Thumb-sucking: Why it happens and what to do about it!

Thumb-sucking: Why it happens and what to do about it!

A lot of kids have the habit of sucking their thumbs as it makes them feel comfortable as well as calms them down. You might have noticed your toddler doing this and till the time they are preschooler, this habit does not go away. Many kids use their thumb to fall asleep in the night, and you may need the best child specialist to get rid of this issue.

What to do about this?

1. Stop worry so much about it. Sucking the thumb for kids is completely safe until and unless they have washed their hands or it is clean. It does not damage the alignment of the teeth or the jaws. Once their permanent teeth start to come in, you need to work on the habit. Most kids have permanent coming in by the time they are 6. Work on this habit when they are 5 and kids will certainly get a hang of not sucking their thumb.  2. Do not punish your children just because they are sucking their thumb to fall asleep. Get them a toy to distract this habit or just remove it from their mouth every time they put it. You can take help from a child specialist in Chandigarh to try some reasonable methods to avoid this habit instead of punishing your child. 3. Doctors say that once the child turns 4, they usually stop thumb sucking and that’s why you should wait before trying anything. Sometimes children suck their thumb when they are hungry too, so look for such signs and it will eventually stop. 4. Keep them busy and distracted with other activities so that they don’t get a chance to suck their thumb. This will also make them tired, and they will have a sound sleep at night which will keep away the thumb. The key is to divert them every time you see them sucking their thumb. Talk to a pediatrician in Chandigarh to know more about how you can work on this habit. If your child doesn’t stop by the time they are 6 and above, you need to become slightly strict.

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