Tag: thumb sucking

Thumb Sucking Prevention Tips That Parents Need To Know

While thumb sucking is comforting and soothing for babies, minor triggers such as anxiety, stress, insecurity, boredom, frustration, or even fatigue can also make older children seek comfort, too. 

If your child is older than a toddler age and stuck in the habit, it will take understanding and patience to help them break the habit. You can also purchase the best thumb guard to help your child stop thumb sucking.

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Here are various ways to help your kids kick the habit:

1. Solid reward system

The first step is to give your loved ones lots of support and praise to encourage them to stop thumb sucking. Explain to your child, according to their age, why they should stop. Then, as an added incentive, introduce a reward table system so they don't suck their thumb.

2. Avoid the temptation to nag

Like we said, constant thumb sucking is entertaining. So, nagging, punishing, and criticizing your little one will only add to the stress and potentially make things worse. When you have strong-willed little ones in your arms, they can only defend themselves and even try to hide the habit from you.

3. Ask for help

If you've tried the tips above and your child is still sucking his thumb, it's time to get help. Visit your dentist for immediate intervention and, if necessary, make an appointment with a child psychologist to make sure no major discomfort occurs. Sometimes fear is the main cause of thumb sucking, sometimes it's all-natural.