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It is not uncommon for children to suck their thumbs, but when should you start to break them of the habit? How old is to old for a child to still be sucking their thumb?For the most part, children will stop sucking their thumbs on their own when they are still very young. For those that continue to suck their thumbs the American Dental Association says it should be stopped when they are about 4 or 5 so it doesn’t cause damage. When their permanent teeth start coming in there is a chance it could  cause problems that will last for a lifetime.

So if you are concerned about your child still sucking their thumb, how do you get them to stop? There are a few things you can do the help the process along. Since their thumb is with them even when you are not, you need to make it so they want to stop. Show them examples of other kids who do not suck their thumbs by having them over to play. You can also give them reminders when you see them put their thumb in their mouth, and give them things to do that require the use of both hands.

There are also some products available to put on their thumbs so it doesn’t taste good. If you don’t want to buy anything you could also use something from around the house that is safe for them to consume, but doesn’t taste good. Switch it up so they don’t know what kind of taste they are going to get if they put their thumb in their mouth.