About Thumb Sucking

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 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.

How to get rid of thumb habit behaviors

There are many different ways that you can support your child to stop thumb-sucking behaviors. The most common techniques are:

·  Books

· Thumb-sucking nail polish

· Thumb-sucking devices

Books

We believe that books are a wonderful way to talk about thumb-sucking with your child. Children love stories, and a story can help draw the child’s attention to their thumb-sucking habit. If the protagonist of the book uses a specific coping strategy, the child will often try to reenact it themself.

There are many books on the market. We liked Anna and Dedo, as it provides a beautiful story with the child being the heroine of the story. Additionally, Thumbs Up, Brown Bear is a cute story that can help your child as well.

You can find an overview as well as detailed book reviews of the most popular children’s books on the Thumb Heroes website under ‘Book Review.’ You will also find a dedicated section about Self-Help Books on Thumb Heroes, too.

Thumb Sucking Nail Polish

Thumb-sucking nail polish can act as a thumb-sucking deterrent, but most children are not put off by this because the urge to suck their thumb is much stronger than the short-term experience of a bitter taste. However, in combination with other strategies, a bitter taste can help remind the child that they are about to suck their thumb, thereby increasing their awareness of the habit.

Thumb Sucking Device

There are many products on the market (often called “thumb-sucking devices”) that are designed to stop thumb-sucking. The most popular ones are Dr. Thumb and T-Guard. You can find a detailed description of the methods, the procedures, and the best products available on the Product Review page of Thumb Heroes.

There are many other ways how you can support your child in the process to stop thumb-sucking, too. You can find a huge variety of tips and tricks, tools, and resources on the Thumb Heroes website.

Most importantly, don´t be discouraged by setbacks. Sometimes, you and your child may take two steps forward and one step back. Upcoming changes may lead to the child sucking their thumb more often as well. This is perfectly normal and just part of the weaning process. Don’t be discouraged by it.