Chewey child

[BlondeMoment]

Hi everyone.
Got a question about something I've not come accross before. My niece is now 2 years and almost 2 months old and still takes everything to mouth. Everything she plays with gets slobbered over and chewed. She chews her coat when we're out and her hands when nothing else is available. I know she's still teething but this isn't quite right at her age is it? There hasn't been any gap in it as far as I know as well. It's continued right since she was a baby. I've never known a child to be so chewey at her age. In my experience most stop at around a year to 18 months old

Her Dad gets cross with her as she chews the remote control, his sunglasses...EVERYTHING LOL! Should he be getting cross with her? Should she know better now or is this something that she's slow to grow out of. She was premature at birth. Could that be anything to do with it. She doesn't seem conscious of it.

Any advice would be great. Has anyone else come accross this

[Flisspaps]

Has he tried giving her a special toy to chew on?

I'm not sure that getting cross would help, it might make her anxious and therefore more liable to chew, rather than less.

If the one special toy doesn't work/appeal then I would think that perhaps gently taking whatever she was chewing away from her mouth and saying 'no' EVERY single time would be the way I would deal with it. It's either a comfort thing, or just habit, either way I would think that a softly-softly approach would be the best way forward, especially as she's so little.

Also - remember that although most stop at around 18 months, this means that some will stop before, and others after :)

[keatingschick]

The little boy I look after is 2 1/2 and he still puts everything in his mouth or licks things. I have to admit at times I do get a little stressed cos they all seem to have constant colds and I often think its cos they are all constantly chewing anything and everything, and with all the best will in the world you cant CONSTANTLY anti-bac things. This little boy will actually just sit and shove his 4 fingers into his mouth, which I am a little gobsmacked at, but the other day I did wonder if maybe he is getting some teeth or something and thats why he is chewing.

[RainbowMum]

I have a look after a five year old who will still put things in mouth - also likes to rub things around his face - drives me potty - I just remind him each time I see it. My own DD was very much the same but she stopped around age 4 xx

[caz3007]

Dare I say it my older DS was 15 and used to chew things. He managed to chew the rubber backing of our sky remote and also some of the buttons on other remotes. He obviously did all these whilst out of my sight and never new why he did it. He did grow out of it :laughing:

[BlondeMoment]

I cringed the other day when her daddy put her on the naughty step for doing it. I honestly don't think she's conscious of it. She was so upset poor little girl.
I'm glad of all your replies. Thing is how can I explain this to brother in law. He's a bit of a know it all

[Flisspaps]

Tell him you've done some research into it by speaking to other childcare professionals, to see what you can do to help but that you've found out that it's a perfectly normal behaviour for a child to do, and that it might be a comfort action and that punishment for it can exacerbate it :D

What does her mum think?

[BlondeMoment]

Tell him you've done some research into it by speaking to other childcare professionals, to see what you can do to help but that you've found out that it's a perfectly normal behaviour for a child to do, and that it might be a comfort action and that punishment for it can exacerbate it :D

What does her mum think?

I don't really see much of mum (she's also an in-law. They're my husbands family). It's Dad that brings her to me. But she seems to be going along with dad. I'll try what you said tho. Sounds the best solution x

[miss mopple]

this is something I have some experience of. Will pm you x

[Cazz]

My mindees age almost 3 and his brother who's 2 in June also put everything in their mouth and like this little girl they permamently have runny noses and colds.

I ask them not to put things in their mouth because of the cross contamination to others and also in case there were any breakage from biting while in their mouths which could injure them. They will also rush around with something stuck out of their mouth which is obviously a choking hazard if they were to fall.

They are slowly getting better - only been with me a month. I think it's a habit thing and just something they've got used to doing.

My 13 year old son chews the top of his t-shirt without even realising he's doing it. This is normally when he's concentrating on the laptop or his playstation. He doesn't realise he's doing it until I asked him not to. When he was at Junior School he would chew the cuff of his sweatshirt if he was nervous so I think it's become habit with him too.

[caz3007]

My 13 year old son chews the top of his t-shirt without even realising he's doing it. This is normally when he's concentrating on the laptop or his playstation. He doesn't realise he's doing it until I asked him not to. When he was at Junior School he would chew the cuff of his sweatshirt if he was nervous so I think it's become habit with him too.

My son was the same, before he started chewing the remotes :D