|
David Decides About Thumbsucking
A Story For Children
A Guide For Parents
By Susan Heitler
Pacifiers vs. Thumbs
Which is preferable, a pacifier or thumbsucking?
Pacifiers and thumbs each have several advantages, and some disadvantages, for infant sucking. The advantages of a pacifier include parents' control over availability, ease of ending the habit, and possibly less damage to the shape of the mouth and therefore to facial appearance. The disadvantages have mainly to do with convenience.
Pacifiers vs. Thumbs
Pacifier Advantages
- Sucking occurs only when parents make a pacifier available, so, if they can withstand their baby's crying, parents control the frequency.
- Parents can control the end of the habit. Once they cease to provide a pacifier, the sucking is likely to stop.
- As their child grows older, parents can limit sucking to specific times (like bedtime) and place (like the bedroom).
Thumb Advantages
- Thumbs are free.
- The thumb is always there. Parents needn't buy them find them when they are lost, or retrieve them when they are dropped.
Pacifier Disadvantages
- Parents are on duty every time their infant wants the pacifier to suck. If the infant awakens at night, or drops the pacifier day or night, the parent has to take action.
- After parents decide that the time has come for pacifier sucking to stop, the baby may discover a handy thumb.
Thumb Disadvantages
- Thumbs are harder for parents to control when they want to limit or end sucking habits.
- Unlike pacifier shape, the manner in which thumbs and fingers are sucked cannot be subject to parental control. Certain angles put more pressure on the shape of the roof of the mouth, the contour of lips, or on teeth.
|
