2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
At different ages, children can suck their fingers. This often becomes a problem and worries parents who fear unpleasant consequences in the future. So how dangerous is it that a child sucks his fingers, and what to do about it?
Baby
It turns out that the reasons for this habit are different for children of different ages. So, a tiny baby is just trying to satisfy one of the basic instincts of life - suckling. It is thanks to him that babies from the very moment of birth know that the most important thing for them is to fill their tummy with milk. The intensity of sucking that each baby needs is very individual. One is quite enough for 15-20 minutes, and the desire to suck something else does not arise. And the other child suckles the breast for half an hour, and when it is taken away, he also tries to smack his fist. All these children are absolutely normal, and their reflex, according to experts, is predetermined by heredity. Until the age of three or four months, the baby will suck especially intensively, and then the reflex will begin to fade. Some give up sucking as early as six months, but this usually happens around the age of one. If a baby who is breastfeeding is trying to suck a finger, mom should try to keep it at the breast longer. And if the baby -artificial, it is worth trying to make a hole in the nipple of his bottle smaller so that the mixture flows more slowly and he has to work longer.
Older kids
It happens that even at an older age, a child sucks his fingers. After a year, this is usually due to the fact that he is facing some kind of problem, and he is trying to solve it. For example, a toddler cannot settle down to sleep, or lacks new experiences and freedom of action because he is often in a stroller. It should be understood that all children differ in temperament and what pleases one may become a source of grief for another. So, for a shy baby, the excessive intensity of the game and the abundance of comrades will also be a factor of uncertainty. This should be taken into account in the process of raising children. By looking closely at their treasure, parents can usually determine what exactly is bothering him. Finally, babies suck their fingers, who lack parental attention and care, in general, love. Therefore, if a child sucks his fingers, you need to try to make changes in his life that will make it more comfortable for him.
What not to do
At any age, you should not use methods that will physically limit the baby. For example, tie your hands or smear your finger with mustard. This will only make him nervous and insecure, and will not remove the reason for sucking. Similarly, no need to scold a two-year-old and threaten him with punishment. An attempt to bribe such a child will not help either, he is still completelyis unaware of his actions. But for children five years old and older, bribery is appropriate.
What will help
So, if a child sucks his fingers in infancy, you need to do everything to satisfy his sucking reflex. Sometimes a pacifier helps with this. And older children in this way try to cheer themselves up, solve some problem. Experts believe that parents should not worry when the baby sucks his fingers before eating - he is just hungry. In any case, sucking becomes less frequent by the age of three, and by the age of six it mostly disappears completely. Thumb sucking is a bad habit. Although its harmful effect on the growth of permanent teeth is exaggerated, because they appear after the age of six.
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