Helping the Thumb-Sucking Child: A Practical Guide for Parents

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Self-Help Guide
Review: I have been searching for so long for a book on this topic...one that not only outlines the problems of thumb and finger sucking, and the damage it can cause, but also a book that tells you what can be done about it.

This book gives comprehensive information to both parents and professionals alike on the causes, results and prevention of the digit sucking habit. The research done by the author attests to the success of the cited program.

I am convinced that this book will be of great value to parents (grandparents, too) and professionals who are dedicated to eliminating the thumb-sucking habit of children.

Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent common sense self help book for parents
Review: I received this book as a gift and have very impressed with Ms. VanNorman's advise on digit sucking is right on. What is often thought of as harmless can cause a great deal of dental and mouth problems that can be avoided. Expensive orthodontia is one consequence of prolonged thumb-sucking. I urge anyone interested in correcting the problem to read Rosemarie's book

Rating:
Summary: This Book is Much More Than Reminders, Charts & Rewards
Review: Many years ago when I began working with children with sucking habits, I experienced reasonable success but it didn't take long before I was perplexed! Why was this behavior so persistent in some children and not in others? I had searched the available resources on the subject and was already doing much of what was recommended-for example, using reminders, charts and prizes. After years of observation, through trial and error, patterns began to emerge. As I began to understand and address every aspect of the behavior, my program evolved and I began to experience consistent success.

One of the most important lessons I learned was that parents were having difficulty coping with the behavior because the information available to them was inadequate and confusing. Consequently, many parents unwittingly-entrench-their children's thumb- and finger-sucking habits. They frequently begin working on the habit at the "wrong" time before the child is-developmentally capable-of succeeding with the task or when stressful, environmental circumstances prevent its elimination. And parents often employ methods to terminate the activity that are not effective because they do not address the-whole-behavior. Although their intentions are good, their efforts often provide the very cues that-cause-children to indulge in thumb-sucking. Unfortunately, each time a child tries to stop the sucking activity and fails-he/she loses self-confidence. Soon these children come to BELIEVE they cannot discontinue the habit and resist-any-further attempts to eliminate it. This results in the development of many preventable dental, speech and emotional problems costing billions in corrective therapies.

Helping the Thumb-Sucking Child is the first and only book that is based on 26 years of-actual clinical experience-successfully helping thousands of youngsters overcome their sucking habits. There is nothing like it in professional or popular literature and it includes "everything" that should be said about thumb- and finger-sucking habits. The book outlines how the behavior begins, why it continues and what you can do to prevent compulsive dependence on the sucking activity. You will learn about the role of the body's chemistry, as well as that of your child's intellectual and emotional development, and how they are related to sucking behavior. Many parents are not aware of the problems in the areas of dental health; speech, general health; social interaction and emotional development that are directly related to prolonged thumb-sucking. Detailed descriptions of these problems are included to help parents recognize and understand that relationship.

Because timing is crucial to success, guidance is given that will help parents determine-when-to intervene based on their individual child's emotional and intellectual development and-family circumstances. To eliminate the power-struggle between parent and child and because the habit belongs to the child, the book includes precise instruction on how to "motivate" the child to--accept responsibility-for for discontinuing it. Finally you will be given logical, FUN, step-by-step instructions to quickly maximize success while eliminating both daytime and nighttime sucking. Tips are included for preventing frustration, maintaining determination and handling lapses while allowing the child to "save face." In addition, the book includes a list of suggested readings that offer help to solve some of the problems associated with prolonged thumb-sucking. The research and bibliography is the most up-to-date and comprehensive that is available on the subject.

Helping the Thumb-Sucking Child will provide you with-all-the tools you need to help your child overcome the sucking habit in a confident, sensible, compassionate and POSITIVE way. The result will be the potential to-prevent-many problems associated with the behavior. It will enrich your relationship with your child because you have worked-together-to achieve a common goal. You will revel in the joy of watching your youngster go forward unencumbered, free to explore the world with an enhanced self-image.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book on this Subject
Review: This is the best book I have ever been able to find on this subject. What makes it unique is that the techniques described are based on MOTIVATION, not external appliances or yucky tasting applicants to the thumb or fingers. The author stresses how the child is made to feel a part of the process, and thereby gets a sense of self-accomplishment when the habit has been eliminated. This raises the child's self-esteem, which spills over into all aspect of the child's experiences.

I recommend this book for parents and professionals who are working with children who are attempting to kick the thumb-sucking habit. It works!