my mother tried everything with me since my button phobia started very
young as well..... she tried making crafts with buttons and using
buttons in disguise (ie bear heads, etc.) but i didn' fall for any of
it.
She also had a friend who knew about my phobia and would threaten me
with buttons everytime he saw me - the memory of this guy is still
traumatic for me and I am 31 years old! I have been managing my phobia
very well and am a productice adult ( I am a therapist beleive it or
not) - although it is rearing up a little since I just had my first
baby and receiving a lot of baby clothes with buttons on them....
my advice to a mom of a button phobe is to let her be. You are not
going to get her over it. I found that eventually peer pressure had
some effect and I played sports and had no choice but to wear buttons
on my uniforms. later as a wiatress my roomate would button my shirt
after I pulled it over my head...as an adult I have a lot of success
not wearing buttoms and nobody notices!