TGuard products are designed for children who have developed a preference for a particular finger, and would not switch from one to another. For that reason, our products are not really designed to be used in conjunction with one another, to cover all of the thumbs or fingers. The majority of parents will find that their children do not switch fingers, as this is a rare occurrence, however, in some cases (especially if the child is younger than 3), a need arises to cover all of the fingers at once, because the child does keep switching.
There are two options here.
- Wait 6 months and try again. This is recommended for cases where the thumb or finger sucking does not cause any immediate secondary issues, such as skin problems or frequent colds. Waiting 6 months to resume the treatment is an effective idea; it works because the child is allowed to suck their favorite thumb or finger, and over time, a preference is developed for that same digit. Eventually, when the preference is strong enough, the child would not switch digits again because doing so feels uncomfortable for them. If you choose this option, contact us, so we can extend your warranty.
- Cover all of the thumbs and fingers using a cheap, breathable, cotton glove. This idea is recommended when it is preferred to treat the habit right away. To do this, purchase a set of cheap, breathable, cotton fabric gloves. They are sold in pharmacies (for eczema treatment, for example), in arts and crafts or costumes stores (for use in costumes, projects, etc) or even some hardware stores (for gardening). You can also find them by searching “Child white costume gloves” which are sold for halloween. They should be light and breathable: do not use winter gloves!
Here is an example of the type of glove to look for. The price for this particular item is less than 5 dollars.
Once you have these gloves, cut off the thumb or finger which you plan on putting the TGuard over. For example, if your child primarily sucks their index and middle fingers, cut off the index and middle fingers from the glove. Then put the glove on. Next, put the TGuard on OVER the glove. At this point, all fingers should be covered by either the TGuard or the glove. There should be no glove material inside of the TGuard tubes (because that material was trimmed off), and therefore, the assembly should be comfortable. When you finish putting the TGuard on, and snapping the bracelet as you normally do, you have now secured the TGuard which will also keep the glove in place.