Do Home Remedies Work?
Some parents try home remedies to break the habit. Common methods include:Placing gloves on their children before bedtime • Painting thumbs and fingers with various foul-tasting substancesWrapping bandages around the offending digits Children can easily overcome these measures. Thumb sucking is also a deep-rooted behavior and may need more than these remedies offer. The child’s desire to stop will determine the of success of any intervention. Parents who are willing to try a highly planned method can read the advice in Little People: Guidelines for Common Sense Child Rearing . This book carefully spells out a series of steps using nail painting. The steps have been shown to be helpful in stopping thumb sucking. This approach requires hard work and consistency from both the parent and child. For many busy families with limited time, these home methods are difficult to apply.
