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How To Support Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking

Open communication is key to helping your child break their thumb-sucking habit. Scolding them can reverse the progress and make thumb sucking more intense.

Often enough, if the parents neglect or stop giving attention to their child's thumb-sucking habits, their kid will stop the habit by themselves. You can also visit amazon.co.uk/Age-2-7-Stop-Thumb-Sucking/dp/B00VQU2DZS to know more about the habit of thumb sucking.

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If you've been trying to ignore the habit but your kid is still sucking his thumb, here are some other useful techniques you can try:

Positive support

When you see your kid isn't sucking their thumb, it's time to provide positive reinforcement to boost them. Try utilizing a calendar and stickers every day that thumb sucking was evaded, or reward your child with non-food items to support their pride.

If thumb sucking occurs several times a day, provide positive reinforcement as the child reduces the frequency of the habit. Start with achievable goals and praise your child's good behavior when they don't suck their thumb.

Identify the trigger

While some kids suck their fingers out of an inherent habit, others engage in stress-coping rituals. If your child sucks their thumb in response to stress, identify the trigger and comfort them.

Use gentle reminder

Instead of criticizing your child for sucking their thumb, it's best to use gentle reminders to get them to stop. For example, remind them of all the fun activities they can do with their fingers, such as drawing and painting. Sometimes it's better for kids to come to conclusions on their own.

Business and Management

The Damage That Thumb Sucking Causes

Depending on how aggressive and how often the child sucks his thumb, teeth damage can begin as early as five years of age. Some types of teeth damage are:

Overbite: Due to the mismatch between the front teeth and the lower jaw, the child's bite may be exposed and the front and lower teeth may not touch properly.  You can also visit Nipit to buy the best thumb sucking prevention devices for your child.

Skeletal changes: In more severe cases, skeletal changes can occur that damages the placement of a child's teeth. 

Skin problems: Skin Problems with this behavior are not just limited to the mouth or teeth. They can also negatively affect a child's thumb. Sucking, again and again, can damage the skin of the thumb in question. Causes cracked or bleeding skin, calluses, and an increased risk of infection.

Speech Difficulty: Any damage to a child's mouth and teeth can eventually cause significant speech difficulties, voice distortion, and particularly alter your child's ability to pronounce "d" and "t".

Social Issues: Unfortunately, as we all know, some children can be brutal. This behavior – especially in public places – can lead to ridicule and social isolation for children. 

Unfortunately and ironically, this teasing can increase a child's stress and anxiety. This, in turn, can increase the child's desire to suck his thumb.