Expert Advice for Kindergarten
How do I get my 5 year old to stop sucking his thumb? I have tried many different things and he still does it.
- Heather, Erie, PA
Debbie Drown, Educator, Principal, says:
Thumb-sucking may be just a comforting habit, or it may be stress or anxiety related. First try to determine if there are certain times that your child sucks his thumb. For example, does it happen when he is in an uncomfortable situation, or when he has to do something he doesn't want to do?
Does it happen at a particular time of day or night. You may want to take a few days to chart his behaviors to make these determinations. Once you have done this, I would recommend the following:
- Talk to your child about the problems that sucking his thumb could cause him in terms of dental and speech issues. Don't address it in terms of it not looking good or being inappropriate.
- Your child is also old enough for you to talk to him about what you've noticed about when he sucks his thumb so that he is also aware of his own behaviors.
- Develop a signal with your child that you can use when in public to let him know that he needs to take his thumb out of his mouth.
- You may also want to provide him with a stress ball (the squishy kind) that he is able to squeeze and play with instead of sucking his thumb. You will need to explain this to him and encourage him to use it when you give him the signal.
- Make a plan with him that rewards him for responding to your signal (short-term) and for going for predetermined periods of time without sucking his thumb.
