susanpierce124 10:29 AM 02-08-2010
I have a little boy that will be 3 next month. He chews on everything, toys, books, paper,eletrical cords, trash can, etc. I have an artificial tree in my living room, he was chewing on that Friday. He has been doing this for awhile. I think that he has all of his teeth now, I don't think it is from teething. Could this be a lack of vitamins? Dad says that he does this at home too. Does this sound normal?
Unregistered 10:42 AM 02-08-2010
I have a little girl in my daycare who will be 3 in April and she does the same thing. She even chews on her sleeves until they are soaked and chew on her whole hand like and infant would. Personally I don't think its normal I have to constantly correct her and ask her not to put things in her mouth.
TGT09 03:20 PM 02-08-2010
So I just have a funny response as my husband did this as child too...he chewed the collars off of all his shirts. He along the way has made up a story that his mother didn't breastfeed him long enough so he had what he likes to call "sucking deprivation". :-) Ha!
Sorry, I can't be of more help! I have kids that just stick everything in their mouth but the worst one really is teething so she has an excuse.
Childminder 06:09 PM 02-08-2010
Had a dcg do this and turned out to be iron deficient. Also have heard of something called PICA that has children eating non food items. Google it.
booroo 08:22 PM 02-08-2010
I would really like to know this as well. The one 5 year old dcb I watch does this too. I know he is going through alot of stress,maybe thats why...stress at home.
AmandasFCC 06:56 AM 02-09-2010
Ugh I have a 3 yo who does the same thing. What I've done with some things is this:
1 - every time a toy or someting that I can take away is put in his mouth, it goes in the "garbage" - a bucket of bleach water and it's gone for the day
2 - every time his hand goes in his mouth or nose he has to go wash his hands
... It worked for those things but obviously you can't take away everything... This one I've got still constantly LICKS his arms and hands while we're going down for nap time. It's friggin weird and it makes me mental, I have a thing about the sound of mouths and tongues moving excessively and he must know it...
Unregistered 07:03 AM 02-09-2010
Originally Posted by AmandasFCC:
Ugh I have a 3 yo who does the same thing. What I've done with some things is this:
1 - every time a toy or someting that I can take away is put in his mouth, it goes in the "garbage" - a bucket of bleach water and it's gone for the day
2 - every time his hand goes in his mouth or nose he has to go wash his hands
This is a great idea I never thought about taking the toy away for the day! That might help!
momma2girls 07:37 AM 02-09-2010
Now that is too weird!!! YUCK!!!!
Carole's Daycare 08:50 AM 02-09-2010
I have a special needs boy that still, at 7, was chewing the collars and sleaves of his shirts. However, he does have a whole list of diagnosis- ADHD, ODD, OCD, Tourettes, tic-disorder, sensory -integration disorder etc. Very high on the autism spectrum scales, but just shy of meeting full diagnostic criteria for that, though very Asperger-like. His chewing was related to his Tic disorder and OCD issues- so stress and change agravated it. It was alleviated greatly with a change in medication. For more normal kids with just that behavior, I expect it is similar- or in some cases mouthing things becomes an addictive habit, similar in compulsion to the hand-mouth element of the smoking addiction, and increases with stress or even boredom.
momma2girls 09:10 AM 02-09-2010
Many children that display these types of behavorial issues, have something diagnosed or many things with them. Also can be alot of stress as well