Thumb-sucking in 6 year old boy (year 1)

[ipanemagirl]

ds sucks his fingers actually. We try not to give him too hard a time about it but he is a dedicated sucker.
He actually has done so since he was tiny.
He doesn't feel teased yet - his classmates probably are so used to it they don't notice but I guess this can't last for long.
What strategies have worked for other people? I don't want to give him some complex. He seems to put them in his mouth entirely unconsciously.
Thanks

We've just got DS1 to stop sucking his thumb during the day (mostly). He is 5.5.

What we did:

1. we discussed it, he realised he did want to stop

1. he wore plasters on the relevant thumb/thumbs

1. if he kept a plaster on all day, and didn't suck the thumb(s), he got a sticker, after five stickers he got a prize.

We sold it as us helping him stop. We tried to avoid blame and stress with it. It seems to be working quite well.

Oh, and we haven't done anything about nighttime sucking, as we don't really care about that.

Thank you for this very good advice - any more is welcome too!

I will speak to dd2 about this plaster idea. When she bothers to come home.

I tend to think teasing is the best way to stop. Or some other pressing reason. But I'll ask replaster.

dd2 wandered in, all unsuspecting.

She looked suspicious but we have struck a deal. SHe will try the plaster tomorrow.

my six year old boy sucks his thumb when he's tired.And it's so dry and sore when he's not sucking it.I'm not too worried yet though.Maybe they'll grow out of it when they are ready and not before.