The kid sucking a finger is not a rare picture. For the first time, future parents can see her even on an ultrasound scan: many kids so "entertain themselves" in their mother’s stomach. True, over time, the fact that a child sucks a finger causes rather a little anxiety than emotion. Let's figure it out together when this cute prank turns into a bad habit, what is behind this behavior of the child and what should parents do so that the child stops pulling fingers in his mouth.
What does the kid dream about, sucking his finger?
The whole life of a newborn baby is controlled by instincts and reflexes. These are nature-based behavioral programs that help an immature creature survive in a big world. Any actions performed by the child are a signal for mom. The baby needs not so much. The child wants him to:dry and warm, full, safe to be loved, accepted and glad of his appearance.
Children most often report problems of physical comfort with a loud cry (How to understand the reasons for crying?), but if the baby constantly sucks the thumb - mom should "walk" on the remaining items.
Causes of Sucking Fingers
The baby is hungry. Regardless of whether the baby receives breast milk or an adapted mixture, sucking is his only way to get food. By smacking his finger, the child can tell his mother what he wants to eat.- The child experiences emotional discomfort. Children very subtly feel any tension and like a mirror reflect what is happening around. In the first months of life, calm and a sense of security of the child are literally in mother's hands. Anxiety and fears in a baby may not necessarily appear if open conflicts occur at home. The appearance of a stranger or unfamiliar person is also a big blow to the feeling of security, and if this person also picks up his hands, stress cannot be avoided. The mother’s breast is a guarantee of safety for the baby, because sucking is not only a way of eating. This is an opportunity to calm down, to feel that he is protected and not at risk. That is why in stress, babies begin to suck a finger as a substitute for their mother’s breasts.
- The child feels a lack of emotional and physical contact with his mother. It’s very important for a baby to feel with every cell of his body that he is welcome, beloved, that everyone is happy in this world. Parental love is the resource through which development and maturation occur. At an early age, the best way to show your love and acceptance is through physical contact, including through breast sucking. If the baby is not often at the chest, it sucks a finger to compensate for this.
- Another reason why a child sucks a finger has nothing to do with the innate reflex. Everything can be much more prosaic: the child has an active teething stage. During this period, children not only suck and gnaw fists, they pull everything in their mouth with which to "scratch" the gums.
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Where do reflexes end and problems begin?
1 year
A baby sucking a finger rarely causes anxiety in adults. Much more problematic is the situation when the child is one year old and he sucks a finger. Parents of one-year-old children can also still relate to a similar problem without much fear. At this age, sucking continues to be reflexive, and you can get rid of an unwanted habit if you correctly understand the reason and try to eliminate it.
2 years
With biennials, the situation is somewhat more serious. If a child at 2 years old continues to suck a finger, parents should think about the psychological well-being of the baby. Fear, anxiety, insecurity in oneself and one's relatives, trauma of attachment, and many other reasons that have psychological roots can be behind such behavior.
Wean the baby to suck a finger: do "once", do "two"
The older the child, the more profound are the causes of his “sucking” problem. This means that parents will have to make more efforts to eliminate the bad habit.
In order not to aggravate the situation, it is better to respond to the first “symptoms”. Even for those who are still faced with this problem, it is useful to know how to wean a child from sucking a finger. This knowledge will help to take preventive measures and save the whole family from worries.
- Do not deprive a child breastfeedingif there are no serious obstacles for this (severe illness of the mother, taking medications that are not compatible with feeding). Breast for a child is not only breast milk, but also safety, security, mother's affection and love.
- Refuse dummies and other “mother substitutes” (how to wean a baby from a nipple?) Offer your child a chest literally for every squeak. It is reliably known that children receiving breasts on demand do not have problems with sucking fingers, because their sucking reflex is completely satisfied.
- Protect your baby from unnecessary stress. The rule "calm mother - calm child" operates without fail. Remember that for a newborn child, his mother is his whole world, so you should not overload the baby with new impressions, acquaintances, information. Just be always there, be responsive to his needs. All tensions and conflicts should remain outside the door of a home with a child.
- With a grown up baby who has not suckled for a long time, increase the number of physical contacts. Gentle hugs, kisses, invitations “on the hands”, felting in bed, reading a fairy tale by Mom’s lap - all this brings together and fills the child with a sense of self-worth for an adult.
- Stock up on rubber “teething teeth”. It is better to anticipate the child’s desire to suck a finger, showing that for these purposes there are more interesting objects. Let these useful toys be always at hand.
- Hold back negative reactions to the child who sucks a finger. In public, you can safely remove the handle from your mouth, distract. At home, it is best to actively deal with the causes. Just imagine: the child is already bad, he knows how, he is trying to cope with his stress, and his beloved mother scolds him for it, driving him into even more stress.
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Here, look another way:
What to refrain from during the weaning of crumbs from sucking fingers?
Do not smear the baby's fingers with mustard, garlic and other special bitter creams. A child can burn the mucous membrane of the mouth and walls of the stomach;- No need to scream at the child. Why injure the fragile psyche;
- Do not use special fingertips and other gloves and mittens.
Using these methods will only lead to the whims of the baby.
Main secret
If you spin and fall into despair in search of a “recipe” on how to wean a child from sucking a finger, stop. Yes, this is an alarm. Yes, you need to work with this. But this is not a disaster that has irreversible consequences. Wean a child from sucking fingers is possible only gradually. Be patient, and consistently, with love, give the child what he really needs, create a favorable environment for his life and development. The well-being of children is always in the hands of parents. Let this thought add you strength, and then the chances of success will certainly become higher.
Read on:
In fact, a very serious problem has been raised, well, hunger or teeth are being cut, it’s much harder to determine the reasons for emotional discomfort, because it depends on the character of the baby and I can’t disagree with the author - a calm mother is a calm child - it's true, it’s harder to wean a nipple there are continuous tantrums and give
Weaned the child gradually, removing his hand from his mouth. And then something occupied him, diverted attention. The process was long, the main thing is to be patient and control your emotions and not scream at the child.
My youngest daughter is 3 months old, she’s on GV and if she starts smacking her fist, she really either wants to eat, or if she just ate, then it’s most likely just a desire to be with me, I pick her up, she decently smack a tit for a couple of times on and off. And the eldest 3 years old, sucked a finger up to 8 months, did not like nipples, but then by itself passed, she probably matured :)
We had this problem when I began to wean the baby from the nipple, that is, not to give it (at 2 years old). Moreover, I did it abruptly, so the baby had no choice but to replace the nipple with my finger. When I realized that I was in a hurry, I just returned the nipple. Now the baby was pleased with the returned nipple and forgot about his hand. We quietly took the pacifier, so now we are proudly walking without it. We are 2.5 years old.
Our boy just started going to kindergarten and a week later began to take fingers in his mouth. And the Circassians got sick for a week. The doctor said that she most likely carried dirt from her hands. I do not know what to do. Help!
We will be 3 years old in November.
I couldn’t wean my eldest son from sucking a finger for a long time until I read the advice of one mother on the Internet.She wrote that the finger must be RELIABLE to wrap with a band-aid so that the child could not swallow it at night. I did so. My son cried, was naughty, but I didn’t take it off, did a massage for the night, so he fell asleep. A week later, the child forgot about the finger. And one more condition. It is necessary to wean up to 1.5 years, until he realizes that the patch can be peeled off. They write, on the Internet, emotional and psychological disorders. It must be neat and painless. And if it drags on, there is a risk that the habit will remain. The older the child, the more difficult it is to wean. I know cases until the eleventh grade finger is sucked. I am still grateful to that mom for advice on the Internet. So brave parents, wean from sucking a finger, from this harmful and unnecessary habit.
My son is almost 8 years old. I have been struggling with this habit for many years. And whatever I do, he continues to suck his thumb. I just don’t know what to do. At lessons, he watches TV, falls asleep — constantly a finger in his mouth. As soon as he is in a calm state (stops playing, becomes active) - he immediately pulls a finger in his mouth. What to do?
Good day! We have a 1.10 sword, a finger stubbornly all this time, breastfeeding ended at 6 months. And we just didn’t do it: they took him away with other activities, said greenback, pepper, glued the priest. Nothing! nothing helps. Any of our influences on the finger ends with his tantrums. At night it’s a nightmare! All this time. I don’t sleep at night, because smacking the finger prevents anyone from sleeping either with the child or everyone else. It’s just despair that has been seen for almost 2 years now. I’m already silent that on the street everyone began to pay attention to finger sucking (unhygienic) .. and I am ashamed ((((... and even so I noticed that my bite was changing. That is, the front teeth began to move forward. ((.
Also, like you all, I'm struggling with this problem. Sometimes even hands drop. But at night, the daughter’s finger does not suck. I put on her pajamas with my sleeves sewn up) and I don’t mind. I'm used to it already