Milford chronicle., 1937-08-27
BREAKING A DANGEROUS HABIT
BY Mrs. L. E. Smith

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a doctor who says, Let the child
suck his thumb. He'll stop it when
he grows older" But will he?
That question was answered by an
unpleasant experience in my own
home, and II any one-doctor or lay
man-thinks thumb-sucking does no
harm, he should not say so, for such
statement is very dangerous.
Thumb-sucking does harm and a lot
of IL.
Before my twin boys were born, I
had seen enough to be convinced
that the thumb-sucking habit should
be stopped early in babyhood. But
because the boys suffered as they did
while cutting teeth, they began the
habit of chewing their fingers and
rubbing their gums, and finally
thumb-sucking resulted. hurried to
my doctor to ask his advice.
"Pay no attention to it," he said.
They'll not do it long, and anyway
Ii does no harm"
He was one of the most noted doc
tors and surgeons in our part of the
state, so. much to the displeasure of
my husband, allowed the twins to
keep on thumb-sucking. When they
were two years old, they were grow
ing steadily worse; at three, they
began to be annoyed when we child
ed them. They would hide away
when hungry or sleepy to enjoy their
thumbs, undisturbed. They were pre-
mature babies and rather delicate,
with very sensitive natures, and /
feared to force them to break the
habit.
An aunt came to visit us. She was
indignant at my inaction and on her
next visit she brought a small bottle
of what she said would stop the bab-
it at once. II was weak tea made
of quassa bark. She advised me to
put little on the fingers they used.
when putting the twins to bed, and |
said it would not effect their health |
as the quassa bark was perfectly |
harmless. But / didn't try it. sear-
ed they might get nervous and lcse |
some sleep.
Time went on, and the twins start |
ed to kindergarten. I thought this
would stop the habit, but they were
enough not to practice il in
school, as they were quite sensitive
about anyone knowing they did II.
When they were eight years old, they
we're still thumb-suckers. One used
MS thumb, hanging his hand down
1ver his chin, and his lower lip be-
gan to enlarge and protrude. The
,ther gave a peculiar twist to the
wrist and used the two first fingers
If his left hand, turning them so that
hey pressed the upper front jaw
outward. One day our dentist began
o reproach me for permitting such
|. habit to linger. He told me to get
ust what the old aunt had provided
md had not used.
I took the twins into my conf
Ience, and we played game. We
we're going to try the bitter water
nd surprise Daddy who all along
lad been distressed that I permitted
he habit. For two evenings the bit
er tea was placed on the offending
myers. .....,.
Then they said, Mother, pour the
ca into the drain. We won't put our
ngers in our mouths any more.
And they didn't. But those poor
title mouthsl They will be life
,ng regret. ever reminding me of
~ weakness and the Indifference of Z
~ doctor. Had I insisted on the ]
abit's being broken early, all their !
addy's worry and the nervousness 4
aused by years of correcting the
wins would have been avoided. They
ow began TO grow faster, for they
te better, and today they are big,
,bust boys, eleven years of age.
I have learned since that there are C
any different remedies for this un- \
,rtunate habit. l also know that the a
dissatisfaction and a
orry. which failure to break the J
sbit introduces into the family life, d
e likely to have more serious eff
ct ON the child than even the habit N
self. These conditions should not c
tolerated. AS soon as the habit H
gins to form, steps should be TAX Al
to break IT. The child's coopera- H
IN may be secured. but he should
yer know the seriousness OF the CT
ult. and the fault should never last h
NO enough to worry the parents. c;