Psychology behind Thumb-sucking




Have you ever wondered why a child thumb sucks? If there are any side effects to it? Deformation of the finger?
Why it happens?
The reason your toddler or child such their thumbs is because it’s the way of comforting themselves and it calms them down. It is very normal because even when the baby is in their mother’s womb they practice it too. The reason he/she might suck their thumb is related to being tired, scared, bored, sick. Another reason would be to fall asleep or makes him/ her go to sleep in the middle of the night.

How to react to it?
1.   Don't worry. According to the American Dental Association, they state that, “most children can safely suck their thumb – without damaging the alignment of their teeth or jaws – until their permanent teeth begin to appear.” They add “It's the intensity of the sucking and the tongue's thrust that deforms teeth and makes braces necessary later.”
2.   Observe your child's technique. If your child sucks his thumb vigorously, then you might need to stop this habit by the age of 4. Consult your doctor if you notice any change in the form of your child’s teeth. Also, if you found redness on his/her thumb then just add a moisturizer while he/she sleeps so he/she doesn’t suck it. The normal age your child should stop thumb-sucking is between 2-4.

3.   Let it go. Don’t punish your child or nag him/her to stop thumb sucking, pressuring your son/daughter will only cause desire to thumb suck. Your child thumb-sucks to feel comfortable, any bandage or bitter cream to make him/her stop will make him/her feel like they are punished.
4.   Prevent thumb-sucking by doing many activities. Monitor your child and identify the times and places where your child thumb sucks the most, examples could be while watching television, studying, before sleeping, or even hunger. Solutions could be give him/her a stress ball, putting low music and so on. According to the American Dental Association they state, “If he tends to suck his thumb when he's tired, try letting him nap longer. Or if he turns to it when he's frustrated, help him put his feelings into words.” Try to notice to divert the attention.


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