Thumb sucking is a very common habit in babies and young children. Babies have an innate reflex, which can cause them to put their fingers and everything in their mouths. This is the survival instinct that every child has from birth.
For most children, thumb sucking decreases between the ages of 2 and 4. As children get older and these habits, they usually drop out of school due to peer pressure. You can Click here to know about the methods of getting rid of thumb sucking and finger sucking habits.
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Thumb sucking is not a problem until your child is 5 years old. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, thumb-sucking treatment is not aimed until the child is still strictly thumb sucking by age 5.
Treatment starts at home – there is no magic pill or medicine that will make your child stop sucking his thumb. Once these habits are put into practice, it is difficult to quit like smoking, drinking booze, or biting nails which many adults face.
Negative reinforcement doesn't work – you may have heard parents offer to cover their child's nails with hot sauce, soap, or vinegar to prevent your child from sucking their thumb. This is not a proven or effective way to remedy the situation, and honestly it does.
Positive correction is best – some children naturally rebel, which makes using negative reinforcement more difficult. With positive correction and reinforcement, children received gentle reminders when they looked at them with their thumb in their mouth, rewards for not sucking their thumbs, and praise for correcting their own actions.