Thumb sucking can be downright adorable when your baby is little, but as children approach 18 months, dentists advise breaking the habit. Of course, if teaching your child how to stop sucking their thumb was easy, there wouldn’t be so many products on the market to stop the habit! At 16 months, your child may be too young to talk to about sucking their thumb, but that doesn’t mean hope is lost.
Experts recommend correcting your child’s behavior by gently removing their hand from their mouth when you see them sucking on their thumb. Additionally, it can be helpful to distract and redirect your child by offering a toy or book when you take their hand away from their mouth. If your child sucks their thumb while sleeping, introducing a lovey or textured blanket can help them self-soothe without sucking.