- 1). Talk to your child about her thumb-sucking habit if she is at least 4 or 5 and can understand you. Show her her teeth and smile in a mirror. Explain how thumb-sucking can cause her teeth to become crooked.
- 2). Curtail the amount of time your child watches television for the first week if it seems to add to the problem. Her hands are free during this time, and she'll be more apt to stick a thumb in her mouth. Instead of watching TV, encourage your child to play games, do crafts and keep her hands busy with other activities.
- 3). Make sure your child eats plenty of healthy foods and gets a sufficient amount of sleep to help lower her stress levels. Try not to place her in stressful situations that can trigger thumb-sucking.
- 4). Set goals for your child to stop being a thumb-sucker. Regular goals will her succeed.
Start with small goals such as not sucking her thumb for part of a day or a whole day, according to WebMD. Set longer goals after the first one is reached. When your child reaches a goal, let her choose a reward. Examples of rewards are sugar-free candy and treats, inexpensive toys or going to the park. - 5). Place a bandage around your child's thumb or paint it with a nontoxic liquid that's designed to help thumb-suckers stop if they're having trouble quitting. It reminds your child by sight about her bad habit. It also tastes bad to help dissuade her from putting her thumb in their mouth.
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