Every one of us has seen it at some point. An adorable young child, thumb jammed firmly in their mouth. And another arm wrapped around their favorite stuffed animal. Their eyes are closed, their cheeks are suckling gently, and they look completely and totally at peace. Maybe you take out your phone and snap a picture or two, smiling as you wish for that kind of innocence and peace.
Sucking a thumb or finger (s) typically is not a concern for children preschool age or younger. Most children will stop on their own if you give them time between the ages of 3 to 6 years. This coincides with when a child is old enough to be able to have a productive conversation about the habit. We have found that for most kids this does not happen before age 5 or 6, though sometimes we try to “plant the seed” of stopping the habit earlier as something to consider “for when the big teeth try to come in.”
