Does your child use a "chewy"

MirandaHobbes · August 2011

3.5 year old DS is about to be weaned from the pacifier for good (he uses it at night but it lingers throughout the evening). When he's out and about and not able to use the paci he sticks his fingers in his mouth and chews on them, or he'll lick his hand. We've talked to his OT about it and she agrees he has an oral fixation. At his SN preschool they give him a "chewy" like this: https://www.amazon.com/THE-GRABBER-ORAL-MOTOR-CHEW/dp/B0018BWKQM/ref=pd_sim_t_1

How do you use these? Is he allowed to just have one all the time, or how should I limit it? Right now it drives me nuts to constantly see him slobbering all over his hand. We're getting into germ season, and also his constant slobbering is off-putting (we were at the playground recently and he drooled on another kid, who was older, and who loudly complained to his mom that DS had "spit" on him- I was mortified, poor DS was clueless). I haven't been able to talk to his OT about it since he hasn't been in summer school. Thanks!

Florak8 · August 2011

My DS was given one because he likes to "taste" all the toys. We were told to have him chew on it for 5-10 minutes at a time, then take it away. He is supposed to have gotten enough sensory input then to last about 2 hours. His looks like a rubber "T".

Your LO's situation sounds little different, so I am not sure that is the way to go for him, since it sounds like he will sub in his hands once you take it away.

I am like you, grossed out by germs. Every time he sets it down it is wet and picks up tons of germs. Seems like we can't win-- germs on their own chewies or germs off the toys/hands.

jlw2505 · August 2011

My 5 year old has ADHD and a severe speech delay and is a thumb sucker for both oral fixation and to calm herself down. We are starting to use chewy toys to get her out of the thumb sucking. Right now, the car is a no sucking zone and she is doing pretty well with it. What her speech pathologist and psychologist have suggested is that we have the chew toy for her in the car and in her bed and then we also got her some chewy bracelets (they are the same material as the chew toy but look like a spiral, stretchy thing and they come in a bunch of colors. She can then play and chew on this at all times. She will wear this all the time. They also make them in necklaces.

Calypso312 · August 2011

DD LOVES her raspberry. We put it on a paci holder and it goes everywhere with her. It is her best friend. She also has a Sophie and she loves her too, but not like her raspberry.

Razbaby RaZberry Teether

TinyPinkBug · August 2011

We also found ourselves needing to wean our 3.5 yr old with sensory issues off a paci. At school, they were already giving him a chewy, they use theratubing. I went online and purchased something similar to the chewy that you listed but without the bumps. The night we were ready to drop the paci, we just gave him the chewy and explained that he needed to use that at night instead of the paci and it worked :-) when NOTHING else had worked up until that point. We always keep them around, but he rarely uses it any more except in the car. For some reason he uses it a lot in the car and if he doesn't have it, he bites his nails and bites his finger. I have seen other kids out with chewies attached around their neck using them continuously. I think it just depends on how much LO needs it, some trial and error. If LO is compensating by putting fingers or something in his mouth, a chewy is a much better option and will prevent him from getting sick a lot more than necessary.