Dear Baby Girl,
Thumb sucking is a hard habit for lots of kids to break since it is so comforting. However, there are some really good reasons to try to stop this habit. As you've already found out, other kids will make fun of you if you do this at school. Perhaps you can wear a ring or nail polish on your thumb to help remind you not to put your thumb in your mouth. Also try sucking your thumb only at home, maybe just while watching TV or to help you fall asleep. After a while, try to cut down further until you're no longer sucking your thumb at all. Your dentist can talk to you about the other important reason to break this habit—the appearance of your teeth and your bite are often affected by thumb sucking. Many kids hold a blanket while sucking on their fingers. If you do that, you might want to try just holding the blanket without putting your thumb in your mouth. Think about how proud of yourself you'll be when you've finally kicked this habit.