Our Thumb Guards were part of our battle plan!
Our business story began following a regular dental check-up. Four of our eight children were passionate thumb suckers, and, two children had developed serious overbites. Our dentist explained that whilst thumb sucking is normal for babies, it is when the habit continues beyond age four, that problems arise. Continued thumb sucking alters the shape of the mouth and the position of the permanent teeth. This often leads to major issues for the child, from dental problems to speech defects. To avoid these issues, parents of dedicated thumb suckers had to formulate a thumb sucking battle plan in order to encourage their child to stop.
As two of our own children were already at the major issues stage when we discovered the harm sucking could do, we tried just about everything we could think of to end the habit, including taping socks to hands.
Then a friend of ours, whose children also sucked their thumbs, asked if we could design a fabric glove to remind children not to put thumbs into mouths. We agreed to give it a go. The glove design had few criteria. The glove had to be colorful so the children would want to wear it. It had to be comfortable so that it would not chafe and it had to be washable. It also had to be easy to use, so the children could put it on and take it off independently.
The next few days were a hive of activity as we sketched hands and considered pattern details. Until that point, we had only made plush toys and fabric ornaments. While we no longer had to consider toy safety, we decided our guards should be made to a similar standard.
Our thumb guards would help deter our children from sucking their thumb or fingers in two ways. The guards had to be a visual reminder not to suck. They also had to be a barrier between the thumb and the roof of the mouth. Having the barrier would reduce the comforting sensation of thumb sucking. Therefore, as children would potentially insert the guards into their mouths, we had to eliminate any choking risks.
While the process seemed simple, I lost count of how many guards we designed and stitched that week. At first, we considered only comfort and safety. Then we realized we had not considered functionality. What good was a thumb guard if it was not fit for purpose?
It was not enough that the guard was comfortable and safe. It also had to be practical if it was to be worn by children. We began to ask ourselves other questions. Could the child write while wearing the glove? Would the guard restrict the child’s ability to play? What fabric could we use to avoid making the child’s hand sweat etc?
Before long we had our guard, however, the criteria list had quadrupled in size as had the expenses. This led to a further challenge. We had no idea how long it would take for our children to stop thumb sucking. We did not know how many guards we would need. How could we produce our guard and meet all the new criteria while still making our thumb guards cost-effective?
Unable to reduce those costs, we decided the solution was to try and sell a few. If they sold, the costs to ourselves would decrease. We had no idea so many parents were facing the same issues as ourselves. We listed the guards alongside our toys and to our amazement, they sold almost instantly. Our thumb sucking battle plan had received a thumbs up and we have been making thumb guards and finger guards ever since.
