Thumb sucking is a behavior found in many children from a very young age. The reasons may vary from rest, hunger, safety and enjoyment.
Steps to prevent children from sucking thumb:
Step 1: It is important to find out why and when your child sucks his or her thumb. For the first week, keep a pen and paper, and every time you see your child's thumb in his mouth, write it down. At the end of the week, go to your list, and see if there is any consistency. You can also buy the best hand stopper thumb guard by visiting the Amazon Australia website.
Step 2: Identify what the payoff is for your child. For example, if you notice that she suck her thumb every time when she hurts, one conclusion would be that her thumb helps to deal with the pain. If you see that the thumb goes in whenever she is watching TV, then she is using the thumb while idle.
Step 3: A reward chart for a day without sucking can be helpful. If she is successful, you can give your child a treat or a small toy at the end of the day. I also find that the greater the reward, the better the result.
Remember that breaking bad habits is difficult, and it takes time and encouragement. I do not think that punishment works well when an attempt is made to discourage a habit. Children are notorious for a power struggle, and you don't want to turn it into a battle of the war.
Once your child sees that there are other things that can calm herself down, she will stop sucking thumb before you know it!