WWYD? Toddler chewing hands
Demedoll
member
Our DD has started biting her hands this week. She kind of mouthed her hands when she was younger and hungry and then when teeth would come in but she is actually biting them now. Most of the time she leaves marks on her hand and several times now she has broken the skin. I try to wash them and put bandaids on and she pulls them off with her teeth.
Did any of you have a child that did this? She isn't doing it when she is upset and she has stopped biting me. It seems like she is just bored and chews on her hands until she breaks the skin. I we have tried pulling her hands away from her mouth and telling her no, biting is bad just like we did when she was biting me but it doesn't seem to be working. I am afraid her fingers will get infected or she will touch something that can make her sick if she gets it in her mouth or bloodstream.
I dont get how she can inflict pain on herself and seem to not even notice. She bites herself so hard and doesn't even cry. Any suggestions? Is there something I can put on her hands to make them taste foul that wont hurt her or her eyes?
Re: WWYD? Toddler chewing hands
When DS learned to gag himself, I was told by the pedi to put a little bit of hot sauce on his fingers. He licked it off... luckily he outgrew it.
Maybe there are other tastes to try on her hands as well.
You could try something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mavala-Stop-Biting-Sucking-0-3-Fluid/dp/B0000YUXI0
It's a nasty-tasting formula that you use to keep them from biting nails or sucking fingers. It was recently recommended by my friend's pediatrician. And it cured her daughter's thumb sucking in about 2 days.
FWIW, my daughter started biting her nails and cuticles about 2 months ago. I have no idea why but she chews until she bleeds and it makes me crazy. She says it doesn't hurt (but I don't know... I would think it does). I just kept at her about how we don't put our fingers in our mouth... germs... etc. After a month or so, it started to slow down and I *think* we're almost finished with a very dirty habit. I think like most things, it's just a phase.
Thank you ladies. I will try the mavala and see how that goes. I set an appointment with her pediatrician for Friday. Since she isn't "sick" they didn't have anything before then.
All of her cuts are around her nails too so it might be a nail thing but sometimes she will stick half her hand in her moouth. I have seen teens with the cuticle biting thing and some seriously gross nail beds, I just never noticed a child doing it before. Hopefully we can break the habit quickly.