Thumbuddy by Thumbuddy to Love
What it is: According to the American Dental Association, prolonged thumbsucking can cause problems with proper growth of the mouth and alignment of the teeth. It may also cause changes to the roof of the mouth.
Help your child stop thumbsucking with the Thumbuddy, a positive teaching tool that comes with a storybook.
Article Photos
Above, the Thumbuddy helps children stop sucking their thumbs.
Board-certified pediatric dentist Michael Jones said the finger puppets can be a great tool in encouraging children to give up thumbsucking in a playful and encouraging way.
According to the company, Thumbuddy to Love, it is important to start the process of stopping thumbsucking at 3 years old, so that the child does not damage the teeth, which may lead to braces.
The Thumbuddy is the perfect reminder and can be worn day or night.
What I thought: Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with thumbsucking with either of my children, so I didn't have to go through the process of eliminating something that I couldn't just cut off. (In order to get rid of my daughter's binky, I cut the tip off, which made her so mad that she hated the thought of using it - worked like a charm.)
But, my children loved playing with the Thumbuddies as finger puppets and had a great time trying them out.
The concept of the product is a great idea when used to serve as a reminder of not to put that thumb in their mouths.
Recommended age: 3 to 6 years old.
Recommended price: $19.95.
Where to get it: thumbuddytolove.com.
Little Capers
What it is: Little Capers are alternative superhero T-shirts with detachable capes. Jossamber Shapiro, of the company, said she came up with the idea when her son became obsessed with superheroes and capes at the age of 2 1/2.
"While I didn't mind having him run around with a dish towel clipped to his shirt at home, I wasn't that keen to take him out on the town to do errands in that get-up."
While looking for an alternative to the usual polyester Superman-Batman options, Little Capers was born.
Made of 100 percent cotton shirts, the designs are original, fun and stylish. Little Capers come in both long- and short-sleeved styles with a detachable cape.
What I thought: My son and daughter, ages 2 and 4 1/2, respectively, are smack in the middle of superhero stages. My daughter loves to pretend she is Batgirl or Supergirl, while my son is obsessed (with a capital O) with Batman. In fact, they dressed as the superheroes for Halloween.
When I discovered Little Capers, I was impressed with the quality of the T-shirts and how simple the concept was. My daughter has a black one with a shiny purple cape and a big star (we call her Superstar), while my son's, which displays a green and blue earth, is helping him go green. He's saving the world by recycling and helping mommy break down the cereal boxes.
Recommended age: Infant sizes to 8 years old.
Recommended price: Prices start at $12.
Where to get it: www.littlecapers.com.
Personal Child Stories
What it is: Personal Child Stories creates fully personalized children's books using custom photos and story themes. Each book is created upon order, so no two books are alike.
Each book is laminated and coil-bound making them durable, safe for small children and easy to clean.
To order from Personal Child Stories, choose the children the book will be for, select a theme, send some photos and the company will do the rest.
What I thought: I love the idea of creating my own book without having to actually make anything. It's like scrapbooking a special book for my children that I didn't have to do.
The books are cute and easy to clean and my children love to see themselves on the pages of their favorite books.
Having a book with their faces encourages them to sit down and read, while serving as a keepsake to pass down to their children.
The books would make the perfect Christmas or birthday present.
Recommended age: Any age.
Recommended price: Books start at $20.
Where to get it: personalchildstories.com.
