My Child Sucks His Thumb

Sometimes parents think they have done something wrong when a child sucks his thumb. But all children have a need to suck, and some children meet this need with their thumbs and fingers.

1. Most children stop sucking their thumbs on their own; each child is different as to the time they will stop on their own.
2. These strategies don’t work: teasing the child, complaining about the child, or putting bad-tasting things on the thumb.
3. Children will keep on doing things that get attention.
4. Unless your dentist feels the child’s teeth will be affected, don’t worry about a child’s thumb-sucking in private. Make it clear that after age 3 thumb-sucking is not acceptable in public.