Why is it so difficult for many children to stop sucking their thumbs, and what can be done to help them overcome this habit?
Thumb sucking is a natural behavior. For babies, in particular, sucking helps them soothe themselves, regulate their moods, and in many cases, helps them fall asleep as well. However, prolonged thumb sucking—especially beyond the age of 3—results in some obvious changes to a child’s teeth and jaws, such as crooked front teeth or an open bite. Furthermore, the jaw can be hindered in its growth, and the tongue’s motor functions can be disturbed.
The fact that the resting position of the tongue is shifted in thumb-sucking children often leads to problems in speech development, too. Deviations in drinking and swallowing behavior and disturbed breathing are widespread in children who continue to engage in thumb-sucking behaviors.
For many children, it is difficult to stop thumb sucking. Some parents perceive the child as stubborn, uncooperative, or weak-willed if the attempts at breaking the habit do not work immediately. A close look at the behavior shows that thumb sucking is not just a simple habit, as the action is very deeply embedded in the brain. Children have become very accustomed to the feelings and hormones that are triggered by thumb sucking.
Sucking on a thumb or finger reduces the activity of the child’s neurotransmitters, which triggers a sense of calm, comfort, and relaxation. Among other things, endorphins are released, which further enhance the calming effect. Thumb sucking can therefore be compared more to an addictive behavior rather than just a mere habit.
When looking for help with weaning, parents often receive advice to be patient, to praise the child when he or she has not sucked their thumb for some time, and to provide distractions. However, especially for children who have strongly entrenched thumb-sucking behaviors, these strategies have little effect. Even the often-touted bitter tinctures that can be applied to the fingernails have virtually no effect and do not help to stop thumb sucking**.**
Every child is different. In practice, a two-step process has proven to be promising. The first step is to awaken the child's understanding of the issue. Children's books are possible door-openers on the subject. We liked Anna and Dedo**,** as it provides a beautiful story with the child being the heroine of the story. Have a look at the **book review** on Thumb-Heroes.com to find a detailed book review of the best children’s books dealing with thumb sucking and breaking the habit.
You can also ask your child why they like to suck their thumb, what they feel when they do so, or how their thumb tastes. Afterward, it is important to wait and see how the child reacts. Support and offer understanding to your child, but do not judge them.
If the child wants to stop, there are a few strategies that can help them in the second step that comes after helping them gain some awareness. Stories work well for this part of the process. For example, you can paint a face on your child’s thumb and give it a name, and this can be combined wonderfully with a children's book to help give the thumb a personality.
A reward calendar can also be very motivating. Special thumb gloves can help to ensure that the thumb does not end up in your child’s mouth unconsciously, too (e.g., during sleep). The child must manage to avoid thumb sucking ****for a whole month in order to overcome this behavior.
However, many children fail the one-month challenge. This has nothing to do with a lack of willpower; the urge to suck their thumb is simply too great. For these children, there are products that can effectively prevent the child from sucking their thumb. In most cases, a kind of protective cover is used that is worn over the thumb. This cannot be removed by the child themselves, unlike the thumb glove mentioned above. The child can still put the thumb in the mouth, but the design prevents the occurrence of the desired suction effect. The process of weaning is, therefore, similar to taking a pacifier away from a child.
However, the first few days of this program are particularly challenging for both the child and their parent(s). The resulting frustration is typically overcome after 2-5 days, as the child's brain can learn new behaviors very quickly. However, it is recommended that they wear the aids for at least a month (during both the day and night) so that the new behavior can solidify.
You can find a detailed product review about all the different products that help to stop thumb sucking on Thumb-Heroes.com, listed under "Product Review.”
Under no circumstances should a parent or caregiver react with pressure, aversion, or a lack of understanding toward the child if any methods do not work right away. Crooked teeth are much easier to treat than hurt feelings.