Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes Most Parents Try

For most parents, stopping the thumb sucking habit is really tough. Spend a little time reading the finger and thumb sucking product reviews now, and save a lot of time, money and frustration later.

1. Try the cheapest anti thumb sucking product and hope for the best. If it doesn’t work, then get serious.
   Finger sucking is serious business for your child and you should not take stopping the habit lightly. If your child tries to stop thumb sucking and fails, she may feel disappointed and lose self-confidence, and be less willing to try something else. With your super busy schedule, you don’t have time for failure and restarting. It is better to make sure you and your child are ready, you have discussed it and you are both ready.
2. Punish your child when you catch them sucking their thumb.
   Studies show that negative reinforcement (punishment) is demotivating and leads to 300% lower probability of success of stopping thumb sucking. Do not scold, criticize or ridicule your child. Instead, praise your child throughout the day and celebrate every little progress. Through positive reinforcement you build up their own willpower and strengthen the parent-child bond. Your child will love the attention, feel good, and become self-motivated to quit thumb sucking.
3. Attempt to break the thumb sucking habit during a major life event.
   Preventing finger sucking is quite possibly the most difficult thing your child will do in their young life. For them, it can be a major life event. Therefore do not attempt to stop thumb sucking during another major life event such as a move, starting a new school year, or near the birth of a sibling.
4. Have unrealistic expectations and break the habit in one week.
   Although it is possible to stop thumb sucking in under a week, for the majority of kids it takes one or two months for them to fully be rid of the habit. To succeed both you and your child should be realistic about the time and struggles you will endure in stopping the thumb sucking habit. Be encouraged by gradual changes that make a big difference over time.
5. Do not motivate or reward your child.
   Motivation is the key to changing an unwanted behavior in your child (and adults). If your child is not motivated, failure is guaranteed. Children can be easily motivated in many ways such as by praise throughout the day, an extra scoop of ice cream, and small daily rewards. Make a plan to keep your child encouraged throughout the process and want to stop thumb sucking, and involve them in the process of choosing the right thumb sucking product.