Thumb-sucking

Hari ni i nak cite sikit pasal my sofea..pagi tadi check email dapat e-newsletter from babycenter..ada article about thumb-sucking...sofea memang suka sgt sucks her thumb since baby lagi...kalau tengok dekat thumb dia tu memang dah berbekas...i pun tak tau la nak buat camne..takkan nak marah2 sampai nak pukul kan..selalu bila dia start masuk thumb dia dalam mulut, i akan remind dia la suruh cabut...memula dia cabut...nanti x sampai seminit dia masuk balik...dia macam terlupa tau...selalunya sofea suka suck thumb dia masa nak tido and tgk tv...risau jugak kan..ramai jugak family yang tegur pasal sofea ni...i pun tak tau nak jwb ape..bukannya kita sesaje bagi jari dia suruh hisap kan...so bila baca article ni lega la sikit..i paste kan article ni kat sini ye..
credit to babycenter.com
1st article
Why children suck their thumbs
Kids suck their thumbs because it's comforting and calming. Your 2-year-old probably practiced this habit while he was still in the womb and perfected it as an infant. Now he turns to his thumb when he's tired, scared, bored, sick, or trying to adjust to challenges such as starting daycare or preschool for the first time or enduring long car rides. He may also use his thumb to fall asleep at bedtime and to lull himself back to slumber when he wakes up in the middle of the night.

What to do about thumb-sucking
Don't worry too much. Although you may fret that thumb-sucking is hurting your 2-year-old's teeth or jaw, children can safely suck their thumbs until age 3 or 4, according to the American Dental Association. Keep in mind, too, that not all thumb-sucking is equally damaging; experts say it's the intensity of the sucking and the tongue's thrust that deforms teeth and makes braces necessary later. Kids who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to have difficulty than children who suck aggressively. So watch your child and analyze his technique. If he sucks vigorously, you may want to begin curbing his habit earlier, say when he turns 3.Let it go. Punishing your 2-year-old or nagging him to get his thumb out of his mouth won't help, because he probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. Techniques such as putting elastic bandages on his thumb will seem like unjust punishment, especially since he indulges in the habit for comfort and security. Plus, as is often the case with 2-year-olds, pressuring him to stop may intensify his desire to do it even more. In any event, kids usually give up thumb-sucking when they've found other ways to calm and comfort themselves. If your child tends to suck his thumb when he's hungry, for instance, within a year or two he'll learn to simply open the fridge and look for something to eat, or ask you for a snack instead.Bait and switch. If you can identify times and places when your 2-year-old is particularly likely to suck his thumb — while watching television, for instance — you might try giving him a substitute, such as a rubber ball to squeeze or finger puppets to play with. If he tends to suck his thumb when he's tired, you might consider letting him doze for longer in the afternoon or moving up his bedtime a bit. Or if he turns to his thumb when he's frustrated, help him put his feelings into words. The key is to notice when and where sucking occurs and to divert his attention by offering an alternative. Together, you and your child can find solutions that will — eventually — help him kick the thumb habit.

2nd article
When should my child stop sucking her thumb?
Even with all I've read about thumb-sucking and pacifiers, I just don't know what I should do. My 8-month-old daughter prefers her thumb, but people say a pacifier is better for her. When should she stop sucking her thumb or the pacifier? Is either one a bad habit?
Expert Answers
Suzanne Dixon, pediatrician
Babies use sucking to calm and settle themselves. Thumb-sucking starts before birth (there are pictures taken of fetuses sucking their thumbs in utero)and can be a very helpful way for babies to cope with tension. There are many advantages to allowing children to suck their thumbs rather than a pacifer: Thumbs are always there, don't fall on the floor, aren't tied to children's clothing by potentially dangerous strings that can get caught on things, and are under the baby's own control.Children usually give up thumb-sucking when they develop other ways to calm down and comfort themselves, usually by age 4 to 5, although many children suck their thumbs at night or occasionally, when stresses become too much, for many years beyond that.It's unlikely that your child will continue sucking her pacifier well into the childhood years when it might threaten proper dental development. During the years your child is likely to be using a pacifier, she only has her baby teeth; permanent dentition generally doesn't appear until around age 6.I wouldn't attempt to "break her" of the habit until she's ready to give it up on her own. You're unlikely to be successful, and it will only lead to unnecessary struggles and frustration for both of you. If you decide to restrict her access to a pacifier, help her find her thumb, or offer her a blanket or a soft toy to comfort herself instead.
so pada u all yang face the same problem like me, care to share ur solution..ni i letak beberapa gambar sofea yang tgh sucked her thumb...talk to u later..bye