"Childhood sucking past age five is a habit. A habit that has roots in the very earliest days of life. Childhood sucking is a pleasurable activity from day one, often associated with early pleasurable innate physiological responses. This is the essence of why it is so hard for some children to stop their habit easily. " (iaom.org)

While we may think that oral habits are cute, they can cause long term orthodontal problems. Parents need to be proactive in helping their children eliminate habits early so as to avoid long term, expensive problems.