Thumb sucking is a common habit for babies aged 6-7 months to develop. Typically it is not a practice that lasts long. By age 4, most children will have abandoned the habit. If your child sucks their thumb from infancy to age 4, it is not something to be concerned about. However, there are times when a child will continue to suck their thumb long into their childhood or will return to sucking their thumb in times of stress. Luckily, there are certain ways that you can help your child break the habit of thumb-sucking. Continue reading to read our list of tips.

Why Do Children Suck Their Thumbs?

Understanding the reason why children suck their thumbs is vital in helping them break the habit. Babies have a natural sucking reflex that allows them to latch to their mothers when breastfeeding. Sucking is often calming and soothing for children, which is why children often begin sucking their fingers or thumbs when they are going to sleep or when they are nervous or stressed. The key to helping your child stop sucking their thumb is to help them find other ways to relax.

Ways To Gently Discourage Thumb Sucking

Talk With Your Child About It

The first way to help your child abandon thumb sucking is to talk with them about how they are feeling and why sucking their thumb is not the best way to feel better. If your child is nervous, talk with them about why they are nervous and help them process the emotion. This is a good tactic to learn no matter what stage of life your child is in. 

It is also helpful to explain to your child that sucking their thumb can be harmful to them because it can introduce disease, making them feel sick (which most children hate). But if your child will suck their thumb for attention, it may be best to avoid talking about it and ignore the habit instead. The habit should naturally go away over time.

Use Positive Reinforcement

Many children react well to positive reinforcement in a variety of situations. Thumb sucking is one of the times when positive reinforcement can be of great assistance. Remind your child every day why they need to avoid sucking their thumb and offer a reward at the end of each day that they don’t suck their thumb. We recommend using rewards like “going to the park the next day” or a small treat before brushing their teeth. Make sure to use kind, uplifting words when they forget. 

Provide Hands-On Diversions Throughout The Day

Thumb sucking requires having available thumbs, right? So make sure that your children have hands-on activities throughout the day that steers your children away from sucking their thumbs. Arts and crafts, playing with toys, drawing, and using sensory objects (such as sand or playdough) can discourage thumb-sucking. You may also want to discourage your children from eating with their hands as often as possible, because having their hands near their mouth might make a child falsely believe that their hands belong in their mouths.

Do You Need Dental Services?

We at Granger Pediatric Dentistry are passionate about helping children have the best possible oral health. Our professional and compassionate dentists are highly interested in giving our clients the best possible dental care possible. That is why we offer our clients several excellent dental services including fillings, extractions, crowns, exams, cleanings, and early infant care. If you are looking for a new dentist or need more information regarding oral health care for children, feel free to reach out to us today.