Why You Need To Stop Thumb Sucking Today
Why You Need To Stop Thumb Sucking Today
We have all spent some time at one stage awing over a small child sucking their thumb – it is one of the most innocent images in the world. Children are extremely calming when they are sucking their thumb and it can really take your mind off everything else.
Sadly, thumb sucking stops being cute and starts being a problem at ages 4-5. This is immediately an issue for two reasons;
- Your child will be going to school soon – this type of behavior could lead them to have some troubles at school
- Their teeth will be coming in now, and this will cause some pretty severe problems if they are allowed to be pushed to the sides
Therefore, if your child is either starting school or is around the age of five and is still sucking their thumb, it’s time to get a bit tougher. Most children go snap out of it, as they realize it is “childish” but not all do. This can create a pretty much instant issue if your child is reluctant to stop or flat out refuses. In that case, you need to be a little bit sneakier to convince them that stopping is in their interests.
Thumb Sucking Problems
However, stopping thumbsucking can help you dodge the following problems;
- Social issues and bullying problems
- Lisping
- Dental problems
- Overbite
- Imprecise pronunciation
- Braces
Now, these are all mostly worst case scenarios and some smart play on your part can save of these problems becoming a reality. Parents have tried positive reinforcement techniques, scalding their child, painting their nails, thumb plasters, the lot. Sometimes, kids are just going to be silly and stubborn about things like this and you need to get a bit more intense.
Keep an eye on their teeth
As long as your child has stopped before the age of six max, you should be fine. Keeping an eye on your child’s teeth is important and if you notice any imperfections, you need to step things up a notch.
You don’t want to scare your child, of course, but showing them a picture of what COULD happen to their teeth is a very good way of changing their mind about starting or stopping their favorite habit. You might feel a bit bad for having to give your child a fright, but if you have been through the usual repertoire of other techniques it may be all that you have left!.