Helping Your Child Get Over Thumb-Sucking

This is the article published in the Parenthood-Nov 2011 issue of magazine. According to the magazine, thumb-sucking is a completely natural act of self-soothing that many babies begin when they are still in the womb. But while an infant sucking his thumb may look sweet and innocent, a five-year old son sucking his thumb may become the object of pity or ridicule.

Most doctors agree that thumb-sucking is relatively harmless in the early years of childhood. In fact, if you make too big of a deal of it before age four and try to get your child to stop, your efforts may backfire and cause him or her to want to do it even more. Most children eventually stop this habit on their own. However, if the thumb-sucking continues past age four or five, a child runs the risk of developing dental or speech problems.

I do not have problem with my boys, they do not have thumb-sucking habit and gave up their pacifier at the age of 3 months. My daughter never get into the habit of sucking on a pacifier but the problem is, she is the thumb-sucking child! She sucks her thumb when she is hungry, sleepy or bedtime. This is what they call sucking for comfort.

Way to help them to stop thumb-sucking as suggested:-

1. give them something to do with their hands

2. find way to soothe themselves when they are nervous or sleepy

3.Teach them to rub her fingers together with her thumb in a rhythmic, circular motion; or rub her temple or cheek with her forefinger

4. wrap her thumb in bandage or piece of gauze

5. apply special non-toxic thumb coating or a bitter-tasting substance like vinegar

The magazine also suggested that we should not humiliate the child but give plenty of praise or set up reward system when the child do without any thumb-sucking for a day.

I have personally tried method 1,2,4 and 5. None of them really work on her. There are other cruel suggestion like apply chilly on the thumb. I won't tried that, we, ourselves, sometimes struggle too, eating that red hot chilly, can't do that to a child. However, I have tried the 'minyak angin'. At first, she smelled and stop sucking on it but the next minute, she continued to suck like it was so tasty. So, nothing work for me so far. 

So, have you try any other method and has effectively stop your child from thumb-sucking. You are welcome to share.

I heard from some of the grown ups who have previously got into this habit, some said they actually still doing it quietly and secretly and some only managed to get rid of the habit in their 20's!! Gosh, I hope this would not happen to my girl.