Gently remind your child not to suck their thumb. Often children don’t realise they are doing it and just need to be reminded to stop. Positive reinforcement is usually the most effective way of helping your child stop thumb sucking. Don’t criticise or embarrass your child about their thumb sucking habit. Instead, offer a reward to your child for not sucking their thumb. Have a calendar on the wall and add stickers when your child hasn’t sucked their thumb. After a certain number of days, reward your child with a special trip somewhere or a new toy.
Offer a distraction when your child is sucking their thumb. Some children only suck their thumb at certain times. Take note of when your child sucks their thumb. If they only do it when going to sleep, give them a stuffed toy to squeeze instead. If your child tends to suck their thumb when they are stressed, give them a cuddle instead. Offering an alternative to sucking their thumb may help them stop the habit.
Book an appointment with the dentist. A dentist can assess whether thumb sucking is causing any damage to your child’s teeth. A chat with a friendly family dentist about why it’s important to stop sucking their thumb may be an effective way of getting your child to stop.
Put Band-Aids on your child’s thumbs. Band-Aids or gloves on your child’s hands can serve as a reminder for them to not suck their thumb.
Ignore their thumb sucking. Simply ignoring their thumb sucking is enough for some children to stop doing it. This is effective for children who are using thumb sucking to get attention.
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