4 Tips To Prevent Your Child From Sucking His Thumb

A child who between 3 and 4 years old continues to suck his thumb is a bad habit that must be addressed and that it is possible to treat. It is enough to offer more love and be patient.

Parents are often concerned when they see their children put their fingers in their mouths frequently, knowing that once they get into the habit, it can cause serious problems in their oral health, for example. In view of this, parents are looking for different methods to prevent their children from sucking their thumb.

Thumb sucking is a normal action. Many children perform it from an early age and, it is curious to know that many fetuses have been observed in ultrasound scans sucking their thumb.

Finger or pacifier?

The sucking reflex is natural in babies. They need it to survive. Sucking satisfies hunger and produces calm and calm. A breastfed baby may not use the finger and may not need a pacifier. He has his mother’s breast to feed and calm himself.

However, it is normal for a baby to start inserting one, or more fingers, into his mouth from 2 to 6 months. This becomes a way to calm down and is a gesture that is part of the early stages of development.

When they observe this, many parents decide that, before the little one gets into the habit of sucking his thumb, it is best to give him the pacifier.

Once they give him the pacifier, they argue that, when the time comes, it will be easier to remove the pacifier from the baby than the habit of thumb sucking.

However, the consequences of using a pacifier after 2 years are as harmful as sucking your own thumb:

• Malformations in the teeth.
• Pronunciation problems.
• They can hide more severe emotional disorders.

How to prevent your child from sucking his finger?

Just as it is normal for a baby to start putting their fingers (and everything between them) in their mouth, it is also common for them to stop this habit around 2 years of age. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about. However, you can try to take steps to speed up this process, if that gives you more peace of mind.

When the child reaches 3 or 4 years and frequently sucks one of his fingers, it is necessary to observe the child and pay attention to the reasons that motivate the maintenance of this behavior. In this way, it will be easier to find the best solutions to prevent your child from sucking his finger and to take care of his teeth.

But you have to understand that not all children are the same and that everyone has their own rhythm. Therefore, a good indicator that it is necessary to take action is when the front teeth and fangs have come out.

If you also begin to perceive that the teeth are separating to leave the space of the finger, the time has come. Next we will give you 4 fundamental recommendations.

1. Identify the cause and offer options

If your child sucks his thumb to fall asleep, help him at bedtime. Accompany him while he sleeps. Tell him a story. You can offer to sleep with her favorite doll or stuffed animal instead of using her finger.

If your toddler sucks his thumb when he’s stressed or anxious, he may just need you to spend a little time with him and talk. He may need your hugging and comforting to find reassurance and overcome what’s upsetting him.

Instead, if your child turns to the finger when bored, it’s time to ignite creativity and offer distractions. Starting a game, making a craft, taking a walk, it may be what your child is asking you to do when he puts his finger in his mouth.

2. Explain the consequences

Sometimes you resort to home remedies or you rush to consult a specialist, before sitting down to talk with the child. Provide a simple explanation for why thumb sucking is inappropriate.

You will be surprised at the ability of children to understand the explanations given to them and act accordingly. Explain that her teeth can become crooked, that she is no longer a baby, and that it is time to stop sucking on her thumb.

Avoid ridiculing him in front of other people, even less yelling or punishing him when you see him with his finger in his mouth. He may stop sucking his thumb in front of you, but keep doing it on the sly. It is much better to give her positive reinforcement each time she can overcome the causes (sleepiness, anxiety, boredom) for which she sucks her thumb.

3. Cover the finger

You may find it necessary to apply a stronger measure to prevent your child from sucking a finger. A callus may have formed on your child’s finger from the suction. Cover the callus with a tape and explain to your child that it is necessary to cure the callus that has formed.

The tape should be well glued but not too tight. It is necessary that your child cannot remove it by himself. Change it twice a day, leave it day and night for about 15 days.

If the child insists on putting his finger in his mouth, it will be unpleasant to feel the taste and texture of the tape in his mouth. Many mothers also put vinegar or lemon on the finger. Evaluate if that works for you.

After two weeks assess  whether you have managed to prevent your child from sucking his thumb. Have you also been pending to minimize the causes that motivate this habit? It is very likely that the child has already managed to modify the behavior.

4. Find a specialist

If none of the options that we have given you to prevent your child from sucking his thumb has worked, surely you should go to a specialist. An orthodontist may design a device that prevents a child from inserting his finger into his mouth.

But if the frequency and intensity of the habit is disproportionate and uncontrollable, you will need to consult a child psychologist. An overflowing suction on the finger can hide a deeper disorder or a much bigger problem.