Why Kids Suck Their Thumb or Pacifier
Both thumb sucking and pacifier use habits are actually a form of self soothing that your child likely uses when they are very upset, or feeling stressed, confused, frustrated, or unable to properly express the emotions. If your child is a regular thumb sucker, or wants to use the pacifier almost constantly, try to taper off these habits at a young age.
If your child continues to suck a thumb or request a pacifier consistently after leaving toddler-hood, this could be a source of concern, and it should be addressed with Drs. Bommarito, Cascioli, Zariczniak and our staff. We will be able to evaluate your child’s mouth to look for any signs of damage such as palate changes or teeth shifting.
Say Goodbye to Old Habits
In the event that your child is reluctant to give up a pacifier or sucking their thumb, there are a few things you can do to discourage these behaviors.
- When you notice that your child is not using a pacifier or sucking a thumb, give praise. This positive reinforcement can be much more effective than scolding the child.
- Consider a reward system for giving up the habit. If the child goes a certain amount of time without this behavior, award them for being such a “big kid.”
- Employ the help of older siblings or relatives that your child admires. When a child’s role model says that he or she stopped sucking thumbs at a certain age, your child is likely to try to emulate that.
