The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-06-25
FEATURES of INTEREST to WOMEN
GroDing With
Your Child
Thun Sucking

we DO not know enough about
the causes of thumb sucking so that
remedial suggestions can be given
with any degree of forcefulness. In
individual cases, until we have sat
isfied ourselves of the underlying
cause, our efforts will prove of no
avail.
Because he either has fed hastily
from a bottle, or with hurried,
greedy intake. at the breast, the
baby may have got sufficiency of
food without getting sufficient
sucking movement. Then the thumb
sucking habit, originated to make
up this deficiency, becomes such
an emotionally satisfying one that
1t persists into childhood, becoming
all the time more set and hard to
break.
Despite the pleasure which chill
dren get out of the babyish habits
In which they sometimes indulge,
effort should be made to discourage
and eliminate these habits.
The baby, for example, finds one
of his greatest pleasures in eating;
when he chances to get thumb or
hnger into his mouth, the pleasure
resulting is faint echo of the SEN
sation derived from nursing. He
comes then to depend more and
more on sucking his thumbs So
lace when he is hungry, tired,
moody or out Of sorts.
Mothers of older children often
report that the child in question
INDUCES in thumb sucking only
when he is tired, or hungry as the
case may be. This gives us the
clue toward measures which should
be used in attempting to correct
the habit. 1t will do little good to
use mechanical means, nor will
scolding or nagging have any effect
other than to make the child resort
to this one way of escape from the l
nagging-getting his finger into his
mouth. Children have been shown
to have no fear of objects which
ordinarily frightened them provid-
ed the thumb is in the mouth for
consolation.
In order to correct thumb suck
ing, we must determine first what
is at the bottom of it, and then
change the childs program. That
is, we must find out, If possible.
when and why the thumb goes into
the mouths it for consolation
when the child has been frustrated,
and if so, in what? does it occur
when he is frightened? tired hun
cry? and so on.
One boy of three sucked his
thumb almost all day. He had
fine large play yard all his own,
with a sand box, a swing, and toys,
but he preferred to roam about the
house, following his mother about
or looking out of the window-and
always sucking hard on his thumb.
When the child's pasty complexion
showed his indoor habits, his moth
er became worried and asked for
help. She was told to find play
mate for the boy, one of his own
age who lived near enough to play
daily with the boy.
A playmate accomplished in short
order what months of begging, |
promises, threats, and mechanical
aids had failed to do. Giving new
interest to the bored child and |
changing his outlook from the linn
tied one of his baby hood was effec-
tive, while the parents worry and
anxiety had only increased the
trouble.
With the young baby, not yet old
enough to take an interest in ma
terials or use his hands much, it is
often necessary to resort to meas
ures which would not not help the
older child. First, be sure that the
baby is comfortable, is not hungry,
and, if he is tired that conditions
are good for sleep. The hands may
be confined in small sox, in alumni
mum mittens made for the purpose
or the baby may be put into sleep
ing bag. It is important that the
free use of his arms be not inter
fered with, or the restraint will
cause him to resort to the one
means which he has hit upon of
assuaging his wants, and his eff
forts to get the thumb into his
mouth being thwarted will cause
intense emotional reaction.
Talking to the child about his
habit should be strictly avoided;
the child will revert to the habit as
a defense against the harangue of
his parents. We cannot hope to
do away with the habit without
substituting something else for it,
and our concern should be with
finding some desirable activity to
take it's place.
Sometimes the child has been too |
closely limited; perhaps he has ex-
hausted the possibilities of his play
things and his environment in gen.
eral. He needs playthings adapted |
to his ever changing and growing |
needs. This does not mean that |
he should be deluged with toys, but |
that the playthings and equipment
he has should lend themselves to
the progressive nature of his in
terests.
He should have sufficient variety |
of materials, paper, wood, clay and |
sand, with the proper implements
and tools to work them, so that his |
may have constructive
outlets. Parents sometimes say, |
BILLY is not old enough to handle |
a saw" when they have never CIV
en- him an opportunity to show how
he can adapt his muscles to its use.
No Fruit On Trees? Spray Them