How to Help Your Child Stop Sucking Their Thumb

Thumb sucking isn't good for children for many reasons. It can actually promote emotional problems, such as low self esteem from teasing and physical problems like crooked teeth and infections underneath the thumb nail. Stopping a bad habit is difficult for anyone of any age and your child needs your help and support to stop sucking his thumb.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take notice of when your child sucks her thumb and what emotion she's experiencing. Often, a child sucks her thumb in anger, boredom, nervousness or fear.

2. Talk to your child about why he sucks his thumb. Let him talk it out with you. Help him to understand the emotions he feels when he sucks his thumb so he can stop himself when he 's feeling these things.

3. Help your child understand why she needs to stop sucking her thumb. Explain the harm that can be caused from continued thumb sucking and help her to make the decision to stop doing it.

4. Decide upon a reasonable and attainable date to shoot for your child to quit sucking her thumb. Let your child help you pick this date and decide upon a reward to give her when she accomplishes it.

5. Set up a method of keeping track of the days that your child goes without sucking his thumb and reward him as the time passes.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage your child to talk to you about her feelings when she feels like sucking her thumb. Keep encouraging your child that she can do it.
• Give your child lots of praise as he passes the obstacles and reaches his goal.
• Don't nag at your child to try to get her to stop sucking her thumb. This leads to guilt and insecurity and makes thumb sucking worse.
• Don't pressure your child to stop sucking her thumb during a stressful time in her life.