Ever since they started getting fingers and toes (consciously or not), most babies enjoy sucking their thumbs. You may have left an appointment for an ultrasound during pregnancy and a picture of your cool baby happily in the womb.
Sure, it was good then – but now your baby is 3 or 4 years old, and making him stop sucking his thumb seems as easy as convincing him that a blue cup is like red. In other words, it will not happen.
How Do I Stop?
My five-and-a-half-year-old baby is sucking on her thumb (this one still loves her boyfriend unlike others). It has always been so. All literature suggests that most children naturally wean four. Oh well. He doesn’t seem to be eating at school, but his thumb comes out just a minute tired or injured, and he stays in his mouth all night.
Although my husband insists that there is a direct connection between my thumb and the birth of our youngest son, I say that if I could get a thumb that would give me instant gratification, I would be living with excessive eating for the rest of my life. But too, when it comes to pushing, I don’t want my baby to overeat.
Relax, mom. Your child will not go to college sucking a thumb. But it may be a good idea to help your little one start the habit at some point. And if you decide now, here’s how to install one:
- Open the dialogue
Some babies do not realize that breastfeeding is a habit they should grow up with. Ask your child – out of curiosity rather than criticism, of course – why he or she is sucking his or her thumb. Does it sound fun? Do they know they do it? Is there anything else they can do (such as kiss a loved one or count up to three) that will make them happy? - Learn by sucking your thumb together
If your child receives a lot of health advice from Daniel Tiger (or Peppa Pig, or Paw Patrol), you may want to tap that app. Watch a TV show where the character has to break up and talk to your child about doing the same - Apply hot nail polish
Also, the method used to bite bad nails, and bad taste put on the fingers can prevent the sucking of the thumbs. - Be aware of thumb sucking patterns
If you notice that your baby is only breastfeeding before bed, he may need another way to calm down and get ready for bed. You may want to try giving a cup of warm milk or safe herbal tea before brushing your teeth at night. - Give prizes and grants
Reward systems can be cunning: They do not work for all children and, if they do, can be difficult to get rid of. However, some children are strongly influenced by the visible representation of their progress (such as stickers or small tokens), as well as the opportunity to earn daily rewards or privileges without having to thumbs up.
CONCLUSION
Although most children stop breastfeeding alone before they go to kindergarten, you know your child well – and if you feel he/she needs more intervention, many strategies and products can help.
Read more on our blog
POSTED IN: TALK · TAGGED: PARENTING, PARENTING ADVICE, THUMB-SUCKING, THUMBSUCKING PROBLEM