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Path: utzoo!linus!faron!sidney
From: sidney@faron.UUCP (Sidney Markowitz)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Thumb-sucking ....
Message-ID: <273@faron.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 8-Apr-85 05:14:21 EST
Article-I.D.: faron.273
Posted: Mon Apr  8 05:14:21 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 9-Apr-85 01:16:24 EST
References: <1524@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: sidney@faron.UUCP (Sidney Markowitz)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Lines: 39

In <1524@decwrl.UUCP> faucher@futbal.DEC (Cathy Faucher 381-2207) writes:
>Any suggestions on how to wean a 3 1/2 from
>sucking his thumb ???  

Here's some ideas that come from some of the behaviorally-oriented
psychotherapies:

First, as you have probably already noticed, the direct approach of "don't
do that" is not going to work.

Second, a confrontive approach, like smearing bad-tasting stuff on the
thumb, mittens, etc., may only lead to a protracted battle that no one will
win.

The key to changing any habitual behavior is for you to utilize and take
control of the behavior itself, leading the child to modify the behavior
until it is no longer objectionable or a habit. In this case, encourage the
child to do a really good job of finger sucking -- Not the half-hearted
right-thumb sucking that she is doing now. Have him start sucking his left
thumb, too. Then her right pinkie. Left pinkie. Make sure all the fingers
get a good suck. Set up some time every morning of enforced, thorough,
finger sucking so that he can be sure to get in all the finger sucking he
wants for the day. Enforce that enough so that the child can have something
to rebel against, and so that your effort is credible, but remember to allow
enough rebellion so she can stop when she wants to. You can set up what is
called a "double bind" in which the child can either do what you say, which
is what the child claims to want, except even more, or else rebel and stop
the originally rebellious behavior. The result tends to be to just drop the
whole thing instead of dealing with the alternatives. Be sure to be sincere
in encouraging the child to suck his fingers, since if you communicate
sarcasm instead, then the child will get to rebel against the real message
of "stop sucking your fingers."


-- 
					Sidney Markowitz

ARPA:	sidney@mitre-bedford
UUCP:	...{allegra,decvax,genrad,ihnp4,philabs,security,utzoo}!linus!sidney