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Is your child constantly sucking their thumb or fingers, and you’re wondering if it’s sensory, a habit, or something else? This episode comes straight from a parent question on Instagram, and we’re breaking it all down.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why thumb and finger sucking is considered oral sensory seeking
When sucking is developmentally appropriate and when to look closer
Common reasons older kids continue sucking for regulation or anxiety
How to talk to your child about the habit in a supportive way
Practical sensory and oral motor replacements that actually help
Thanks for listening 🩷
If this question hits close to home, share this episode with another parent who’s navigating thumb or finger sucking, too.
We’d love to answer your questions on the podcast! Fill out this form -https://harkla.typeform.com/to/ItWxQNP3
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Thumb and finger sucking is a common childhood behavior, especially in infants and toddlers. But what happens when this habit continues into preschool or even elementary school years? Is it just a bad habit, or is there something deeper going on?
As pediatric occupational therapy practitioners, we often hear concerns from parents asking, “My child is 4 (or 6, or 10) and still sucks their thumb. Is this normal?” The answer is: it depends. Thumb and finger sucking can be part of a larger picture of oral sensory seeking and nervous system regulation.
Sucking is a reflexive behavior for newborns. It’s how they feed, regulate their nervous system, and explore their world.
Babies mouth objects to learn about size, shape, and texture. This is a typical and expected developmental behavior.
By the time a child reaches 18-24 months, they usually begin to explore the world using other senses — vision, touch, sound. If a child continues to seek oral input beyond this age, it could be a sign of:
A need for nervous system regulation.
Sensory processing challenges.
Oral motor immaturity or lack of awareness.
A tongue-tie or high palate impacting tongue posture.
Habitual or emotional self-soothing (especially during stress, fatigue, or transitions).
Nutritional deficiency (rare, but linked to behaviors like pica).
Understanding thewhy behind the behavior is key to finding the right solution.
While thumb or finger sucking isn’t always cause for alarm, there are a few reasons we may want to address it:
Dental concerns: Prolonged sucking can impact the development of the palate and jaw, leading to speech or orthodontic issues.
Oral health: Constant moisture and pressure may cause skin breakdown or oral hygiene issues.
Social concerns: As children grow, this behavior may become stigmatizing in school or social settings.
Germ transmission: Fingers in the mouth spread germs, especially in group environments.
The first step is detective work. Is your child:
Constantly chewing on shirts, sleeves, or pencils?
Mouthing non-food items like toys, rocks, or bark?
Using their mouth more when they’re tired, overwhelmed, or anxious?
If so, they may be seekingoral sensory input or trying to regulate their nervous system.
Before we focus on the mouth, we want to address thewhole body. Activities that engage the muscles and joints — known as "heavy work" — activate the proprioceptive system, which is calming and organizing for the nervous system.
Try incorporating activities like:
Crawling or animal walks (bear crawl, crab walk).
Climbing on monkey bars or doing straight-arm hangs.
Jumping and crashing into crash pads or cushions.
Wall pushes or chair pushes.
Pushing/pulling heavy items (e.g., a laundry basket full of toys).
Carrying a weighted backpack for short periods (with supervision).
This type of sensory input can help reduce the drive for oral seeking behaviors.
Once the body is regulated, we can layer in targeted oral motor play. Here are some OT favorites:
Bubble Mountain: Blow bubbles in a bucket of soapy water with a straw.
Straw Games: Blow cotton balls across the table or floor.
Suction Transfer: Use a straw to pick up small items like cereal or pompoms.
Blow toys: Whistles, harmonicas, or party blowers.
Oral motor cards: Use a deck like the Super Duper® Oral-Motor Photo Cards to practice tongue. movements, blowing, and lip rounding.
These activities help improve oral awareness, jaw strength, and regulation.
If your child’s diet consists mostly of soft foods, they may be missing out on important proprioceptive input from the jaw. Adding crunchy and resistive foods can help:
Apples, carrots, celery, snap peas.
Frozen grapes or blueberries.
Beef jerky or meat sticks.
Frozen Go-Gurt® tubes.
Crackers or veggie straws.
Encourage drinking smoothies or cold water through a straw, ideally one that’s twisty or offers resistance.
While we want to address the root cause, sometimes a chewy tool is a helpful part of the plan. Options include:
Chewelry (chewable necklaces or bracelets).
Chewy pencil toppers.
Zipper pulls or hoodie strings with chew-safe textures.
Vibrating toothbrushes (especially in morning routines).
Make sure to choose age-appropriate, safe options and teach your child how and when to use them.
Just like our bodies need food throughout the day, children with sensory needs require regular sensory input. Build a routine that includes:
Vibrating toothbrush.
Cold smoothie through a straw.
Animal walk to the car.
After-school snack with crunchy foods.
10 minutes of heavy work play (crashing, climbing, pushing).
Warm bath with bubble blowing.
Calm oral motor activity like blowing bubbles.
Consistency is key. These routines support regulation throughout the day.
The goal is not to shame or punish a child for thumb sucking or oral seeking. Instead, we want to support their nervous system so theydon’t need to rely on that behavior.
By understanding the why, meeting their sensory needs, and building proactive routines, we can help children develop more functional ways to regulate.
BORING, BUT NECESSARY LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
While we make every effort to share correct information, we are still learning. We will double check all of our facts but realize that medicine is a constantly changing science & art. One doctor / therapist may have a different way of doing things from another. We are simply presenting our views & opinions on how to address common sensory challenges, health related difficulties & what we have found to be beneficial that will be as evidenced based as possible. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or your children. Consult your child’s pediatrician/ therapist for any medical issues that he or she may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Rachel Harrington, Harkla, Jessica Hill, or any guests or contributors to the podcast, as well as any employees, associates, or affiliates of Harkla, be responsible for damages arising from use of the podcast.
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This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.
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