Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
Yup, and also like chewing fingernails. My 4 yo nephew does it but I won't allow it here at daycare for the sanitary reasons. He grabs the collars of his shirts and lifts them up into his mouth. I'd say pretty much all of his shirts are loose around the neck and bulge in the front from him doing this. It's so gross. I just gently remind him that he's doing it and he drops his shirt ... "____, you're chewing"- followed by a smile - he usually says oops and stops and then giggles. It'll just be a constant repetition of reminders to get the behavior to improve then stop altogether.
For my nephew giving him something else to do helps. He chews when he's excited (playing an exciting game of hide and seek with kids outside for example) or when he's having difficulties with something like when he's concentrating (doing a hard puzzle). I also immediately see him grab his shirt and chew when my SIL scolds him. He does it a lot because he needs to use the bathroom a lot and gets UTI and bladder infections alot (I've recommended that he see his Dr and be checked for a weak bladder too) and sometimes he doesn't always make it to the bathroom. His mom scolds him for it. It's like he's fine, has to go to the bathroom and has a little accident because he didn't make it, comes out and tells his mom, his mom says something like "Dang it ___ . Did you pee your pants again?!" and then immediately grabs his shirt and chews. Then it's "STOP CHEWING ON YOUR SHIRT!" And she wonders why he does it so often.
