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  1. #1
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    Mouthing everything - suggestions for deterring?

    I have a 15 month old who puts everything he picks up in his mouth. I mean everything. If I don't catch him right away and remove the item he chews on it unti lI take it out of his mouth. He has also started biting the other children in my care. I know that some degree of mouthing items is normal and healthy and can also be a sign of teething but this is far more excessive than any mouthing and chewing that I've seen with my other kids. It is also really gross - there is drool everywhere and it is really hard to constantly sanitize and clean everything that goes into his mouth since *everything* goes into his mouth.
    Other than telling him that we don't put toys in our mouth, what can I do to curb this behaviour? Or is this one of those things that I just have wait out and will subside on its own?
    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    For one of my dcbs it seemed to just be a unconscious thing to put things in his mouth if he wasn't actively playing with them. For him I started making him out the toy he mouthed in the sink or dirty toy bucket, and he lost it until I got around to cleaning it. He figured it out, but still chews on his fingers... Yuck.

    15 months might be a bit young though you might just have to continue with reminders until they're able to connect losing toys with putting them in the mouth.

  3. #3
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    For myself I just tell the little ones in a stern voice NO that is Yucky! and constant reminders. It usually results in the child taking the toy out of their mouth.

  4. #4
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    I have this issue too. I do the "toys do not go in our mouth", "yuck, we don't do that" etc. I used to just take the toy away and put it in a bucket and at the end of the day wash those ones. Now I make the child take it to the sink instantly. I clean them as I get to them so sometimes they are without them for an hour or more. I'm hoping that it soon registers and they will stop.

    I find they do it more when they are teething. The play food is always being put in their mouth even though "we just pretend" is said a million times a day lol. Unfortunately, I think it is just something kids do.

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  6. #5
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    I have one the same age. Everything goes in the mouth. He mouths my furniture as well. If any of the other children are at the same level as him, he will go for their noses. Put his mouth right over their noses

  7. #6
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    I'm not sure !! But anxious to find out too !!! I had two dck that put everything in their mouths !!!! I'm guessing its teething too but I'm doing endless cleaning !!!

  8. #7
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    I'm in the same boat, and with older kids too, like 4 year olds! ICK.
    I know it's a habit, and I'm actually going to do up a memo about consistency bewtween home and day home regarding mouthing toys, books and chewing, sucking on fingers. I find it disgusting, more so with the older dhc, that they suck their fingers and then go around touching everything, especially with cold season.

  9. #8
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    UGH!!! I have one too, but that's because she is addicted to her soother. So I guess I'm not the best, but I just leave the soother in to save my toys and the ick factor. Parent's don't have an issue with me doing that, but I do ask them to try and remind dcg at home that toys don't go in the mouth. blech. LOL

  10. #9
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    Yup, another one of my "things". Our motto is ONLY FOOD GOES IN OUR MOUTH.
    We don't suck on our thumbs, fingers, toys or anything else. Even little ones (10-12m) can start to understand that. With consistency and repetition, they will get it. Eventually. LoL
    My own daughter was really bad for that, even at almost 2. So I gave her a specific toy that she could chew on/ mouth. I would replace and say "you can only do that with THIS toy". It got to the point that she would run over and find it, just to put in her mouth. But that was ok, because she wasn't sucking on everything else in sight. I have heard of others pinning or clipping a small toy to the child, with the same intention. If they are going to chew, it is on a specific item.

  11. #10
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    So, I've been following this advice and repeat a million times a day that toys don't go in the mouth, take the toy away, etc. Well, this little guy is now 18 months old and the mouthing has continued to the point where most of my books have been ruined because he chews them, the playpen has chew marks, he chewed through a teething necklace that was supposed to be indestructible, he has even started chewing on his own legs or arms, and of course, he has started biting the other children in the daycare now. He also started shoving his fingers far back into his throat so that he triggers his gag reflex - a few days ago he made himself vomit. I am really struggling with how to deal with this. As you probably know, having to tell a parent that their child was hurt while in your care is a really awful feeling. I spoke to the mom about it earlier this week (after the vomit incident) and mom says it must be because he is teething - same thing she has been saying for about 5 months. I am going to speak with her again today and stress the severity of the issue and I would really like to give her some things to work on with him over the next few weeks to teach him to stop but she claims he never does this stuff when he's at home (yeah, right). He seems to bite when another child sits too close to him, plays with a toy he is playing with (not taking it away, but with blocks or lego for example), or sometimes it is when the other children are playing with something together, he will approach and attempt to bite. he seems to bite less when he has a soother attached to his shirt but I have a no soother except when transitioning or at naptime rule. I also think that at 18 months old he should know what is appropriate to chew on (ie FOOD) and what isn't (ie everything else) - within reason of course.
    I have started saying a firm, "no biting, that hurts your friend" and i put him in his playpen. when i have to leave the room he goes in his high chair or playpen, but it really isn't changing anything and he is still biting or five times a day.
    What should I do? What are some things I can ask the parents to do at home to help me out here?

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