My sister is driving me insane. She is trying to wean her son off a pacifier, by showing him how to suck his thumb instead. I know he’s not my kid, but it seems to me that she is just replacing one bad habit with another… which she will then have to wean him from (again). Some kids start sucking their thumbs on their own, and it can be a tough one to break. If your kid is a chronic thumb sucker, check out these tips for stopping it by Alison at Pint Sized Treasures. I feel like we’ll be needing it later:
-Recognize that it is a habit, not a bad behavior. Therefore, it should not be punished.
-Think of a reward system that your child will respond to. Set a goal. If she goes for two nights without thumb sucking, then she can go out for icecream! (or something similar).
-Remind your child of other comforts during tempting times (a favorite blanket, teddybear, etc.)