My Daughter Thinks EVERYTHING Goes in Her Mouth.

lol She is a normal 2 year old. That's why we have to keep everything up when we have a little one.

Hi A.,

My 4 year old used to do the same thing. I forgot all about this issue! He used to pick up dryer lint, pull the fuzz off of stuffed animals, and eat cat food. Thankfully, like the others have said, it was just a stage. I think it lasted less than a year.
Good luck!

N.

Omg!the little boy i babysit is the same way my friend called the dr who said it is just an oral stage..he was not concerned..

OMG! My daughter is 2 years old and puts everything in her mouth also. It drives me INSANE! No matter how many times I say no mouth she still puts things in her mouth. Thankfully it is usually her toys and nothing dangerous although she did try to eat a dandelion last week. Yuck! I give myself a headache from saying "no mouth" over and over and over again.

i would think that she just is overly curious as am single mom now of 2 of my own and at one time raising 3 step-daughters, i remember the mid step-child would put EVERYTHING in her mouth and so did my 6 year old (she was 2ish then). they did both outgrow it but had it continued to much longer, being the mom i am, i would have soon had them checked by their pediatric doctor just to be safe. how long has she been doing this. if it is a long period of time, have her checked just to eliminate a problem...you know what they say, better safe than sorry. hope this helps.

My best friend just told me the other day that her almost-one-year-old fished in the toilet and pulled out a piece of USED, urine-coated tissue and PUT IT IN HIS MOUTH... She just about died. Hehehe... I'd be pretty thankful for wet fuzz after hearing that one! :p

She would have had a toilet guard, but she currently has two very young boys who are using, and learning how to use, the toilet who evidently don't do such a good job of closing the lid or flushing *shivers* EW!

Hi A.,

Please check with your doctor because I believe the urge to eat things that aren't food, which is called pica, can indicate a deficiency in minerals or nutrients of some type. If that's not the case, I find the pacifier is a much better alternative.

Best wishes from our family to yours.

We had the same problem with one of our girls. It was constant. I realized that telling her "no that does not go in your mouth" was not working. She would just pick up the next think she looked at. I started telling her "NOTHING goes in your mouth except for food." Then, every time I saw her put something in her mouth I would ask her "Now what goes in your mouth?" and she would say "Just Food" and put down whatever was in her hand. She still does it every once in a while, but I think it helped her to understand.
I hope this helps!

I read the other responses, and mine is the same. My 1st and 2nd didn't do this as much, but #3 is killing me. He literally has even eaten his brother's homework (I'm not joking!!). He's 2 1/2, and he personifies the terrible twos! It's gross, nasty, and hilarious at the same time when I find him snacking on dog food or eating used dryer sheets. Just keep a close eye (as close as you can) and just remember that it eventually ends and you'll have some ammunition to scare away future boyfriends!

my daughter is the same (turns 2 in June) EXCEPT she swallows everything too! she eats sand by the handful (loves to dip food in sand and keep eating), eats bugs, mulch, C. food, etc. if it's on the floor she will eat it! we had her tested for deficiancies when she was a year old(ish) and she doesn't have any. it's drives me crazy, my friends all feel sorry for me as i am constantly telling her not to eat things or fishing for things in her mouth (every 30 seconds or so), we have neighbors that have dogs either side of us and only electric fences and i am terrified that she is going to eat their poop one of these days! Anyway, you aren't alone, i'm hoping that it's going to get better for us soon!

My guys went thru this. It is normal. Babies explore textures through their mouths.

IT does seem to be something my children do unconciously, like when they are watching tv or on the computer. I usually don't let them watch tv for more than a show at a time. Also, they do it at the grocery store on the shopping cart handles, the counter when I check out, on windows in the car....

Something that helps keep us calm though, to just gently remind them and then distract them with something to hold that you know is clean and can go in the mouth - a toothbrush, a baby spoon, a pacifier. My 5 year old doesn't like to be "babyish" so when we see something in her mouth I pull out the pacifier and hold it up - She knows I will make her put it in her mouth if she puts her mouth on things.

-C.

It is a stage they go through. My daughter is 4 and stills puts some things in her mouth. Why only yesterday she ate a polly pocket shoe. (I think because big sister had something to do with that.) When she was 2 she did swallow a barrett that landed us in the er. Eventually it came out, and yes I had to search for it to make sure. Try not to worry about the fuzz!!! Good luck
A.

My daughter does the same thing! And she just turned 2 in March. We can go for a walk and she wants to pick up rocks and put them in her mouth. Anytime we go out to eat and they have crayons that you can draw with she wants to put them in her mouth. So, don't think that you are alone...there seem to be a lot of moms who have delt or are dealing with the same thing :)

My daughter is 28 months and eats paper and if I am not watching her carefully she rips her books and then eats the pieces she ripped and oh yesterday she took a used battery out of the garbage and put that in her mouth and then she
runs from me when I tell her to give it to me! yeah............its normal.....

I am sorry to say that I have no advice but the same issue! I thought I was alone! All my other children didnt do this so imagine my surprise when our 5th decided that EVERYTHING goes in her mouth. I will be very interested in others who respond and I wish you luck.

Hi A.! Take a breath and laugh a minute!! You have what we used to call a "lint picker" for a daughter. No, it is not unusual and yes, she will out grow it. It's more work for you making sure that there is not much for her to find or that you are watching her with the crayons...but you'll both get through this stage!!

My daughter has PICA and they didn't diagnose it until after she was 3 because they told me most kids under 3 put anything and everything in their mouths. Don't worry about it until she's a little older. My daughter eats anything that smells good - hand soap, candles, potpourri, scented markers, perfume, etc.

K.

I think it is normal to a certain extent for children to put things in there mouth and chew on it. tell her it is yucky and she can get sick. may be when she puts a crayon in her mouth take it out of her mouth and give her a snack instead,like a carrot stick to chew on. if she has a favorite healthy snack start switching it out for the nasty things she puts in her mouth.she could also be getting teeth and need things to chew on also. try hylands teething tablets,they are homeopathic. she will be fine and you will be also. enjoy your little girl.

It is normal. Everytime she does it, you need to take whatever it is out of you mouth and tell her not to put things in her mouth. After awhile, she will stop doing it.

Okay that "disease" you are referring to is called "pica". not only children but there are moms that during pregnancy go through this "phase". Though I must clarify that Pica is not a phase and it's a bit early to claim that your daughter suffers from it. This sounds normal since they are still learning their "sensory" methods. Do as you would do-no to things that don't go in to their mouths and cheer when the food goes in. Eventually she will learn. If what you are going through continues until at least 5/6 years of age, then I would definately consult a physican on this matter. There are places that this can be dealt with but only the extreme are dealt with. You have a bit of time. In the mean time enjoy mothering as we all do.

Mom of 4.