When my 10-year-old was told by her orthodontist that she needed to stop sucking her thumb, I truly thought this was asking the impossible. Thanks to Sarah Johnson and her habit elimination program, quitting the habit was far easier than we ever would have imagined!
Before working with Sarah, my daughter had no motivation to stop the thumb sucking. She only sucked her thumb at night when falling asleep or when relaxing in front of a TV show. Because she didn't do it at school or in front of friends, she didn't have that sense of embarrassment that some kids feel that makes them want to stop. On top of that, the habit was a lifelong one. When I was still pregnant, the ultrasound images of her in utero showed her thumbs already up in her mouth. It was such a deeply entrenched habit! When the orthodontist told her the time had come to really stop, she didn't think she'd be able to do it. And we thought that forcing her would cause her to feel anxious, unable to sleep, or really just down on herself.
Then we discovered Sarah. My daughter was 100% on board with the plan, and Sarah totally motivated her to stick with it. She stopped sucking her thumb right away, and after a month we were confident that the habit is gone for good! The process was totally pain free, and my daughter was actually excited to stop. I can't recommend Sarah highly enough!