"we only put food in our mouth"; I swear I have said this about 25 times every day for the last 5 months to my little 17 month old DCG. Everything goes in her mouth...the first thing being her socks & slippers; which I spend all day putting back on. Outside is a nightmare...I have be beside her pretty much all the time. I do admit that as soon as I say it she immediately takes whatever it is out; but boy am I TIRED of saying it! At first I would just let her mouth the toys (& be sanitizing the toys like crazy). I too had a little 2 year old who constantly had his fingers in his mouth (& not surprisingly was always the sick one)...one day I got so frustrated of saying it & following him with wipes/sanitizer that I told him the next time he did it I would put cream on his hands. So, I did. A tiny dab of diaper cream. It took 1 time of him putting that finger in his mouth...never again (I should also add that he's my nephew & I knew mom would not mind at all). I've also relaxed quite a bit on the sanitizing regimen...but the everything in the mouth...<shivers>