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I seriously don't know what to do with Ellie! She's almost 4.5 and she still puts things in her mouth constantly! Sometimes she'll chew them, sometimes just put them in her mouth. Last night, she got hold of a window marker and chewed the hell out of it. Her mouth, lips, tongue, and her shirt were completely covered. I punished her (time out), sent her to her room, and the marker went in the trash. I sat her down and had a talk. I told her that it's dangerous to put things in her mouth because some things could make her really sick. This has been going on for a long time and I really don't know what to do about it.

FWIW, when she has stuff in her mouth, I usually remind her that only food goes in our mouths or I'll ask her "Is that food?" and it will come out.

Anyone else going through this? Any advice?

Nathaniel is obviously younger than Ellie but we have the same problem. It's horrible. He chews on books, puzzle pieces, toys, etc. I swear he's much worse than our dog! :lol: I'm curious to hear any advice because it's a big problem for us, too!!!

Amanda

Do you think it could be a stress type behavior? Does she show other signs of having an anxious type personality?

Isabelle doesn't chew on objects...but she bites her nails, and it's particularly bad when something is stressing her- like when she changed rooms at daycare, and when she started a new swim class.

She gets it from me...and I can definitely attest to it being a nervous behavior. At 34, I still chew on my nails when I'm under a lot of stress- and it's the same impulse that makes me stress eat. I've been known to chew on the ends of my pens, and when I was younger (but still junior high/high school age) I used to bit around the rims of styrofoam cups when I'd drink out of them :dunno:

If that is the issue- you might have to switch tactics. You still need to take the dangerous stuff away- but rather than punishing the behaviour, maybe work with her on finding a new comfort behavior?

If that's not what's going on- and you don't think she's deliberately doing it to push your hot buttons- I don't really have any good suggestions :dunno:

Could it be a sensory issue?

OMG I'm so glad Riley is not the only one!!!! She's always picked up things off the floor and stuck them in her mouth. She's slightly better about it now, but she eats more stuff off the floor than her baby brother does. Drives me nutso! Our peditrician labeled it a phase (a 4 1/2 year long phase????) and that she would outgrow it. Not so far.

Thanks, Everyone.

I don't think it's a nervous thing. She usually sucks her thumb and twirls her hair when she's nervous. If anything I think it could be a sensory thing or a boredom thing. I just want her stop, kwim?

She, I'm glad Ellie's not the only one.