Watch Your Child's Hands and Thumbs

As a parent, you can really learn a lot from watching your young child's thumb position. When it falls inside the closed fist, their independent will is being suppressed (broken will). When the thumb stays more extended, the child can reveal their own unique personality instead of just the "approved" parts.

It seems that when a child desperately needs more support and guidance from others, their thumb naturally collapses into the hand. When our daughter got sick with a flu, for example, her thumbs fell inside the closed fists much more frequently than normal. At those times she wanted/needed almost constant physical contact with one or both parents. In the times where we as parents expressed any frustration or anger, our daughter's thumbs seemed to collapse automatically, regardless of what we were frustrated about.

Children appear so much happier and active when their natural relaxed thumb position remains more extended. Their games are more physical and their excitement shines through. Their laughter is real, and their confidence and determination quickly grow. (But of course as their independence and self awareness grow, the child becomes more prone to challenging the parents' authority and decisions.)