Meet Buddy. Not the child, the stuffed doggie. This is my Sophie’s all-time favorite thing/person/friend/comforter in her entire little world. When she is hurt she needs Buddy. When she is tired she needs buddy. When she is bored, lonely, excited, mad…..you get the idea……she needs Buddy. (Oh and don’t mind the mullet Sophie is sporting…….I just can’t cut it because it is just long enough for piggies – and it looks so cute when it is up)
She only sucks her thumb when she is holding Buddy. I’m not really worried about the thumb-sucking because her dentist said it really isn’t a big deal unless she still sucks her thumb when she is 5ish. Do any of you have thumb-suckers? What are your opinions on the matter? I am curious to know how other parents feel about it.
Anyway…….let’s just say Buddy gets a lot of love. Buddy goes everywhere and so Buddy also gets a lot of disgusting germs, foreign substances, and food stuck to him. I have to wash Buddy often. Can you see his tail in this picture? It used to be curly and tight. Because my washer has not been kind to Buddy – it is now long, stretched out and doesn’t pull to play music anymore.
All of this trauma to Buddy could have been avoided if I had only known about the Teddy Needs a Bath!
Here are some interesting facts about washing your children’s stuff animals: (see here for more info)
- The National Allergy Association recommends washing your child’s/pet’s stuffed toys once a month to prevent the spread of germs and dust mites.
- Studies have been done to show that washing a stuffed toy in hot water and then drying it in hot air effectively kills harmful bacteria and dust mites.
- Studies have also shown that exposing your children to dust mites at an early age may contribute to the onset of Asthma.
I used the large washer/dryer bag, and Buddy came out clean and fluffy! If you have stuffed animals in need of a good bath, definitely check out Teddy Needs a Bath!
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Hi! My oldest had the same thing. only sucked her thumb when she had her kitty. when she was 3? or 4. Her kitty sent her a letter saying she was getting tired and needed a break. I was crying when I read the letter to her. She actually decided to stop! cold turkey. But then she is odd like that! Kid number 2 stopped sucking her thumb around 4. kid number 3 stopped around 2, he was more of a head banger. kid number 4 who is 3 years, will probably stop sucking her fingers when she is 30. If she is sleeping and you try and pull them out, you cannot!!!! You will just end up pulling her! I have no idea what to do! Our dentist is saying she must stop, but how?
Thumbsucking! Oh how I loathe thee! My oldest (6) sucks her thumb and I am now out of ideas. It is not associated with a blanket or stuffed animal or anything, and bless her heart, she tries to stop. I was assured by the dentist and pediatrician that the social pressure of school would stop it. Wrong. We have tried a thumb guard ($75), dental appliance ($280), and everything else you can think of and we are still in the same place. I think I’m so fired up about this today because I just got off the phone with the dentist who says we now have to pull teeth because her permanent are breaking through in the wrong places due to the thumb sucking. GAAHHH!
(Step back…deep breath…)
….I mean….I too have a thumb-sucker and would be interested to hear any advice that others have to help my daughter stop.