How to Stop a 6 Month Old from Thumb Sucking
- April 5, 2016
- by Melissa Lawrence
Hello everyone. A viewer wrote in asking how to stop her six month old from thumb sucking. I tackle her question in today’s new video.
Thumb-sucking
Why do babies suck their thumb? From what my doctor told me, when babies are young, they are transitioning from the warm, cozy feeling they have in the womb. When they awaken, they flail around not knowing how to comfort themselves. When babies find their thumb, they can self-soothe and therefore comfort themselves and put themselves back to sleep. That’s a key developmental milestone for tired parents.
I go into more detail in today’s video, but my short answer to this viewer’s question is let your baby suck away. You want your baby to independently self-soothe so that you are off the hook! You WANT your baby to suck his thumb. Later on, you can worry about how to stop your baby from sucking his thumb. All five of my kids sucked their fingers or thumbs, and so far, their teeth are doing OK. Most (although I will admit, not all) have been weaned from the habit using a few tricks from my doctor and friends that help them learn to stop thumb sucking.
Thanks so much for reading and check out today’s video for more details!
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