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Path: utzoo!linus!faron!sidney
From: sidney@faron.UUCP (Sidney Markowitz)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Thumb-sucking ....
Message-ID: <286@faron.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Apr-85 10:07:46 EST
Article-I.D.: faron.286
Posted: Sun Apr 14 10:07:46 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Apr-85 04:39:05 EST
References: <1524@decwrl.UUCP> <273@faron.UUCP> <1327@shark.UUCP>
Reply-To: sidney@faron.UUCP (Sidney Markowitz)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Lines: 41

In article <1327@shark.UUCP> charliem@shark.UUCP (Charlie Mills) writes:
>In article <273@faron.UUCP> sidney@faron.UUCP (Sidney Markowitz) writes:
>>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 ???  
>>
>>... 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...
>
>How can anyone think thumb-sucking is rebellious behaviour?  Clearly it
>stems from a need to suck or a need for the security associated with sucking.
>How can a need for security be construed as rebellious?
>
Thumb sucking in itself is not rebellious behavior. Thumb sucking when the
parent is trying to get the child to stop may be rebellious behavior. I
should point out that I replied to the theoretical question of influencing a
child to modify habits, and didn't notice the age of the child in question.
The other answers of the form "don't worry about it, the child will probably
stop when he goes to school, if not before" are probably more accurate.

Another aspect of the therapeutic double bind is that it tends to put
behavior that was considered rebellious in a more positive frame. When what
is going on is a contest of power between parent and child, then innocent
thumb-sucking may be perceived by one or both as "rebellious". When the
parent is advised to actively encourage thumb-sucking, then 1) it can no
longer be perceived that way ; and 2) if the child does assert his
independence by not sucking his thumb, then that is not perceived as
"rebellious" either. So I am agreeing with you completely.






-- 
					Sidney Markowitz

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