How to Help Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking

Children learn how to suck their thumbs as infants. Sometimes, this habit sticks with them and the thumb sucking is hard to quit. Children who suck their thumbs into their pre-teen years will do major damage to their teeth and gums. But there are ways to help your child quit sucking his thumb and be successful.

Things You'll Need

• String
• Band-Aid
• Bitter nail biting polish (prevents nail biting)
• Patience

Instructions

1. 

   Start out by telling your child why sucking his thumb is bad for him. Explain that it will ruin his teeth by pushing them outward and he could eventually need braces. Use pictures from the internet for help so your child can visualize what pushed out teeth look like and what braces are. Encourage your child by telling him that he can quit sucking his thumb...praise him for each effort he makes.

2. 

   Tie a colorful string around your child's finger, loosely. Tell him that the string is to remind him not to suck his thumb. Whenever your child goes to put his thumb in his mouth, he will see and/or taste the string and remind himself that he is not allowed to suck his thumb. Help him by giving him gentle reminders when you see your child trying to suck his thumb.

3. 

   If your child is older, 4-years-old and up, try polishing his thumb with a stop biting nail polish. Just put a little on the tip so that when he puts his thumb in his mouth, he'll get a taste of the bitter solution. Read the directions first to make sure the nail solution will not harm your child. A good one to try is Thum. A very small amount of Thum on the tip of your child's thumb is safe to use.

4. 

   Offer small incentives for each hour, half day, or day your child goes without sucking his thumb. Start out small, since thumb sucking is difficult to break, and increase incentives as he goes longer without sucking his thumb. Dollar store toys are great for this since they are cheap. Or try offering stickers as an incentive and when your child gets so many stickers, he can have a small toy.

5. 

   Get other family members, friends, and sitters involved in helping your child stop sucking his thumb. Tell everyone that your child is working hard to stop sucking his thumb and you need their help as well. Have them help encourage your child and offer praise. Your child will be more likely to quit sucking his thumb if he hears it from other people he loves.

Tips & Warnings

• Praise, praise, and more praise will help your child succeed in quitting thumb sucking.

• Encourage your child to use will power and self determination to quit thumb sucking.

• Give your child other things to do besides suck his thumb for comfort suck as chew a straw, suck on sugar free candy, or chew sugar free gum (if he is old enough).

• Do not belittle your child about his thumb sucking by telling him he is being a baby or laughing at him...this will only make him self-conscious.

• Do not yell at your child or punish your child for thumb sucking...this will only backfire and make him hide it from you.