{"id":50265,"date":"2025-04-25T21:23:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T01:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/mayo-health-library\/thumb-sucking-help-your-child-break-the-habit\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:49:34","slug":"thumb-sucking-help-your-child-break-the-habit","status":"publish","type":"mayo","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/mayo-health-library\/thumb-sucking-help-your-child-break-the-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"Thumb sucking: Help your child break the habit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thumb sucking is a common habit among children. At some point, though, you might think, “Enough is enough.” Here’s help encouraging your child to stop the behavior.<\/p>\n

Babies have natural rooting and sucking reflexes, which can cause them to put their thumbs or fingers into their mouths — sometimes even before birth. Because thumb sucking makes babies feel secure, some babies might eventually develop a habit of thumb sucking when they’re in need of soothing or going to sleep.<\/p>\n

Many children stop sucking their thumbs on their own, often by age 6 or 7 months or between ages 2 and 4.<\/p>\n

But even a child who’s stopped sucking his or her thumb might go back to the behavior during times of stress.<\/p>\n

Thumb sucking isn’t usually a concern until a child’s permanent teeth come in. At this point, thumb sucking might begin to affect the roof of the mouth (palate) or how the teeth line up. The risk of dental problems is related to how often, how long and how intensely your child sucks on his or her thumb.<\/p>\n

Although some experts recommend addressing sucking habits before age 3, the American Academy of Pediatrics says treatment is usually limited to children who continue thumb sucking after turning 5.<\/p>\n

Talk to your child about thumb sucking. You’re more likely to be successful in stopping the habit if your child wants to stop and helps choose the method involved.<\/p>\n

Sometimes paying no attention to thumb sucking is enough to stop the behavior — especially if your child uses thumb sucking to get attention. If ignoring it isn’t effective, try one of these techniques:<\/p>\n