Hi,
My son, Benji, is 2 1/2 and still puts everything in his mouth. He never took a pacifier or sucked his thumb. Up until the last few months I overlooked the items going into his mouth because I thought he'd grow out of it. We watch him constantly because we're concerned he'll put something in there & chock, or swallow something harmful/ However, it seems that he doesn't want to swallow things as much as just chew or suck on them. It is even concerning the daycare because now that he's in an 'older' classroom, it's not as childproof. He'll put things like the following in his mouth: toys (he'll chew them to distruction if left to do so), books, coins if he can get his hands on them, pens, painbrushes (with paint), markers (blue teeth and tongue isn't that cute anymore), crayons (first thing he'll do it bite off the tip), cotton balls, foam; when he's outside: dirt, grass, rocks. You get the idea. Does anyone have any ideas? And, what did you do? The daycare wanted me to go to the pediatrition...so I did. They did a blood workup and everything is normal, including his iron levels, which is great concidering the possible things he could have ingested. They spoke to and recommend we see a child Nero physiologist to check for obsessive compulsive behavior---now this is the most normal child ever; he's sweet, kind, loving, bright, gets along with everyone he meets, and no one I've mentioned this too thinks this will lead anywhere construtive. If that doesn't lead anywhere, they want us to see a metabolic specialist and do further tests. Again, anyone have any suggestions? Do you think I'm over-reacting or being cautious? Thanks!!
Benji sounds like a normal typical 2 1/2 year old. My son and my daughter were both putting things in their mouth at that age...and yes, everything they could. I'd give him some more time to just outgrow it.
I think that I would do further testing with him. I don't think that I have ever seen a 2 1/2 yr old put everything in his mouth. I don't think that you are over reacting I would be also.
Good luck with everything!
I would ask for a referral to an Occupational Therapist. An OT will be able to check out your son and get a better sense as to why he is putting things in his mouth (does he need to chew, suck, get information from them or something else?) My son was born 10 weeks early and still puts a fair amount in his mouth at 22 months. He was seeing a PT anyway because he was a preemie so I asked about it. The general conclusion for my son was that he is still catching up on his fine motor skills so he still gets a fair amount of information about objects by putting them in his mouth (this is why babies mouth everything). He is slowly growing out of it so I am getting less concerned about it.
Also, we work to not make a huge deal out of saying "no, not in your mouth" b/c I think now he sometimes thinks its a game and does it for attention. Both I and our daycare provider generally just try to take something out of his mouth without saying anything and get him interested in that object or another object with his hands. Sometimes I'll tell him "use your hands or your eyes, not your mouth".
Your son may be chewing for different reasons, though, and a good pediatric OT should be able to help you figure out what those are. It is not entirely normal for a 2 1/2 year old to chew so much (but you knew that), but it also doesn't mean he has some huge issue.
Good luck!
B.
Momma to a toddler bundle of energy
I'm just about to go to bed, so I don't want to type out all the suggestions I was just reading about for this exact issue, but if you have "What To Expect The Toddler Years" it addresses this very thing under questions I think in months.....17-20? You could also check the index and probably find a better range (or page) but I swear they have a whole list of suggestions on how to get your kid through/over this in the book!
Geez, can ya tell I'm tired, that first sentence was wayyy too long. My apologies.
I worked at a in-home daycare. We had mostly 2year old boys. I couldn't understand why they ALL chewed on everything and put everything in their mouths too. My daughter was the only child and one other who didn't do this. Maybe it was my nagging about germs I don't know but we had alot of problems with them ruining toys and spreading germs. So I guess it's normal. They didn't chew crayons though but markers some loved to suck on them.
We had a little girl come over and play once too and she ate one of my daughter's wooden puzzle pieces in half. I was in awww when that happened.
I know there is some disorder where kids eat everything like dirt, stuff they always ask that at WIC if your child likes to eat weird non food things.
My son also liked to put everything in his mouth, he still does on ocation(he is now 5). I spoke with a lot of people and what we ended up doing was to have a "chew" toy abalible to him. It took some time and a lot of patience but it worked. When we caught him chewing on something we would take it away and say "we chew on this" while handing him the chew toy (a teether). This does this take time and someone to watch all the time. I don't know if your daycare would have the time or people to do this. You can also pin it to his shirt so it is with him. Good luck.
I would just be really strict about not putting things in his mouth. My 1 1/2 year old like to chew on things and I'll just take them away and tell him no. With all the lead and stuff out there I worry about him chewing on everything. It has helped and he now knows what "not in your mouth" means and will take things out when I tell him to.
It's a good habit to try and break early if you can.
Best Wishes,
J.
My daughter is 2.5 and she does the same thing. She just started doing it because she saw other kids doing it. I have an in-home daycare and all the kids are younger than her and they all put things in there mouth. I think she does it for attention. I think its normal in a way. I would have him checked out but dont worry about it. He should grow out of it.
Check with your county to see if there is a Birth to Three program available. We are going through the process with our 2 year old who is still VERY oral. An Occupational Therapist (OT) is starting to come to our home this week to work with her. Safety is our primary concern at this point--she understands that she shouldn't put things in her mouth, but can't seem to stop. Good luck!
Don't ever feel like you are overreacting when you are advocating for your child's health and well-being. Sounds to me like he might have some sensory issues. Does he have any other sensory seeking or sensory avoiding behaviors(read "The Out-of-Sync Child" for more info on this). A lot of kids with sensory processing issues will suck, chew, or bite things. It could also just be how he deals with stress (especially if it started in the daycare setting). From there it can become a habit and even a compulsion. My son started chewing on his pacifier and his clothes a lot from 2-3 years. Then I got him a chewy tube from The Autism Shop (in St. Louis Park I think). That helped especially the chocolate scented one because pleasant scents are very calming for him. I just carried it along and when he felt the need to chew I would substitute with the chewy tube. He has friends who will chew buttons off of shirts or suck their hands raw. The chewy tube has helped some of them.
For my son we also sought an OT assessment and pulled him out of daycare because it was sensory overload for him (he had more issues than just chewing). With OT sessions we have learned a lot of techniques that can help calm him.
my 2yr old does the same thing... i had my concerns but i know its cuz he is a 2yrs old and want everything and put everything in his mouth... i think its prob their teeth r still goin into place because i give him motrin or somthing and he wont do it... kinda like teething still... wat im worried about is if these temper temtrums will end... man o man!
My son is the same way, and even at age 4, still puts things in his mouth. He'll be watching TV while playing with cars, and I'll look up to see him watching the screen, sucking on a car. Our doctor simply explained that he's incredibly oral, and that he will grow out of it. But in the meantime, I can relate to how horrible it is to constantly be watching him! I feel like I'm saying "out of your mouth" all day long. But usually when I do say it, he pulls whatever he has out right away. It just takes constant reminding, and POSITIVE reinforcement when he doesn't put something in his mouth. He's also learned a couple of lessons from cuts and canker sores that we think he's gotten from sharp objects. One thing to be careful of is with all the toys testing positive for lead, you may want to have your son tested...we did and the levels were fine, but it was good peace of mind. I'd say follow your gut...it you think it's something more, by all means have him looked at. Best of luck!
PS...I have a Benji, too. Love the name!
My first baby never put anything in her mouth, my second put everything in her mouth. She is two now and has mostly outgrown it. But it was probably because of my constant reminding (nagging) "not in your mouth, only food or drinks go in your mouth." Since you can't be with him everyday it would be hard to go with that plan. I think going to see a nero phsycologist is a bit too much, but I'm not a doctor. I'd try working on a plan with the daycare to have some consistency between home and there. I'd also be concerned about a daycare that has 2 year olds in rooms that aren't babyproofed. Two year olds are still into everything and don't have good impulse control. Best of luck, by the way, my 5 year old still sucks her thumb occasionally. What do you do?? She'll out grow it and so will your son with some consistency.
