Richmond, B.C., mom Chandra King thought she was being smart when she chucked her four-month-old son’s pacifier. “But as soon as I got rid of it, Joshua just popped his fingers in his mouth. I thought it was good he could self-soothe. But I couldn’t take them away!” she says. Joshua didn’t give up his treasured digits until well after he turned four.

Thumbsucking. When they are babies, it’s cute. When they’re more than two, parents worry about life-long addiction. But is this concern warranted? Not necessarily, says Dr. Henry Ukpeh, a pediatrician in Trail, B.C. “It’s a behavioural thing and usually temporary,” he says, adding that most kids give up the habit before they start school.

Preschoolers suck their thumbs to soothe themselves when they’re tired, cranky or ill. There’s no evidence that the sucking itself is dangerous or a sign of emotional distress, but it can cause problems if the child continues intensely past the age of five or six,  when permanent teeth come in, according to the Canadian Dental Association. Teeth can become misaligned, sometimes changing the shape of the soft palate. In extreme cases, dentists can insert an oral device that fits into the roof of the mouth to make it hard to suck.

Alyson Schäfer, a Toronto-based psychotherapist and parent coach, believes that most parents can relax even if their little four-year-old still digs her digits. “It’s a hard habit to break. The kids aren’t even aware that they’re doing it,” she says.

Still concerned? Try these strategies, but keep perspective. Wouldn’t you rather spend $2,000 on braces than $10,000 on therapy?

Strategy: Give it some time and offer a little motivation
HOW IT WORKS Wait until the kid wants to change. Shelley Grant, a mom in St. Stephen, N.B., says her six-year-old son Joseph never sucked his thumb in kindergarten last year but would put it in his mouth before bed. “He’s really conscious of what the other kids think,” she says. Yes, peer pressure works wonders, doesn’t it?
Also, offer an incentive. Some parents let their kids write “NO” on the calendar, or give them stickers for each thumb-free night. Or how about a first manicure? Sometimes all it takes is 10 pretty fingernails – and knowing an hour of thumb sucking can ruin a good paint job – to break the routine.
ODDS OF SUCCESS With a little guidance, very good.

Strategy: Enlist professional help
HOW IT WORKS Sometimes kids will listen to their doctor or dentist before they’ll heed a parent’s advice. A good dentist will speak directly to the thumb-sucker, tell him what the medical concerns are and come up with an action plan. And be sure to make another follow-up appointment.
ODDS OF SUCCESS Works best if your dentist “gets” kids.

Strategy: Use visual clues
HOW IT WORKS With your child’s permission, stick a colourful Band-Aid on the thumb or finger. Chances are the bandage will remind him he’s trying to stop sucking his thumb. If you’re worried about choking, try a small sticker on the thumbnail instead.
ODDS OF SUCCESS If he doesn’t pull the Band-Aid off, or get used to the feel of it, not bad.

Strategy: Tough love
HOW IT WORKS Slather on quinine or another bitter substance to remind your child not to suck her thumb. Or say something like, “Thumb-sucking is for babies.”
ODDS OF SUCCESS Minimal. Although Schäfer and Dr. Ukpeh both say that in situations where a child wants to try quinine, its ok and can work.