DIRECTIONS FOR THE USE OF HANDAID
It’s not “rocket science”. The only way to cure your child’s habit is to keep their thumb out of their mouth and away from their mouth until they have lost their dependence on thumb sucking. The HANDAID will break any child of the thumb-sucking habit if you follow these directions:
Pick a good day to start the HANDAID. If your child is in pre-school or grade school, then start the process on a Saturday morning because the first 48 hours will be the most challenging. Your child will push whatever button necessary to get you to take the HANDAID off. Your chance of success increases ten fold once you get past the first 48 hours. Check the blog at our website (www.Yourhandaid.com) for additional tips on how to start the HANDAID process. Remember, you are telling your child to stop doing something they have been doing since the beginning of time for them, something they always thought was right for them to do and, in many cases, encouraged by you. Do not be afraid to teach your child about the repercussions of continued thumb sucking. There are pictures on our website of braces, gates and other devices to help explain to your child what may happen if they refuse to stop. So, lets get started.
The strap can be adjusted to their wrist size using the holes. Be sure that the strap is snug enough so that your child can not slide the HANDAID over their hand (if necessary, the holes in the wristband can be offset for a more exact fit). Put the HANDAID on your child. Join the thumb screws and turn them as tight as you can so that your child is unable to open them. Once you are sure of the strap size; you can cut off any excess that is left beyond the thumb screw. The HANDAID is to stay on your child’s hand for 3 full weeks (24/7); removing only for meals and baths. Then, for 1 additional week during sleep time only. HANDAID will not work if you are going to use it occasionally! Every child is different. Some children are cured of thumb-sucking in as little as 2 weeks; while others will take 3 to 5 weeks of wearing it 24/7. Use your best judgment. When you end daytime use and they gravitate back to their habit; they haven’t gotten over their dependence on it. We have found that the longer the child has been thumb-sucking, the longer it takes for them to quit. DO NOT BE FOOLED by early success. The HANDAID must stay on for the full amount of time. Just because your child is no longer complaining about the HANDAID on their hand does not mean they are cured of their habit. At age 3 or 4, thumb-sucking is a habit. That habit will become an addiction by age 6 or 7. Take a definite yet patient approach to this problem and you will be successful. My advice is that you do all of the work and let them have all of the success. Remember, your child’s next stop may be the Orthodontist who incorporates pain and discomfort into getting them to stop thumb sucking. There are pictures on our website of a device they will wire to the roof of their mouth to get them to stop.
There are 2 HANDAIDS with your order because, in rare cases, some children may start to suck the other thumb. Also, if one of the HANDAIDS needs to be cleaned; be sure to hand wash (or delicate cycle) and air dry only. Remove the thumb screws before washing. Good luck to you and your child. Thanks again for your business and please tell another needy parent about HANDAID.
