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3.5 year old puts everything in her mouth

meganandgabemeganandgabe
in Pre-School and Daycare

Is this normal?  She started sucking her thumb right after she turned 2 (new baby had just arrived) and she still does.  I do not know how to make it stop.  But she also puts everything else in her mouth - her ponytail holder, clothes, dolls, rocks.  You name it, it has been in her mouth.  I am struggling to get her to stop.  I do not think she realizes that she is doing it but even once I ask her to stop, a few minutes later, it is back in there.

Any suggestions?  Does anyone else have a LO that does this?  Any help is appreciated!

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Re: 3.5 year old puts everything in her mouth

  • jallascallajallascalla member
    My 3 yr old (just turned 3) DD just started doing this, I can't figure out what brought this on (no new baby, she is the youngest). She isn't sucking her thumb, but her hands and everything else are going in her mouth. I was worried that her teeth hurt, but she claims nothing in her mouth is bothering her. I'm curious to hear if anyone has any answers/ideas...
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  • brightningbrightning member
    My good friend's DD is like this. They let her chew gum and it helps tremendously.
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  • BrewtowngrlBrewtowngrl member
    I wish i had some words of wisdom.  DS is almost 5 and he has holes in all of his shirts and even chewed the zipper off of his coat.  He always has something in his mouth.  We have given him sensory chew things and all sorts of other ideas.  We are at a loss.  I guess some kids are just really oral. 
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  • Littlejen22Littlejen22 member
    Thumb sucking is a coping mechanism, I was reading an article on WebMD yesterday that said forcing a kid to give it up before they are ready is cruel. Not sure about the rest.
    Jen - Mom to two December 12 babies Nathaniel 12/12/06 and Addison 12/12/08
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  • NewFamily09NewFamily09 member

    I used to teach kindergarten and would occasionally have a student who did this.  They would chew on pencils, paper, even their own clothes.  I think at this age it could be more of a nervous habit than anything else and maybe it calms her down.  Does she always do it?  Or do you notice it more in situations where she might be a little stressed (like when she's in trouble, getting dropped off at DC, etc)?  My only idea is to maybe to give her something to hold that she can fiddle with instead of chewing on things. 

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