Mouthing

[sunnydays]

I remember that a couple of you posted awhile back that you have stopped your dck's from putting toys in their mouths. I have been trying, unsuccessfully to do this too and I'm wondering how you do it. I have a couple who put everything in their mouths...even the 2 year old and it drives me nuts! Any tips?

[playfelt]

For the 2 year old that is old enough to know better designate one toy they can mouth. Then when they start with another one take the child and the moutable toy and set them in the equivalent of time out - if you want to suck on toys you do it over here with this one ONLY. It gets old quickly. Then when you see them about to put a toy in their mouth just say no get your own mouthing toy not the play toys. It is just an ingrained habit that will take time to break.

For an older child that sucks their hands and touches too much they are set aside to suck and then must go wash their hands before they can return to play - give them a wet washcloth which of course gets colder and colder as the morning goes on to use. It will get where they can just be sent to wash up. Again will get old quick.

[mom-in-alberta]

Repetition.... repetition.... repetition.... lol.
"Only food goes in our mouths" is our mantra.
Kids eventually catch on. And you do have to be on top of it, as they are starting to move the object up to their mouth, a verbal reminder, or physical (moving the hand back down again) to interrupt the behaviour.
One thing that I have found is that the parents need to help with this. It makes it sooooo much harder if Junior is allowed to chew on/lick/ suck on everything at home. Explain to the parents that "yes, it is a normal part of child development, but it is simply not a good habit to have in a mulit-child environment".

[sunnydays]

I have done the repetition part, but after months and months it doesn't seemed to have helped a whole lot, so maybe it is because they are allowed at home. I have to say, it never occurred to me as a parent to stop my kids from doing this at home (only when at playgroups etc), so I can understand why they haven't.

[jewel1122]

Interesting one of the children i care for he is 3yrs old and puts everything into his mouth and if its not in his mouth he is destroying it. He is very hard to communicate with when you try to speak to him he looks at you with a very blank stare and is looking through you. He actually understands very little