4yo DS started sucking his fingers recently, any advice?

[MmeTussaudsChmberOfChocHobnobs]

My DS has started sucking his fingers recently at the age of 4yo. He had a dummy until he was about 8mths old and has not wanted/needed one since.

We have recently moved house, to a different country and he has started school and he is having to learn a new language. Do you think that he is doing this as a reaction to all the changes in his life?

Should I try to stop him or just leave it a bit until he feels more settled here?

my 4 yr attempts to suck his thumb unsuccessfully when he has seen a friend do it. your son has had a lot of changes to cope with and if sucking his thumb is all thats going on i would leave it and count your blessings! lots of children stick their fingers in their mouths when they they feel shy and vulnerable.

Do you say anything to him? I tell him to stop when i see him doing it.

i asking whats he doing and he looks a bit baffled at himself, but he has a funny thing that he does when he feels tired or a bit stressed...pulls up his top to get the wash care label and rubs it between his finger and thumb...

back to finger sucking

given that there are so many changes going on if this comforts him then let it go for a while or can you make him laugh about it...

if ds picks his nose i say his brain will fall out or if he bites his nails i say he'll have to pick his nose with his elbow. it stops him for a while, but at 4 they are still little and need their little comforts.

I will give him a bit of time to sort himself out then, while quietly reminding him when he does it.

Oops, sorry for my bad manners, thank you for your advice.

I know an 8 yr old who's having a plate fitted by her dentist in her mouth to stop her sucking her thumb, it's made her teeth very crooked

I agree that its most probably comforting.

Your post got me wondering though whether they go through some sort of oral phase around this age because DS (4) has started putting everything in his mouth especially when doing something like watching TV , listening to a story. He'll put toys, fingers, anything in and start chewing or sucking on them.

Hes always sucked his thumb to go off to sleep but never does this during the day, even now.

Norbert, that is interesting. I can't remember DD having an oral phase at this age, but then girls are completely different to boys (or mine are).

Thanks for all the replies, I won't worry too much about it and hope that it will resolve itself when he feels more settled here.