Kids still sucking their thumbs when they shouldn't be? Try these methods to get them to stop...
From the moment of birth, your little bundle of joy will continue to grow and develop, becoming their own person and learning new things, including opening their mouths and sticking their tiny thumb inside…and then sucking it! Experts will tell you thumb sucking is a perfectly normal, natural impulse that makes kids feel safe and secure. The actual act of sucking is meant to self soothe (after all, that’s why weaning is such an ordeal). So when the kids get sleepy or bored, in goes the thumb! But what happens when your little one refuses to stop? We all know that one adult who sucks their thumb, and secretly we’re a bit miffed by it. So how can we get our tots to give up this perfectly lovely thing when the time is right?
Admit it, kids suck
But it stopped being cute when they started walking and started having all the other problems associated with thumb sucking. Aside from the obvious social stigma, thumb sucking can lead to dental problems. If the kids suck their thumb or fingers hard, they can shift their teeth out of alignment which can lead to an overbite, an open bite or a lisp. Usually kids who haven’t lost their baby teeth still have a chance to regrow their grown-up teeth in the right shape so no need to panic if your two year old has buck teeth. When the teeth do grow in, however, the flesh of the thumb pressing against the teeth can become tender, leading to frequent cuts.
Great! How do I stop them?
Kids will usually stop sucking at around age three or four years when they start school and meet peers who don’t. However, if you’re trying to get the kids to stop before the age of five years, you’ll need to know why kids are sucking (are they bored, anxious or do they just like it?), to make not sucking rewarding and avoid stress triggers. Here’s just some of the ways you can try to speed up the process…
Communication
If your child is old enough to understand, you can explain to them that they shouldn’t be sucking their thumb or finger anymore. Explain that it’s a habit that isn’t really very nice (not to mention potentially unhygienic: tots are not know for their cleanliness!). Do take time to find out why your little one is using their thumb for comfort as this is the first step to helping them understand that they can live happily without a thumb in their mouth. Using praise, a sticker chart or a reward system can also reinforce non-thumb-sucking behaviour.
The dummy or the thumb?
Using a dummy to stop thumb sucking brings about a whole other debate, but since kids can’t ditch their thumbs like they can their dummies, some parents may find it preferable.
Put something nasty on their finger or thumb
It could be something they hate to eat, like durian or lemon juice. Just make sure it’s not toxic and not too spicy! The downside would be that they could get used to the taste, or just get really upset.
Nail polish
Get a mummy-and-me manipedi with your small person using child-safe nasty-tasting nail polish. Not only will it be lovely having a special pampering date together, but you’ll both have fabulous nails by the end of it. Some kids can get used to the taste so you may have to switch up brands or try something else before they suck the polish all off.
Chewable jewellery
Child-safe and fashionable, chewable jewllery is silicon-based just the thing your little toddler needs to keep their mouth occupied while they doze on your shoulder. You can pull it out of their mouth when they’re done, just like a dummy.
Thumbuster
For the kid who wants to stop but just can’t, strap on one of these bad boys for a real thumbs-up time! The Thumbuster is made from Lycra and fits like a glove. Gloves or socks on hands at bedtime also makes for a great budget alternative.
Youtube
Sometimes watching an educational video or two about thumb sucking can really keep that thumb out of their mouth. Believe it or not, kids don’t always take mum and dad’s word as the rule of thumb.
Plaster
Plasters aren’t very pleasant to taste or have in your mouth, so that might deter them until they remove the plaster themselves. Bandaging the thumb or wearing socks or gloves to sleep can work as well.
Books
We learn a lot about the world from books, so reading about another kid who conquered the thumb can set a great example for the kids. Here’s our top picks…
Thumbs Up Brown Bear
Brown Bear likes to suck his thumb but he’s getting bigger and big bears don’t suck their thumbs. So get the kids to give you a big ol’ thumbs up while they’re reading, playing or cuddling and soon they’ll have their thumbs up while sleeping. This one gets a thumbs up from us!
Thumbuddy to Love
These little thumb puppets can be worn anytime, especially during bedtime and comes with an accompanying storybook and reward calendar so the little ones have plenty of incentive to stop sucking.
thumbuddytolove.com
Thumb Love by Elise Primavera
Lulu loves sucking her thumb, and her thumb loves her. But she’s too old to be sucking her thumb so eventually she decides to stop and comes up with some very useful steps to stop including covering her thumb in playdough, tabasco sauce and a sock! Aimed at school-going kids who need that extra push, kids will be rooting for themselves to quit just like Lulu did.
Kids still suck, now what?
Even after trying everything short of lopping the thing off, your kid is still reaching to put their thumb in their mouth. Now what? Well if they’re still sucking by the time they’re old enough to know better, there might be an underlying stress factor that causes them to feel the need to self-soothe. Finding out the problem might be the key to the solution. And if all else fails, at least they’ll have something in common with Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna, Susan Boyle and even the late Amy Winehouse. Also HoneyKids ed, Tracy, sucked her thumb (and ruined her teeth) until she was 15 years old. Don’t tell anyone we told you though…
Like this story? Here’s more we think you’ll enjoy:
Smashing smash cakes for baby’s first birthday
Keep those little hands busy with crafts
Which carriers and wraps are best for babywearing?
The Great Dummy Debate
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