Top 10 Ways to Stop Thumb-Sucking in Children.

Are you a parent who is worried because your child sucking on his/her thumb? Well, it might interest you to know that at some level, thumb-sucking is normal. However, at some level, it becomes a thing of concern. Keep reading to find the details.

It’s absolutely normal and safe for babies and young children to suck on their thumbs, depending on the age range. These children who thumb-suck might also suck on their fingers, toes, or items, depending on how much they love to suck. Most children suck when they feel hungry, afraid, bored, restless, quiet, or even sleepy. Some children, gradually stop on their own at age 4-6 years, whilst some take a long time trying to stop.

Reasons Babies Thumb-Suck
Babies and young children have this natural urge to suck. They just want to suck on something and the closest thing to them is their hand in general or just the thumbs. Also, with time, the urge usually reduces after the age of six months. Other children continue sucking on their thumbs to soothe themselves or give themselves pleasure. However, it becomes a problem if thumb-sucking continues after the age of five (5). This, in rare cases, is either a response to an emotional problem or anxiety.

When Does Thumb-Sucking Become a Problem?
When children who are younger than the age of four sucks, it’s usually not a thing of concern because it normal. However, when children find themselves sucking with intensity around the age of 5, it becomes a problem. More so, children who still suck till the age of six (6) are likely to develop dental or speech problems. Continued thumb-sucking may lead to the teeth becoming misaligned. The good thing is it usually corrects itself when the child stops thumb-sucking. However, if thumb-sucking continues for a long time, dental treatment will be needed.

It’s important to be watchful and monitor this habit of thumb-sucking because if continued, after a certain stage in the child’s life, it can lead to dental issues. Chronic thumb-sucking that goes beyond a certain age can lead to the following:

Speech Problems: the child may have problems speaking properly as it will find it difficult to pronounce some letters or words properly.

Misaligned Bites: this occurs when thumb-sucking becomes severe and past a certain age. This may lead to the child having misaligned teeth.

Palate issues: chronic thumb-sucking can lead to the child having a palate problem.

When a Child Needs Treatment from Thumb-Sucking
A child or children who suck their thumbs may need an orthodontist for treatment when they do the following:

• Continue to thumb-suck with great passion after the age of four.
• Develop speech problems due to thumb-sucking.
• Have misaligned teeth.

How To Help Your Child Quit Thumb-Sucking Habit

It has been proven that most children quit the act of thumb-sucking on their own before the age of four. However, parents know their children better and should when they are expected to come in if the children continue to suck on their thumbs after a certain age.

Top 10 Ways to Help your Child Quit Thumb-Sucking:

1. Take Them to a Dentist: every child needs a dentist. When you as a parent notice that your child’s thumb-sucking wouldn’t stop even after the age of four, it’s very important to take the child to see a dentist. More so, when children get older, they get wiser. Hence, they might need a nudge from someone other than yourself. This will ring a bell in their help that this habit is not a joke anymore. The dentist will speak to the child about overall oral health and how thumb-sucking, if continued, can affect their teeth and mouth.
   
   
2. Make Use of a Hand Stopper: this is a flexible brace that you can actually attach to your child’s elbow to prevent flexing. This means that they cannot bend their arms enough to bring their hand to the mouth. Needless to say, if the child’s thumb-sucking habit is chronic, the hand stopper may be the only tool that helps the most. Children are likely to adjust sooner because of the frustration of not being able to move their hands freely and comfortably.
   
   
3. Making You of a Finger Guard: there’re quite a number of kits available online that were specifically designed to physically prevent your child/children from sucking on their thumbs. These are interestingly chemical-free and childproof so that they can’t be removed by your child. Some of these kits are made of plastic while some are more like flexible gloves. These kits can help a great deal in preventing your child from thumb-sucking.
   
   
4. Try Talking to Them: some children are so carried away with this act of thumb-sucking that they don’t even know when to stop; they just don’t realize that thumb-sucking is actually a habit that should be out-grown. As a parent, it is advisable to sit your child down and talk with him/her about why thumb-sucking is not a hygienic habit and should be stopped to avoid future damages. Let them know that there’re actually other activities they can engage in that will give them more pleasure than thumb-sucking. Dialogues can help a get deal in getting rid of thumb-sucking.
   
   
5. Applying Bitter Nail Polish: another effective way to stop thumb-sucking is by applying bitter nail polish. This strategy is perfect for children who are passionate thumb-suckers. This bad-tasting nail polish, if applied to the fingers can stop the child from thumb-sucking due to the unpleasant taste. Although this method is not recommended by some experts, it actually works better for some children.
   
   
6. Using Visual Reminders: another method to help stop thumb-sucking is by using visual reminders. As a parent, try getting a bow or plastic band and tie it around the child’s thumb (it shouldn’t be too tight so the child doesn’t feel uncomfortable). If a child is advised to stop thumb-sucking and easily forgets, this visual reminder will be a great help to the child as it will always remind him/her not to suck on the thumb.
   
   
7. Establishing Rules: this is a method that works perfectly over time. You can tell your child when to suck on the thumb and when not to suck. For example, you can tell him/her to suck on the thumb only when he/she wants to sleep. This way, you are setting rules and over time, the thumb-sucking lessens, thereby getting rid of it gradually.
   
   
8. Take Note of Your Child’s Thumb-Sucking Triggers: it has been proven that some children suck on their thumbs when they are either bored, angry, tired, anxious or hungry. Either way, know which of these triggers your child to thumb-suck. Try figuring out what puts them in such mood and address it immediately. For example, if the child’s trigger to thumb-sucking is hunger, he/she should be given food immediately so as not to lead to thumb-sucking. You can also try to engage them in activities that will make them use their hands.
   
   
9. Using Positive Reinforcement: Children love being praised. When you praise them by calling them champions, for example, they will definitely want to be called champions forever. You could also get them gifts once in a while for a job well done (if they stop the act of thumb-sucking).
   
   
10. Offer Rewards: some children are highly motivated when gifted for doing something impressive. These rewards could be stickers or something that puts a smile on their faces. Just the opportunity to win prizes for not thumb-sucking a day is a great motivation to them.