Thumbusters Stop Thumb Sucking

I'm giving this 5 starts because it worked with my three year old who will be 4 in 2 1/2 months. She stopped as soon she put them on. After a week and a half I thought I was going to I trouble getting her to stop wearing the Thumbusters. I took them off to wash and sent her to daycare without them for the first time in two weeks. When she came home, she said, she did not suck her thumb all day and did not what to wear the "Thumb things" anymore.For the same results make sure your child wants to stop. These are expensive and not very durable as some other post have stated. After two weeks they were very worn out. I talked with my daughter about stopping because of what her dentist was saying could happen to her teeth and I showed her the plastic version of an anti-thumb-sucking device which she immediately said no to. Then I showed her the Thumbuster and she said, "I want the pink ones." I didn't get them right away and she started asking me when I was going to get them so I knew she was ready to stop. We also said a prayer at night as another post suggested. Since its a comfort thing. We prayed "Jesus give her the strength to quit and be her comfort."During the process my daughter wanted to know if I loved her less because she sucked her thumb. I had to reassure her that my only concern was for the health of her teeth. So if it worked or not I was still going to love her.BLUF: They work if the child is ready, they are expensive, should come in a set of two for the price, and they get worn out quickly.

Did not fit comfortably on 6 year-old daughter, and all she did was suck on the material for the short time she had it on. Since the velcro barely secured, the rough part of the velcro was exposed. It was very tight on her hand. the material is not stretchable on the edges of the material. Used for less than an hour. There is nothing about the material that deters kids from sucking on it. My daughter took it off so she may have had it on for a shorter time period than I thought. Might work for very young toddlers. Waste of my money. Would have sent back if my daughter had not sucked on it. Do not buy! I should have listened to some of the negative reviews.

Our daughter (25 months) loves her thumb cover. It's a good thing I bought multiples, because she wanted one on the other hand as a fashion accessory. It does its job as a reminder not to suck, but I am not particularly impressed with it. Having said that, I'd buy it again, because there isn't much else out there to compare it to. (I did buy the Dr. Thumb guard, too, but it takes so long to show up that she has stopped sucking her thumb and the freakin' thing still isn't here - $30 down the drain.)Pros:- Will fit a real range of kids because it's so stretchy - it says it's for 5-12 year olds, but it doesn't fall off our 2 year old's hand, although it is loose- It's comfortable - doesn't restrict movement or play at all (she clearly forgets it's there)- It's breathable - we were using Band-aids, but they were starting to damage her skin, because they restrict airflow and make her thumb sweaty- Kids like them and are therefore willing to wear them without a fight- Comes with a sticker chart (you supply the stickers) - my daughter is so proud of herself when she puts on a sticker every morningCons:- Lycra material looks ratty and worn very quickly, especially where the Velcro catches on it- Velcro closure snags sleeves- Expensive - for what it is, these are ridiculously priced, because you need multiples for washing and inevitable misplacement (we have 3)- The child has to be mentally prepared to stop - it's easily removed or they can just suck over it

Our 4 yr old daughter has sucked her thumbs (switching back and forth between L and R every few minutes) since she was a tiny baby. We have been encouraging her to quit for over a year, but with no luck. She didn't seem to be defying us (usually), but the soothing habit was just so strong, a thumb would always work its way back into her mouth -- especially when tired, sick or unhappy. We tried various reward systems, but with little effect. She was working with a bedwetting alarm because she was very motivated to stay dry at night. After some quick success with that, she decided she was ready to tackle the thumb sucking.I did some research and settled on the Thumbusters. She loved the color and agreed that she would wear them. The first couple of nights/naps she really wanted to take them off, but I stayed with her and reminded her of why she wanted to quit (teeth, sore thumbs. and the promise of a new toy!). Once she got thru the initial urge, she did fine all nap or night. I really thought she would get up wtih soaking wet Thumbusters but she didn't. I witnessed them in action several times -- an autopilot thumb would head toward her mouth and the odd sensation of fabric on her lip would jar her into resisting - even when asleep. She loved wearing them to preschool and the other kids thought they were cool. No one (adults included) could figure out what they were --- people just thought it was some odd new fashion accessory :-).The child has to be motivated for these to work. Yes, the child can EASILY remove them or could just suck thumbs with them in place. These just provide a reminder cue -- they don't stop the child from sucking. I can't imagine using these with a child who isn't agreeing to give up the habit. I really didn't have a lot of confidence when I ordered these, knowing what a strong habit it's been for her. But, last night (less than 2 weeks after starting), she went to bed without them and was not sucking her thumb when I checked on her while she was falling asleep, like usual. She went to preschool all day without them today. When her teacher asked if she needed to put them on for nap, my daughter announced that she didn't need them anymore because she no longer sucks her thumb...except perhaps she might need the busters on Sundays...I'm not sure why she has that caveat! She has had a couple of typical toddler meltdowns in the car this week, but still not sucked her thumb.We do a sticker chart twice a day -- one for no daytime sucking and one for nighttime. We also make a big fuss over her and frequently get her talking about all the reasons that she wants to quit. Promising her a Mickey Mouse doll after a week of no thumbs also didn't hurt :-) And, she's had the doll for 4 days now, and is still maintaining her new no-thumbs lifestyle!I agree with some other reviewers that the fabric seems pretty cheap, given the expense. Yes, they're much cheaper than some other products out there, and a worthy investment if you get results like we have so far, but it still seems over-priced for the tiny bit of material it takes. The velcro snags the fabric immediately, but ours are still intact and fully functional. I don't know how well they'd hold up if the child needed a longer trial. The thin material likely keeps the things light and comfortable, so the flimsy feel may be a necessary evil. When people asked the price, they thought it was reasonable until I told them that was the price per each --the list price makes since for a pair, but it's a bit much for a single one.Bottom line: If your kid is wanting to stop, give these a try! + plus lots of encouragement and positive reinforcement. I should add that it's important to keep in mind that the child needs some additional patience and perhaps some coaching in dealing with emotions. When you take away the typical form of self-soothing (aka, the thumb), the child needs to learn new forms of making him or herself feel better. So, we are trying to be extra patient and talking her through figuring out how to feel better without thumbsucking.