of oral activities such as eating, drinking, or smoking. Thankfully eating is my only vice but sometimes I wonder if sucking my thumb again would curb my desire to eat thereby helping me lose weight!

And if Jr decided to suck her thumb? Well, I would explain to her the repercussions and I would try to limit her to the house. Otherwise, I think it's fairly harmless. I turned out all right... didn't I?