If the child sucks a finger?

If the child sucks a finger, for parents it becomes reala problem and causes great concern. Parents are afraid that this may be a sign of illness. They are afraid that it will be difficult for them to wean the child out of this habit. Why do children suck their fingers?
Psychologists say that sucking a finger Is a manifestation of an unrealized instinctsucking, as well as a way for a child to calm himself, reduce the feeling of loneliness, lull himself. Specialists are inclined to consider this phenomenon congenital, because even during pregnancy a child can suck a finger. Quite often, the habit of sucking a finger can manifest in a child about three months, when the child himself is able to bring his pen to his mouth. This means that the baby does not satisfy his sucking instinct during feeding.
Some children have time to suck the necessarythe amount of milk is very fast, while others require more time. Therefore, the latter are less likely to get into the habit of sucking a finger. If the baby is on breastfeeding, then you need to leave it at the chest as much as he wants, even if he had time to eat in the first ten minutes of feeding. If the baby eats from the bottle, it is important that the hole in the nipple is small enough for the baby to suck assiduously, but at the same time get enough food.

As already mentioned, sucking a finger for a childis a means of self-absorption and complacency. Therefore, this child's habit can appear due to birth trauma, lack of attention and care on the part of parents, temperament features.
Why is the habit of sucking a finger harmful? The greatest trouble for the child's parents,who sucks a finger, is a public disapproval. Parents are simply ashamed to "go out into people" with such a child. But besides this, the habit of sucking fingers older than 5 years can interfere with the normal growth and development of permanent teeth in a child. If the kid sucks his fingers in the kindergarten or school, he will surely become the object of ridicule and bullying of peers.
Is it necessary to wean the child out of the habit of sucking a finger and how to do it? Of course, ideally - it's best not to accustom yourself tothis child. But some parents, for the first time noticing how the child stretches handles to the mouth, are even happy, because to make the baby fall asleep, it is not necessary to exert great effort. Subsequently, when the habit has taken root, it is much more expensive and time consuming to wean the child from it.
Most experts are inclined to believe that Sucking fingers is not a deviation, and the peculiarity of behavior of a certain agechildren. As a rule, finger sucking itself goes with age. Therefore, it is not recommended to try to wean a child under 4 years. Becoming older, children themselves realize the need to get rid of their habit and throw it at will.
Different parents use different ways, trying to wean the child to suck a finger. They smear a finger with something unpleasant to the child, for example, mustard or salt, cover the child's nails with a special lacquer. But often children wash off the smeared mixture and continue to suck a finger. You can not scold a child for sucking a finger, forcibly pulling his hand out of his mouth. This only leads to the fact that the child will try to do it discreetly, but he will not give up his habit. It is better if the parents, when they notice the finger in their mouth, will carefully take out the child's finger from the mouth from time to time, distracting him with toys or finger games, for example, in "ladushki."
Very young children parents are taught not to suck a finger, replacing it with a pacifier. But later, from the pacifier pacifier, the child also has to wean, and this is an additional problem. A child who began to suck a finger at the age of about a year, a pacifier usually advice not to give a pacifier, if the baby did not use it before.
If parents really want to wean us to suck a fingera child who is already over 4 years old, then they can try to negotiate with the baby. For example, do not completely prohibit a child from sucking a finger, but allow him to do it only at home, but not on the street or away. Or you can let the baby suck a finger just before bed. Offering the child instead of sucking his finger any interesting activities, communication with other children, parents will help the kid to say goodbye as soon as possible with this habit.














