Q&A: How do I stop thumb-sucking?

While parents often ask how to get their children to stop thumb sucking, this very common habit of early childhood is usually best handled by simply ignoring it. This is considered the best approach, not only because thumb-sucking is a very common way for young children to comfort themselves and deal with stress, but also because it is not thought to pose any real problem for most kids. Imposing punishments not only doesn't tend to work very well—and can have negative effects on a child emotionally. Instead, try using positive reinforcement and praise if/when your child doesn't suck his thumb, and take comfort in knowing that most kids outgrow this habit on their own by the age of 4 or 5. Should children start to show any signs of changes in their teeth or mouth because of persistent thumb-sucking, or should the habit persist beyond the age of 5 or continue once the adult teeth start coming in, don't hesitate to enlist additional help and advice from your child's dentist or pediatrician.