Thumb sucking is a common action performed by majority of babies. One thing about thumb sucking is that, it subsides on its own with the passage of time. As baby grows older, this habit tends to subsidises. Normally it has been found that a child quits this habit of thumb sucking between the age of thee and six. Most of the babies stop this habit before the appearance of the second teeth. A child resorts to thumb sucking because he/she seeks additional comfort or support. But parents need not worry about this habit as it will go anyhow. But parents should not force child to leave this habit through coercive measures.
Parents should watch the frequency of thumb sucking. If the child does it occasionally, it is not a concern then but if child does it frequently then it might be a cause of concern. As frequent thumb sucking indicates lack of love or even maladjustment. There could be several other reasons like if child is seeking companionship or [parents are giving him enough time or could be anything else. It is the job of the parents to identify what is bothering the kid and take corrective measures.
There are certain steps that parents could think of. One of them is stop nagging the child. It won’t do any good to the kid. There is also no point in making the kid feel conscious about it. Parents should stop worrying unduly about the habit of thumb sucking. Your worry is not going to help the situation. You can think of using different methods to distract her. For example, you can use toy for distraction or offer some candies to the kid if he does not suck the thumb. Finally, don’t use any harsh treatment and rather focus on friendly methods.