This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care. This article has been viewed 191,440 times.

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Most children naturally stop sucking their fingers between age 2 and 4, but if your child is older or causing other problems with their finger sucking, there are many things you can do to help them break the habit. Try giving them toys to play with when you notice them sucking their finger, which will distract them. Stress balls and fidget spinners are especially effective for older children. If your child is sucking their finger in bed, try playing lullabies or white noise over a speaker, which will help them calm down and fall asleep. It’s also important to give your child positive encouragement whenever they stop sucking their finger. For example, say something like, “I know it’s hard to stop sucking your finger, but you’re doing a great job.” For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to stop your child sucking their fingers by covering their hands, read on!