6.5yo constantly puts stuff in mouth

smittendorff · October 2013

My 6.5 yo son is constantly putting stuff in his mouth (his shirt, pencil, school name tag, random toys he's holding, fingers, etc). It seems to be a subconscious habit that he's hardly aware of, and not related to being nervous. Short of constantly telling him to keep whatever it is out of his mouth, any ideas? His teacher suggested a special pencil topper. What about those silicone teething necklaces moms wear for babies? It wouldn't stop the habit, but maybe reduce the spread of germs and keep his shirt, name tag, etc clean(er). Any suggestions?

TheBub · October 2013

Ugh...I hate to admit it, but this is me. I know in my head that it's gross, but I can't stop. I chew my nails and constantly run my pen across my teeth. When I watch TV, I rest my arm so that the remote is pushing against my mouth. I'm no help, but I definitely sympathize with him.

EMOmamma · October 2013

There are a bunch of things you can get like the pencil topper, they're mostly marketed towards people with special needs so they're tough enough for older kids. There are tube necklaces, things he can keep in his pocket, etc. Look for sensory chew items

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001R82OMG/?tag=squidfidgets-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JHZQDY/?tag=squidfidgets-20

https://www.amazon.com/Abilitations-Integrations-Chewlery-Chewable-Jewelry/dp/B0042SWOQY/ref=pd_sim_hpc_23

smittendorff · October 2013

Thanks ladies. I did find the pencil toppers on amazon, and added the items EMO-mamma suggested to look at. I think it needs to be something that's attached to him (bracelet, clip-on thing, necklace). Or the pencil topper that is handy. I've got a 5mo, and so teething toys out for him. Maybe I should experiment and give one to my 6.5yo to see what he does with it before buying something else.

TheBub · October 2013

I want to buy that first one for myself.

MrsCodeMonkey · October 2013

Can you try a stress ball? It would give him something to do besides chewing. I don't know how you'd replace one behavior with another. The other suggestions sound more doable.

smittendorff · October 2013

Thanks everyone. His teachers brought it up during conferences last night, which got me a bit more concerned. His name tag is really gross! I think it's worth giving him an alternate option to try (his teacher said she can get him a pencil topper) and just see how it goes. I don't want to make a big deal about it, but if there is something that can help, it's worth a try.

jlw2505 · October 2013

My 5 1/2 year DD is like this. She was a thumb sucker when she was little but broke that habit over a year ago. This is new and started within the last few weeks. To help her stop thumb sucking, we gave her a stretchy bracelet that she could chew on. She still uses this from time to time but I find myself reminding her to take xyz out of her mouth a ton. I don't think she does it as much at school, more just when she is home and not using her hands for other things. The bracelet helps keep her hands busy even if she doesn't chew on it (when she wears it)

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