Justin Anjuli K. Vestil, USJR Masscom Intern

 

When struck with boredom, people sometimes do things to entertain themselves, like reading a book, or drawing a funny cartoon. It’s what adults do to keep them relaxed, or just to kill time.

But kids are different.

I remember when I was a kid that whenever I got bored and lonely, I would suck my thumb just to feel better. It was a very wet (and salivating) experience. It was an everyday “thing” that I did whenever I felt the need to relieve myself from boredom and loneliness. My Mom would scold me whenever she caught me sucking my thumb. According to my dear “Mama”, it was a big “No, no”. My “thumb sucking” stuck until I was 4 and I couldn’t remember when I stopped.

Then, I realized, that I stopped just in the nick of time.

Thumb sucking is actually a normal thing that happens to babies and kids. It helps kids to relax and keeps them happy. It even helps gets them to sleep faster.

However, it’s not such a good idea.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if kids suck strongly on their thumb, their fingers or on their pacifier, this habit may affect the shape of their mouth or how their teeth are lining up. If they keep sucking their thumb, to the point that they’re sucking it too much, they should expect to wear braces and retainers a few years later. It can also cause speech problems, like lisping.

To help stop the habit of thumb-sucking you can do the following: 

•           Boredom is but one of the reasons why kids thumb suck. You can play a game or do something creative with your hands, just to keep yourself busy.

•           Another reason for kids to thumb suck is that they are lonely. This may stem from social problems like having no friends, or being shy. Friends who don’t thumbsuck may set an example encouraging the child to stop the habit.

•           You can wrap your thumb with a band-aid to discourage the habit.

 
And also remember, thumb-sucking only becomes a problem if you grow up with the habit. And when you’re an adult, old habits die hard.