How to Get your Child to Stop Sucking Their Thumb

There are many children who suck their thumb. All 3 of my children have been thumb suckers and have varied in the amount they have sucked them.

Children may use their thumb sucking as a means to calm nerves during an anxious or uncomfortable situation. As a baby, your child may have used thumb sucking to fall asleep or soothe themselves while lying in their cot. This completely natural habit is usually accepted by all parents until the child starts to get close to four years of age. This time in a child’s life is when they may be venturing off to preschool and parents want to find a way to get their child to stop sucking their thumb before school.

If you’re looking to get your child to stop sucking their thumb, then I have a few tips for you today.

Set Boundaries
Now that our child is older, you can try to set boundaries for your child so that they only suck their thumb in their bedroom or in the house. Be firm that thumb sucking is not allowed to happen outside of the home.

Discuss Thumb Sucking
Let your child know that you’re here for them no matter what. Discuss thumb sucking and find out why your child feels they often go to thumb sucking. Once you understand their why for thumb sucking, you can simply let them know that you’re here when they’re ready to quit sucking their thumb.

Reward Non-Thumb Sucking
Buying the products that are said to stop thumb sucking is a bit extreme and can be stressful for younger children. Try to reward the times when your child chooses to speak about their feelings versus sucking on their thumb. You could even have them set their own goal to feel confident they’re choosing to stop.

They Will Grow Up
Remember that no matter how you try to get your child to stop sucking their thumb, eventually they will grow up and stop sucking their thumb naturally. This happens as they mature and start to see the outside world more and learn new ways to cope with their feelings.

The overall best way to get your child to stop sucking their thumb is to have patience, boundaries and open communication with your child.

As your child gets older and attends school, they should naturally stop sucking their thumb but remember each child is different so will take different lengths of time to stop.