Almost all parents faced a problemThe fact that the child sucks his fingers. And a similar problem appears almost immediately after the birth of a crumb. And before parents there is a rather difficult question about how to wean a child to suck a finger? Someone acts in accordance with the advice of friends, older relatives, with information in various sources, someone prefers to seek help from pediatricians - the answer to the question "a child sucks a finger, what to do", everyone is looking in their own way. However, not all tips help to save the child from this habit, and not all of them are safe for health, including psychological. And, besides, they do not help to cope with the main problem - they do not eliminate the reason for this habit of sucking a finger. The following are the main factors that provoke the occurrence of this problem, as well as ways to eliminate them. Formation of the habit of sucking a finger, as a psychological dependence, occurs about the time when the child reaches the age of three months. And the very possibility of doing this also appears not earlier than three months - about this age a child acquires the skill of coordinating his movements and can stick a finger into his mouth. By the way, a child can suck not only a finger, but also any other object, up to the edge of the blanket. Until recently, doctors did not see anything negative in this phenomenon, considering it just a bad habit and nothing more. However, the latest studies and numerous observations of such children showed that the negative effect on the body, caused by the habit of constantly sucking a finger, still exists. Due to sucking a finger, the child can observe:

• Pathological violation of the correct formation of the maxillofacial preparation.
• The formation of an incorrect bite, especially if the child sucks a finger during the period of active teething.
• In the event that the child already has milk teeth, sucking a finger can lead to their curvature.
• Problems with the nail plate, because of the constant presence in a moist environment (saliva).

Causes of sucking fingers

So, now try to deal with the maina problem - what exactly causes the habit of sucking a thumb? Thanks to the capabilities of modern medicine, in particular, ultrasound, doctors were able to personally, with their own eyes, observe the intrauterine development of the baby. And they see that the little one begins to suck his fingers immediately, as soon as they appear. But during intrauterine development, sucking a finger is by no means a bad habit, and even more so, any pathology. The only, but nevertheless, vital goal that the baby pursues, the sucking finger, while still in the womb of the mother - is the preparation for the subsequent birth and self-feeding. After all, in this case, the most important for the child reflex - sucking responds to sucking a finger. After all, it is he who is responsible for meeting the most important need of any person - the need for food. Incidentally, the children, during the first six months of their lives, in this way - the manifestation of the sucking reflex, when the sucking baby sucks, let mom know that they have feelings and voices and would not mind refreshing at all. Incidentally, most often a similar problem is observed in those babies who are fed on schedule, and not at their first request. Sucking a finger in the first six months of life clearly gives mom understand that her baby is not enough of the time that he spends at my mother's breast. Perhaps the mother has too little milk and the amount of milk simply can not satisfy the child's existing nutrient requirement, and perhaps the fact that the child simply has too much developed a sucking reflex, and for psychological peace the child should suck breast longer than now. Find out what exactly makes you suck your baby's finger, you can only by empirical way. The first thing you need to do is increase the frequency of applying the crumbs to your chest. At all it is not necessary to believe, that in time your child does not cry, means, it suffices milk. All children are very different both in character and in temperament - one little one will pick up the tarars at the first signs of hunger, and the other one will remain silent, sucking his finger softly, until the feeling of hunger becomes completely unbearable. Much more sensible, noticing that your baby is sucking a finger, offering a breast more than once in three hours, and once every two hours - usually this simple measure very often helps to get rid of sucking a finger. Do not be afraid that you will overfeed your child. At this age, the child is governed only by natural instincts and needs. And nature is much wiser than you and me - the child simply will not eat more food than he needs for full development. If such a measure to increase the number of attachments to the breast did not help the crumb to get rid of sucking a finger, try increasing the length of time the baby is at the breast. Do not take the breast immediately after the baby has stopped actively sucking the breast, even if it seems to you that he completely emptied it. Allow the child to decide when to release the mother's nipple from his mouth. It goes without saying that such free access to the mother's breast will create certain inconveniences for the woman - a decrease in the amount of free time, a child who is in the hands of a child for a long time. However, remember that in this phenomenon there are many positive aspects, including the strengthening of psychoemotional communication with the child. By the way, in this case, slings can come to the aid of a young mother, which allows them to be in the closest contact with the child, but her mother's hands remain free-the woman can continue to do her own business.

Sucking a finger after six months

Those measures to combat sucking, described above,are relevant only for the youngest children, who have not reached the age of six months. But in the event that a finger sucks a child of an older age, parents should seriously think about what causes the child to have such a habit. A rule, in children older than six months, the reasons why a child sucks a finger, are most often:

• Regular physical discomfort - wet diapers, uncomfortable clothing, uncomfortable indoor air temperature.
• Psychological stress. No matter how strange it may sound, even such small children are capable of experiencing stress.
• Unfavorable psychological situation in the family.

Children who experience feelings of anxiety or excitement,sucking a finger in order to calm down. The soothing effect with sucking is achieved thanks to the substances that are produced in this process, which have a favorable effect on the nervous system of the child, as well as the congenital subconscious memory of finger sucking during intrauterine development, when the baby was comfortable and cozy. Having carefully observed the expression of your face before and during the finger sucking process, you will be able to independently verify the validity of this theory of pediatricians. The tense, agitated expression of the face of the crumbs on the eyes changes during the process of sucking the finger - it becomes calm and peaceful. By the way, European pediatricians do not consider finger sucking a problem until the teeth begin to be cut. And there is no simple way to remove the child from this habit - they do not. However, subsequently, after the child has teeth, it is quite difficult to instantly disable the child from sucking a finger. Another very common reason that why a child sucks a thumb is the subconscious desire of a child to fall asleep quickly. Especially often it occurs in the event that the child has left the infants, and even more so if he only recently began to sleep in his crib, separately from his mother. For a child, this separation with his mother is a difficult psychological test, because he is used to being with his mother all the time. And left alone, the child begins to experience anxiety, excitement, and sometimes even real fear because of his loneliness. A sucking finger helps the child to find psychological calmness and quickly fall asleep. Despite the seeming complexity, and in this case, it is possible to wean the child from sucking a finger, although it is not quite easy. It is understandable that my mother wants at least in the evening to have some free time, which she can devote only to herself - for example, to take a bath, watch TV, or simply - just go to bed a little earlier. However, mum still need to find a few extra minutes and give the child some time. Talk a little with the baby, tell him a story or read a book, in the end - just sit with him side by side, stroking his back. In the event that you notice that the finger of the crumbs involuntarily reached out into the mouth, gently and gently hold its handles, not accentuating attention to it and especially not berating the kid for this attempt. Remember that a child acts subconsciously and can not control his actions, especially if the child is sucking a finger in a dream. By the way, to brighten up a child minutes of falling asleep very effectively help plush toys. Children's psychologists advise buying a soft toy for the child of medium size, pleasant to the touch - remember that the baby is extremely developed tactile susceptibility. Also, be sure to ensure that the toy does not have small parts - the eyes and nose must be embroidered threads, but not made of plastic. Little children have an amazing ability to tear from toys, even those elements that an adult does not always tear off the first time.

Child of two to three years

In the event that the problem of sucking fingersparents of two - three-year-old children have collided, they can try to solve it by negotiations with a crumb. Immediately I would like to warn parents about what can not be done in any case:

• Do not scold the child.

Talk about the inadmissibility of sucking a finger should in no case be negative, negative. Explain to the crumb that the finger can not be sucked, but do not scold him.

• Do not scare the crumbs.

Very many parents with inadmissibly carefreeeasily refer to their own words. In order to achieve the result they need, parents can start to scare the child with anything, depending on his age - from malicious babiki to an orphanage. Parents do not attach much importance to their words, but they can not even imagine how the child reacts to them and what they mean to him. Yes, most likely the child will stop to suck your finger before your eyes, but you can not even imagine what psychological problems may appear. This is too high a price for how to wean a child to suck a finger.

• Do not try to restrict the freedom of the child.

Often parents can hear well-wisherssuch tips as tying the baby's handles to a baby crib, putting on special cuffs that exclude the bending of hands in the elbows and other "delights" of the Gestapo prison. Such measures can also lead to the development of the strongest psychological trauma of a weak child's psyche.

• Do not use pepper and mustard

Do not lubricate the baby's finger in any waymustard, pepper and other bitter substances - you can not follow the child without stopping from it for a second. And what will happen if a child accidentally rubs eyes, any parent can imagine without much difficulty. Talk with the child about the inadmissibility of sucking a finger should be benevolent - the child should feel that you are on his side and you really love him. Try to think up together with the child a story about why you can not suck your finger, and most of it let me think of a kid - thus, the fact that you can not suck a finger can be firmly deposited in the child's mind. Show as much endurance and patience as possible - the result will not keep you waiting and the problem is that the child constantly sucks a finger, will stop worrying you. We advise you to read:

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