How to stop thumb/finger sucking?

Hyzyd, my Baby and child sucks his fingers almost all the time...is it okay?...should I stop him? How?

I observed that babies generally suck their thumb to soothe themselves. My pediatrician told me that it is good, because they need to learn how to rely on their own resources. The ability to regulate or control one's behavior and emotions is an important developmental challenge. When my child sucks his thumb, he's just finding ways to make himself feel better without my help.

It's comforting to know that but it's quite disturbing on the other hand. Honestly I'm concerned now especially that Hyzyd is almost 15 months . There are times that it is more irritating. They said my baby will stop when he's ready and has developed other ways of soothing himself.

The question now is WHEN?

The American Dental Association says most children can safely suck their thumb — without damaging the alignment of their teeth or jaws — until their permanent teeth begin to appear. (Permanent teeth don't usually erupt until around age 6, right?) Also, not all children's thumb-sucking is equally damaging. Experts say it's the intensity of the sucking and the tongue's thrust that deforms teeth and makes braces necessary later. Children who rest their thumb passively in their mouth are less likely to have difficulty than children who suck aggressively. Watch your child and analyze his technique. If he sucks vigorously, you may want to begin curbing his habit earlier, say at age 4.

Should I say, Hyzyd sucks his fingers vigorously especially while sleeping. Sometimes, his fingers become red and chapped from sucking, I try applying a moisturizing ointment, cream, or lotion while he's sleeping (if I you apply it while he's awake, it may just end up in his mouth...tsk..tsk...).

I read that nagging or punishing your child won't help, because he doesn't usually realize when he's sucking away. Besides, when we pressured him to stop , I noticed that the more it intensifies his desire to do it even more. When we're not watching him, he'll stay at a corner with a pillow covering his face so we won't see him sucking. When we called out to him, he'll be startled and stop sucking. This hurt me every time we startled him . Furthermore, techniques such as putting an elastic bandage on his thumb will seem like unjust punishment, especially since he indulges in the habit for comfort and security. Now this makes me guilty because we tied his hands to stop him from sucking his fingers.

It's comforting to read at other Baby and child websites that I'm not alone with this predicament. Generally, their advices of how to stop thumbsucking is just to try to wait it out. Children usually give up thumb-sucking when they've found other ways to calm and comfort themselves, says pediatrician Suzanne Dixon. For example, while a toddler who's hungry may suck his thumb, an older child (age 3 or 4) might simply open the refrigerator and look for something to eat or ask his parents for a snack instead.

Another thing is to preempt the thumb-sucking with other activities. While watching television, I try giving him a substitute, such as a rubber ball to bounce or puppets to play with. I always talk to him while holding his hands when I put him to bed so that he'll not remember thumb-sucking. I try my best to give my child extra attention and observe if conflicts or anxiety provoke thumb sucking. I'm still finding more healthful ways to deal with stress.The key is to notice when and where sucking occurs, and divert his attention by offering an alternative.

Do you have any suggestions on how to stop my baby from thumb-sucking in a positive way ? I will never punish or shame my child to resolve the problem. These types of negative actions will hurt his self esteem and only add to his anxiety. I will appreciate if you could offer any advices regarding thumb sucking.