3 Ways To Break Your Child’s Thumb Sucking Habits
Thumb sucking is a childhood phenomenon that balances child comfort and parent frustration. Many parents have tried every trick in the book to get their child to stop sucking their thumb but to no avail. Unfortunately, for children, it seems like this issue can only be solved when the child themselves want it to be solved. Here are 4 tips that will encourage your child to realize that thumb sucking is a bad habit that they should definitely kick.
Trim Their Nails
If your child sucks on their thumb or fingers, they are likely transferring germs into their mouth. It is incredibly important to trim their nails to prevent and lessen the spread of germs in this way. When doing this, take the time to talk to your child and explain that stopping this habit will make sure that they don’t get sick.
Distract Them
If you haven’t already determined the cause(s) of your child’s thumb sucking, start observing them to figure out when thumb sucking occurs. Does it happen when they are scared or anxious? Sleepy? Hungry? After figuring tis out, you can distract your child in these situations by asking them to do things other than sucking their thumb. If your child sucks their thumb when they are hungry, give them a toy to play with as you prepare their food or ask them to help you with minor tasks. Keeping their hands busy and minds occupied will eventually break the habit.
Hold Their Hand
This runs in the same vein as distracting your child. When your child starts sucking their thumb, distract them with the positive action of holding their hand. Explain to your child that this can be a great way to work together to break the habit or, if your child loves physical affection, they will probably want to hold your hand regardless of an explanation.
Thumb sucking may be an extremely frustrating situation to deal with but eventually, every child falls out of the habit. Work together with your little one to help them understand and positively reinforce good actions. Pina Mazza, dental hygienist Vaughan, can help you make sure that your child’s teeth do not get negatively affected by their thumb and finger sucking and help stop thumb sucking habit with ‘Unplugging The Tongue’ program. To get expert guidance from a dental hygienist in Vaughan, call us today at 410.835.5002 or visit the Maple dental Hygiene care website to book an appointment: https://www.mapledentalhygienecare.com/