My 7 1/5 Yr Old Son Started Sucking His Thumb And/or Fingers. What's Up?

I had have read that at this age it is very common for children to develop certain habits. Like chewing on the collar of their shirt, hair twirling and stuff like that. At this age they are really becoming aware of them selves in the world and how they are perceived by other peers. New pressure. Becoming more "thinky". Not sure just how to deal with a bad habit at this age but understanding child development at this age would be a good place to start :)
C.

My six year old started doing the same thing around the time he started school. The teacher actually sent home general information about what kids his age are doing and sure enough chewing on things was at the top of the list. I have watched him and it always seems worse when I'm picking him up from school. Sometimes it is his fingers, but mostly his sleeves and the collar of his shirt. I'm sorry I haven't found any sure-fire fixes but I was relieved to know that it is a normal reaction to the stresses of his new adventures in school!

Does he have any new teeth emerging? He could be "teething" in a sense. My son sucks on the collar of his shirt when his new adult teeth are coming in to ease the pain.

My 7 1/2 year old went through the EXACT same thing recently!! I couldn't figure it out either because, just like your son, he never even used a pacifier as a baby. I kept reminding him every time I saw him doing it, but it didn't seem like it was doing any good. Then, after a few weeks, he just stopped- just as out of the blue as he had started. I'm sure your son will too :)

Not sure why this could be happening suddenly. This may sound harsh, but try to put something that doesn't taste so good on his thumb and fingers. Maybe then, he'll stop.

My 7 yr old son did this for a while and it turns out his "6 year molars" were coming in. The dentist alerted us to this fact and it makes sense. I guess it is kind of like when a baby is teething. Anyway, he has stopped putting his fingers in his mouth all the time. We just didn't make a bit deal of it.