Tips for Use From Parents Like You!

Since the introduction of My Special Shirt™, we have seen a great collaboration between parents and the sharing of ideas. Below is a collection of FAQ's and suggestions from many parents (just like yourself!) who are or have experienced their child’s thumb-sucking challenges. Note: No one knows your child or situation better than you do. This is not intended to replace medical or therapeutic advice - it's simply a sharing of experiences and ideas.

What should I do if my child takes the shirt off at night?

As you know, you should be checking on your child at night (at least initially) to ensure they have the shirt on and have not slipped their hand out. When you go in their room, they will most likely be in a deep sleep, put their hand gently back in their shirt. The next morning, explain that they do not get their reward because they took their hand out of their shirt. You probably do not want to address their lack of reward in the middle of the night and cause a commotion.

If they continue to pull their hand out, they may be doing so in a deep sleep. Stay calm and positive. In a positive manner, get two safety pins and when your child puts their shirt on,explain that you are going to help them and place a safety pin to gently tighten the neck opening (some children slip their hand through the neck of the shirt) and a second safety pin to connect the shirt to their pants so they cannot slip their hand out of the bottom. This should do the trick.

What do I do if my daughter’s brother is teasing her because she is wearing My Special Shirt at night?

Your daughter’s brother is probably jealous of her attention and wants a little attention himself. This is usually a one-time thing. If it continues, talk to your son. You may even consider creating a reward system for him too. He should encourage and support his sister. Again – this creates the positive around the whole experience.

My son LOVED his shirt initially, but now he no longer wants to wear it.

He may just be testing you or having a bad day. Remind him of his reward if he wears it. If he still refuses, consider upping and/or the ante…we moved from stickers on his chart to a bowl of his favorite cereal in the morning.

We have gone through your whole program – thank you! Now we’re at day 28 and our daughter doesn’t want to take the shirt off. She said she wants to continue wearing it. What should I do?

a) Let her wear it – what’s the big deal? It won’t last a lifetime.

b) Explain to her that you are SO PROUD of her and that she would get a reward if she takes it off and tries to sleep. If she tries and ends up sucking her thumb, stay positive and let her keep the shirt on….again, your daughter did an amazing thing following the program – many parents would love this challenge!

c) Let your daughter decide when she feels she is ready…don’t push her.

My 3-year old daughter wears your shirt at night and loves it. Occasionally, when she falls to sleep without the shirt, sucks her thumb. Should we just continue to let her wear it?

Realize that the goal of My Special Shirt™ is two-fold 1) to stop the habit altogether and 2) to minimize and avoid any harmful damage thumb-sucking can do to your child's mouth, teeth and speech. Your daughter is still young. The good thing is that by wearing the shirt while she sleeps, your daughter is learning to self-soothe and is minimizing any damaging to herself. If your daughter's teeth are affected by her sucking, after about 2 weeks, you should notice that they are moving back into place. Continuing to wear the shirt, doesn't harm your daughter, in fact it helps her toward the goal of not damaging her mouth and learning to self-soothe. Keep it up!

I noticed that the ‘hand cover’ portion of the shirt which covers his hand is wet when he wakes in the morning. Could he be sucking his thumb through the shirt?

Great question. It is rather uncommon for a child to get much satisfaction from trying to suck their thumb through the shirt. This is because is order to suck, then need a seal and a barrier between the thumb and mouth doesn’t allow for a seal. If you check on your child and you see that the are indeed trying to do this wait a couple of days and it will most likely subside because they aren’t getting the enjoyment they once did. If it persists, consider putting a mitten or glove on your child’s hand before putting on the shirt. The thick barrier of the mitten/glove AND the shirt will create an even larger barrier.

These strategies are offered as suggestions only. They may or may not work for your child. Please refer to your Pediatrician, Pediatric Dentist or local Oral Facial Myologist for solutions specific to your child's needs. For a list of Oral Facial Myologists in your area, visit www.iaom.com or Click Here .