How to stop your baby from sucking fingers

A toddler sucking a finger is not a rare picture. For the first time, future parents can see her on an ultrasound scan: many kids "entertain" themselves in this way in their mother's belly. True, over time, the fact that a child sucks a finger causes a slight anxiety rather than tenderness. Let's figure it out together when this cute prank develops into a bad habit, what is behind such a child's behavior and what parents should do so that the child stops pulling fingers into his mouth.

What does a baby dream about while sucking a finger?

The whole life of a newborn baby is governed by instincts and reflexes. These are such natural programs of behavior that help an immature creature to survive in the big world. Any actions performed by the child are a signal for the mother. The baby has few needs. The child wants him to be:dry and warm, well-fed, safe, to be loved, accepted and welcomed by his appearance.

Children often report problems of physical comfort with loud crying (how to understand the reasons for crying?), But if the baby is constantly sucking his thumb, the mother should "go through" the remaining items.

Finger Sucking Reasons

The child is hungry. Whether the baby is receiving breast milk or an adapted formula, sucking is his only way to get food. By smacking his finger, the child can tell his mother that he is hungry.
The child is experiencing emotional discomfort. Children are very sensitive to any tension and, like a mirror, reflect what is happening around. In the first months of life, the calmness and a sense of safety of the child are literally in mother's hands. Anxiety and fears in a baby may not necessarily appear if open conflicts occur at home. The appearance of a stranger or unfamiliar person is also a big blow to the feeling of security, and if this person also picks up, stress cannot be avoided. The guarantee of safety for the child is the mother's breast, because sucking is not only a way of feeding. This is an opportunity to calm down, to feel that he is protected and not under threat. That is why, in stress, babies begin to suck their thumb as a substitute for their mother's breast.
The child feels a lack of emotional and physical contact with the mother. It is very important for a kid to feel with every cell of his body that he is desired, beloved, that everyone is happy for him in this world. Parental love is the resource through which development and maturation occurs. At an early age, the best way to show love and acceptance is through physical contact, including sucking on the breast. If the baby does not come to the breast often - he sucks his thumb to compensate for this.
Another reason why a child sucks a finger has nothing to do with an innate reflex. Everything can be much more prosaic: the child has entered the active stage of teething. During this period, children not only suck and gnaw on their fists, they pull everything into their mouths that can "scratch" the gums.

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Where do reflexes end and problems begin?

1 year

A thumb sucking baby is rarely anxiety-provoking in adults. Much more problematic seems to be the situation when the child is a year old, and he sucks his thumb. Parents of one-year-old children, too, can still treat such a problem without much fear. At this age, sucking continues to be reflex, and you can get rid of the unwanted habit if you correctly understand the cause and try to eliminate it.

2 years

The situation with two-year-olds is somewhat more serious. If a child at 2 years old continues to suck his thumb, parents should think about the psychological well-being of the baby. Behind such behavior can be fears, anxieties, lack of confidence in oneself and in one's loved ones, trauma of attachment, and many other reasons that have psychological roots.

Wean the baby to suck his thumb: do "one", do "two"

The older the child is, the deeper are the reasons for his "sucking" problem. This means that parents will have to make more efforts to eliminate the bad habit.

In order not to aggravate the situation, it is better to react to the first "symptoms". Even for those who are still faced with this problem, it is useful to know how to wean a child from thumb sucking. This knowledge will help to take preventive measures and relieve the whole family of worries.

Do not deprive the baby of breastfeeding, unless there are serious obstacles for this (serious illness of the mother, taking medications that are not compatible with feeding). A breast for a child is not only mother's milk, but also safety, security, mother's affection and love.
Give up pacifiers and other "substitute mom" (how to wean a baby from a pacifier?). Offer your baby a breast for every squeak. It is reliably known that babies who receive breasts on demand do not have problems with finger sucking, since their sucking reflex is completely satisfied.
Protect your baby from unnecessary stress. The rule “calm mother - calm child” works flawlessly. Remember that for a newborn child, the mother is his whole world, so you should not overload the baby with new impressions, acquaintances, information. Just be always there, be responsive to his needs. All tensions and conflicts should remain outside the threshold of the house where the child is.
With an older baby who has not sucked for a long time, increase the number of physical contacts. Gentle hugs, kisses, invitations to "handles", felting together in bed, reading a fairy tale on my mother's lap - all this brings the child very close and fills the child with a sense of his own importance for an adult.
Stock up on rubber teething cheeks. It is better to anticipate the child's desire to suck a finger by showing that there are more interesting objects for this purpose. Keep these useful toys always at hand.
Restrain negative reactions to the thumb sucking baby. In public, you can safely remove the pen from your mouth, distract. At home, it is best to actively deal with the causes. Just imagine: the child is already feeling bad, he is trying to cope with his stress as best he can, and his beloved mother scolds him for this, driving him into even more stress.

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Here's another way:

What to refrain from while weaning crumbs from sucking fingers?

Do not smear the child's fingers with mustard, garlic and other special bitter creams. The child can burn the lining of the mouth and stomach walls;
No need to yell at the child. Why injure a fragile psyche;
Do not use special fingertips and other gloves and mittens.

Using these methods will only lead to the whims of the baby.

The main secret

If you twist and fall into despair in search of a “recipe” for how to stop your child from sucking his thumb, stop. Yes, this is a wake-up call. Yes, you have to work with it. But this is not a catastrophe with irreversible consequences. You can only gradually wean your child from thumb sucking. Be patient, and consistently, with love, give the child what he really needs, create a favorable environment for his life and development. The well-being of children is always in the hands of parents. Let this thought give you more strength, and then the chances of success will certainly increase.

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