Thumb Sucking - A Common Problem For Children

Thumb sucking is a very common problem faced by many children. Many infants develop this habit even before they are born. It provides a level of comfort to the child. It helps the child to settle down as sucking denotes the idea of nutrition. Many a times mother' milk is more than enough to get through this phase of thumb sucking. Thumb sucking can be a very serious problem if not nipped in the butt at the right time. It becomes a habit which continues in your adolescent age. It turns into an addiction which is hard to let go. If this habit continues at the age of five or six it may prove to be very serious. The child can develop problem with teeth as well as fingers.
Thumb sucking is a safety net for the children. Sucking the thumb is very reassuring to the kids. It is being used most of times when the kids are bored, scared, and sick as well as during bed time. Nagging them and scarring them at a tender age of two won't help. When the child reaches an understandable age, the parents should use all the tactics to avoid the escalation of this habit. A toy or a finger puppet can be used to keep the child engaged. By involving the child in various activities you can keep the child focused and busy. Watching TV cannot be termed as an activity.
Due to the continuous thumb sucking the front teeth level is raised. This has to be treated by putting on the braces. This behavior can be easily changed by the initiative taken by the parents and doctors. Keeping the child active is a very important process of discarding this habit. It becomes very important to use and imply different methods and techniques to get rid of this habit. This act is usually given up when they do something interesting and comfortable.
Home Remedy
Applying lemon juice on your child’s finger may help to discard this habit once and for all.
You can also apply bitter gourd on the thumb which is not likeable by many adults.
A Band-Aid wrapped in castor oil and baking soda may also help to get rid of this habit.
Tying socks on your child's hand may also work.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.