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IT\u2019S NOT ALWAYS<\/b> easy to know the best thing to do as a parent. Every child is different and there isn\u2019t a handy instruction manual. One question on many new parents\u2019 minds is when to start discouraging a child from sucking their thumbs or using pacifiers. We might not be able to answer all of your parenting questions, but we have this one covered.<\/p>\nBabies And Toddlers Benefit From These Habits<\/h3>\n
Sucking on anything and everything is a natural reflex for babies. It\u2019s soothing and comforting for them, especially when they\u2019re teething. There\u2019s no reason to discourage thumb sucking or pacifier use for babies and toddlers.<\/strong> It will help them sleep, stay calm when separated from you, and even reduce the risk of SIDS<\/a>.<\/p>\n Many parents are anxious to curb a pacifier or thumb-sucking habit behind as soon as possible because they worry it will cause the adult teeth to grow in crooked. This is a valid concern, but not before a child is about four years old<\/strong>, at which point most will stop sucking their thumbs on their own. If they don\u2019t, it\u2019s time to start weaning them off it.<\/p>\n Vigorous thumb sucking beyond age four can change the shape of the palate and cause an open bite<\/strong> in the permanent teeth. An open bite is where the front upper and lower teeth slant outward and do not touch when the teeth are closed, which causes problems with chewing and speaking clearly.<\/p>\n These dental problems are a bigger risk for thumb suckers than pacifier users, because you can simply take the pacifier away if they won\u2019t stop using it on their own. Hopefully you\u2019ll be able to get your child to stop sucking their thumb by age five, but if they\u2019re close to their sixth birthday with no signs of stopping, it\u2019s time to get serious<\/strong>. Here are a few strategies<\/a> to try:<\/p>\nWhen Should Thumb Sucking Stop?<\/h3>\n
Strategies For Breaking The Thumb-Sucking Habit<\/h3>\n
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