When to Worry About Childhood Habits

Should parents ignore things like thumb-sucking، nail-biting، and hair-twirling—or be concerned?

Habits such as thumb sucking، hair twirling، and head banging are very common among children. And while these habits are usually harmless، they can be alarming to parents. Read on to help determine if your child's habits are merely irritating or cause for genuine concern.

Thumb-Sucking

Thumb-sucking is an extremely common habit. In fact، according to UpToDate، 70-90% of kids use non-nutritive sucking (pacifier، thumb، or fingers) at some time during their early life. The frequency usually decreases with age، and those who use a pacifier are less likely to suck on their thumbs or fingers.

Thumb-sucking is not usually problematic unless it goes on for an extended period of time. According to the American Dental Association (ADA)، children usually stop thumb-sucking when they are between 2 and 4 years old.

When it's a problem

Thumb sucking becomes a cause for concern when it continues beyond age 4 or 5. At that point، dentists worry that thumb sucking will affect a child's palate and teeth. In addition، the child may begin to hear negative comments about the habit from peers and family members، which could impact their budding self esteem.

What you can do

To end the habit، it's important that your child be interested in giving up the thumb. Gentle reminders and positive reinforcement (rewarding your child when they go without sucking for a period of time) often work best. Beyond that، the ADA recommends: