Everything goes in his mouth...

Re: Everything goes in his mouth...

• ec3under4

  January 2012

  This probably isn't encouraging but my son will be 5 in march and he constantly has his finger, his shirt or something random in his mouth. It.drives.my.last.nerve. For us, it started when I put some stuff on his thumb to make him stop sucking his thumb but it backfired and took it to a whole new level. I would take thumb sucking any day over putting random stuff in your mouth. And, he also bites his nails...ack!!

  I digress... I have no solution but wanted to sympathize. My friend who is an OT says that some kiddos have a greater "oral fixation" than others and there isn't too much that you can do to stop it completely. You can offer him something to chew on as opposed to putting something in his mouth. Your guy is a little young but I give my son bubble gum and that's the only thing that I have found that consistently works. You can buy necklaces that have chew things on them that my friend also recommends which might be a good option for you if it's really bothering you. They are kind of like those nursing necklaces that babies can chew on. 

  If all else fails and I get really irritated, I put socks on his hands... 

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• spideyswifey

  January 2012

  We have been having the same problem and it is driving.me.CRAZY. K constantly has her hands in her mouth (or nose), she also puts anything and everything in her mouth. At first I thought she was doing it to get attention (since we have the same issue with baby boy), unfortunatley it has not stopped. I took her to the pedi in Nov and asked about it, she said it was a developmental thing and would probably resolve itself at some point.

  We ask her very nicely to get her hands, toys or whatever out of her mouth (nose). We have to remind her 1,000,000 times a day. When we see her hands in her mouth we suggest that we go wash our hands, play cards, toys etc... Lastly, we took the opportunity to begin talking about germs and how when we touch things and put hands in mouth or nose it can spread germs. There is a Yo Gabba about germs that she likes to watch.

  None of the above have made a huge difference. Although now when I ask her to take her hands out of he mouth she replies with, I'll go wash my hands mommy so the germs go away. She has had every cold, virus, stomach flu, known to man in the past 3 months, I am hoping this phase ends soon!

  Good luck!

  

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• carlinlp member

  January 2012

  Chewing/sucking/mouthing is a big symptom for gut flora imbalance. Has he ever been on antibiotics?  Even one dose kills good and bad gut flora but leaves candida to take over. If not, it is believed that gut flora is inherited from the mother as they pass through the birth canal.  dd's constant mouthing things and chewing on clothes, etc didn't go away until we did a lot of gut healing. Does he crave sweets?

  
  
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• Mrs.Froggianna

  January 2012

  Thanks for commiserating, y'all.  I think I'll look into getting him a chew necklace, because it does seem like it's more of a fidgeting oral fixation than anything.

  Carlinlp--He's been on antibiotics twice in his life--the last time was over a year ago and he always gets probiotics when he takes them.  He's not a bit sweets fan, actually.  If he asks for a cookie, eat half and then forget about it.  
  

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• Mrs.Froggianna

  January 2012

  ec3under4:

  If all else fails and I get really irritated, I put socks on his hands... 

  Oh and this made me giggle for quite awhile...the thought of my wild man running around trying to pick things up with "mittens" on.  
  

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• carlinlp member

  January 2012

  If the probiotics didn't require refrigeration then they likely didn't do the job. Even those that do require refrigeration can fail if they go through pasteurization (like many yogurts, etc). Just something to consider. 

  
  
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