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Tips to Break the Thumb Sucking Habit for Older Kids
• August 22, 2022
Thumb sucking: It gets a bad rap in the parenting world, I’ll admit. Many assume that once children start the habit, it’ll become too hard to break.
But speaking from personal experience, thumb sucking isn’t the monster people think it is. In fact, both of my kids were massive thumb suckers starting at a few weeks old. And believe me, I tried hard to get them onto the pacifiers, but they just didn’t take well to them.
I realized after trying to get my oldest son to take a pacifier that thumb sucking is actually a very natural way for children to comfort themselves. When they’re feeling anxious or scared, thumb sucking can be soothing and comforting.
In fact, babies even suck their thumb in utero, so this is a completely natural thing. However, I know that for some children, they need a little more help in breaking the thumb sucking habit, so I’ve compiled my best tips to share with you here.
The Downside of Thumb Sucking
Although thumb sucking is a natural thing, there are a few drawbacks to it, which may add to your desire to help your little one kick the habit.
First, because little kids like to touch everything, there is potential for more germ exposure. Encouraging frequent hand washing is a good practice, and can help establish healthy hygiene for years to come.
Second, if your child sucks their thumb beyond the age of 4, there could be some teeth misalignment as they get their permanent teeth.
And of course, your child could develop calluses on their thumbs from the constant sucking, which could cause discomfort for your little one.
Regardless of the reason for wanting your child to end their relationship with thumb sucking, here are a few tips to try.
Dropping the Habit
Most kids will drop the thumb sucking habit between ages 2-4, as there’s a sense of “peer pressure” with not wanting to suck their thumb in front of their friends.
My children, however, did not drop the habit on their own, so I had to help them. Every child is unique, so you’ll want to take an approach that will work for your child.
Before we dive further in, I want to clarify that these tips are designed to help children who don’t naturally drop the habit by 4 years old.
I’ve talked to many moms who think their 10-month old needs to stop sucking their thumb, but I personally wouldn’t worry about a young child – remember, it’s natural and soothing for infants to suck their thumb. Besides, there’s not a lot you can do to prevent a baby from engaging in this activity – at least not in a way that involves them in the process using gentle methods.
But if your older child needs a little guidance and support in this area, here are tried-and-true practices to help you.
Prep Your Child
The very first thing you want to do when working with your child to break their thumb sucking habit is to prepare them for what’s to come.
Your child needs to be ready to stop sucking their thumb. Forcing your child to do anything rarely works, and when you invite your child to be part of the process, you’ll find it usually works much better.
So follow your child’s lead. Talk to them about the downsides of thumb sucking listed above, and explain how you will work with them to help them stop sucking their thumb. Throughout the process, you’ll want to hold them accountable without pressuring or shaming them.
Introduce a Reward Chart
For some kids, simply discussing thumb sucking will be enough to encourage them to stop the habit. For others, a bit of creativity will be warranted.
When my children were working through stopping the thumb sucking habit, we introduced a rewards chart. We made cut-outs in the shape of a thumbs up and a thumbs down, and whenever they didn’t suck their thumb, they’d get a thumbs up. If they did suck their thumb, they’d get a thumbs down.
After getting thumbs up for a certain amount of days, they’d choose a reward that we’d all do as a family – one of my son’s wanted to go to an amusement park, and one wanted to go to a skate park.
But really, the reward choices are endless.
You can reward your child with stickers, extra time outside, their favorite breakfast, a special treat, or their favorite movie. The reward itself isn’t as important as the fact that it’s something your child wants and is willing to work for.
Sitting down with your child to talk about the reward they’d want for going a certain amount of days without sucking their thumb is a good strategy before beginning. The last thing you want is to try to convince your child to earn a reward they have no interest in.
Hold Your Child Accountable
After talking with your child about thumb sucking and agreeing to a reward that they’ll earn, it’s time to hold your child accountable in a loving, non-shaming way.
As with any habit, it can be hard to break the cycle. Your child may have triggers that cause them to suck their thumb without thought, like going to bed or even watching TV. If you see your child sucking their thumb, gently remind them of their reward.
In some cases, your child may revert back to sucking their thumb after earning their reward, which was the situation with one of my sons.
When he started sucking his thumb again, I didn’t shame him for his actions. I sat down to talk about it with him, and he told me he just really wanted to suck his thumb.
And you know what I did? I let him.
After about a week of continuing to track the behavior on the rewards chart, he eventually stopped.
Shaming or guilting your child isn’t worth it. Stay consistent with making your child aware of the habit when you see it, and remind them of why they started this process to begin with.
Other Ideas to Try
If a rewards chart doesn’t work for your child, or you’d like to try other ideas, here are a few.
- Special nail polish that makes the nails taste bitter. Simply apply it to the finger nails and let it do its work. My youngest actually asked for the nail polish one night to try to break the habit!
- Something to change the texture of the thumb – a thumb guard, sock, glove, or bandaid. Sometimes just having that change in texture is enough to bring awareness to the habit, and your child will stop on their own.
Remember that for some kids, this is a difficult habit to break, as it may also serve as a form of comfort and security. So take your time, follow your child’s lead, and don’t allow anxiety or stress to inform your decisions.
By guiding your child through the process in a gentle and loving way, they will learn how to break the habit without feeling guilt or shame.
I’d love to hear from you after trying some of these tips with your little one! Send me an email at lamis@one2sleep.com sharing how the process went!
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The information on this website is not intended nor is implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with regards to the health and welfare of your baby, toddler or child.