How to wean a baby to suck a finger

Young parents face many challenges. Especially if this is the first child. It is difficult to wean the baby from the diaper or nipples. This requires patience and wisdom from the parents. Sometimes, as a result of successful weaning from the nipple, another trouble arises - the baby sucks a finger.

For a baby, the sucking reflex is natural. Even before his birth, he sucks a finger in his mother's stomach. Such a picture can often be observed during an ultrasound. After birth, this reflex is very important. It allows the baby to get food and, as a result, to support the vital activity of the body.

What to do when there is no need for this reflex, but it remains? Children sometimes have the habit of thumb sucking up to eight years. How to solve this problem?

The causes of the habit of sucking the finger in a child

For a start, young parents should calm down and remember that until the age of 18, the child certainly will not suck his thumb. Sooner or later it will pass. But be sure to understand the reasons. This behavior can signal the following problems:

The baby does not have enough attention.

Do you often pick him up, talk to him, play? Do not leave the child alone for long. Even when you are busy with your business, let them just play alongside you. He needs to feel loved and protected.

The child is in a state of constant stress.

Even if you do not scold and punish the child, perhaps they offend him in kindergarten? Also think about it, how often does he witness family quarrels and conflicts? Protect it from stress, eliminate annoying factors. Make sure that the atmosphere in the house is calm.

The baby is experiencing discomfort at the moment.

The desire to suck a finger in an awkward moment, for example, when meeting new people, when he pissed himself off or was scolded because of the need to regain composure, to feel peace. Indeed, in his subconscious the memories are still fresh when he received positive emotions and a feeling of peace from sucking the mother’s breast or the nipple. In adulthood, this transforms into the habit of nibbling a pen or pencil, nails, tearing off the cuticle at the time of nervous tension.

Teeth begin to be cut.

The smallest begin to suck a finger at the moment when the time of the appearance of the first teeth approaches. This is a reaction to itching and discomfort in the gums. Older children should also pay attention to the condition of the teeth.

The child feels hungry.

This is one of the most common reasons. The sucking reflex is directly related to food reflexes. If the baby wants a breast, a nipple with porridge, then he unknowingly starts sucking his finger. In some children, this habit persists until school age.

The fact that the baby constantly sucks a finger is not a big problem. But you need to get rid of it. In the future, this habit can cause the formation of abnormal bite, speech defects, ridicule from peers. And this, in turn, will negatively affect the baby’s self-esteem. Therefore, young parents should pay due attention to this issue.

How to wean a child from an unpleasant habit

If you want your baby to stop sucking your finger, follow these rules:

Do not scold the child when you see that he is doing it again.

It is better to distract him, put a toy in your hands, show something interesting.

Talk to the baby.

Explain well that sucking a finger is ugly, it looks funny from the side, there are microbes on the hands, which then get into the tummy, etc.

Treat everything with humor.

There is such an effective method - the "mirror". If the child begins to behave badly, you need to "mirror" his behavior, kindly making fun of him. For example, in this situation, when you see that the baby pulls fingers in your mouth, start sucking your finger. At the same time strongly emphasize the absurdity of the situation and laugh at it. The main thing is not to shame the child, to say hurtful words to him, to invent nicknames. First of all, he expects goodness and protection from parents.

Make a reminder.

Most often, the baby begins to suck his finger unconsciously, at the moment of deep thought. Put gloves on your kid's hands or wrap your fingers with a plaster. You can paint them with colored felt-tip pens so that the child does not take it as a punishment. Explain to him why. Every time he puts his fingers into his mouth, a plaster will serve as a warning to him that this cannot be done.

Use a special coating for nails.

There are varnishes and enamels, which have an unpleasant, bitter taste. They are non-toxic and are designed to wean children and adults biting their nails. In this case, they will also help.

Do not make this a serious problem in the eyes of a baby.

If he feels shame, guilt, his own inferiority because of his habit, the situation will only get worse.

Try to negotiate.

You can already have a dialogue with a child 5-6 years old and older. Promise him what he wants - a toy, a book, a walk to an amusement park. For this, he must not suck a finger for a week. At the weekend - encouragement. Repeat this every week. After a while, the child will learn to control himself.

Buy a child Rubik's Cube or Tetris.

These toys will help to occupy your hands at the time of thought or an awkward situation. In addition, they develop logic, visual memory, spatial thinking and fine motor skills.

The habit of thumb sucking in children under 4 years old can be ignored. It is worth fighting with it if other manifestations of nervousness are observed - absent-mindedness, irritability. Also, the baby can gnaw nails, hair, perform other actions that indicate an alarming condition. If the habit of sucking a finger is observed in a child aged five years old and conversations do not help, it is worth contacting a child psychologist.

In any case that concerns the education of children, there is no place in a hurry. Be patient. Do not scold the child. Pay attention to his self-esteem, peer relationships. Eliminate the factors that may cause increased anxiety. Surround the baby with care and love!