Why having your little one stop thumb sucking is important

The image of a child sleeping with its thumb in the mouth can be one of the cutest things you could ever see. But when this child grows older and persists with this habit, it can get a little worrying.

By the age of about 4 years, a child should have outgrown the habit of sucking on the thumb. However, in some cases, children get to the age of 6 when the urge to slip the thumb into the mouth hasn't grown old for them.

Some pediatricians have observed this behavior among young children and have concluded that sucking of the thumb is common among children who have spent a lot of time physically separated from their mothers at very tender ages, possibly for reasons regarding their jobs. It is also said the action of sucking the thumb helps to soothe and comfort a young child.

Find ways to help soothe your child other than through sucking the thumb. This could be through the use of a favorite stuffed animal or toy.

Add bitter fluids to the child's thumb. Once you have talked to the child and explained that sucking the thumb is not a good habit, tell them to make it a goal to learn how to stop. The bitter fluid on the child's thumb will act as a remainder of the goal that they must reach. Many experts, however, find this a cruel technique.

Wait for the child to find some kind of motivation and use this to stop the habit. For instance, once they have started pre-school and become more involved with other young children, make them see that they are too old to be sucking the thumb and use examples of other kids who are their age at their pre-school who do not suck their thumbs. make the child interact with other children more, their peers will help them stop the habit by simply pointing it out.

Engage the child in more activities that will require them to use all their hands. This will help distract the child's attention from the habit. The longer and more fun the activities are, the less conce
ed they will be about sucking on the thumb.

Be patient with the child. It is discouraged to try and forcefully stop a child's thumb sucking habits before they seem to even be ready to stop on their own.