"Julie, Colter has a Lego in his mouth," a little girl called to me from the living room this week.
"Yes," I sighed. "He likes to chew on things."
"I don't think it's safe," his friend responded.
"If you can get him to stop, that'd be great," I told her.
Colter never sucked his thumb as a baby and he never had a pacifier. But suddenly, at the age of 6, he started putting his fingers, toys, Game Boy, the remote control, anything and everything in his mouth. For the two years since, he's been like a perpetual puppy: always chewing.
If I had a minute for every time I said to him, "What's in your mouth?" or "Please take that out of your mouth," I'd have all the time I need.
At first, I thought maybe he was teething. He was losing teeth, new ones were coming in, but after a while it was clearly something else.
And what could I say? I sucked my thumb until my 13th birthday. I figure he'll stop when he's ready to stop, like I did.
Personally I do still suck on my fingers (in private and when sleeping or needing to sleep) it's odd. Being nearly an adult (I'm 19) self-awareness seems to do nothing for the habit. Knowing that I do it and knowing how embarassing it is doesn't seem to help me to stop. I know it's hard for parents to understand why kids suck thumbs or fingers at older ages, but I have a confession to make... neither do we sometimes! hehe. Really, I can't explain it much except that since I have done it for so long, it seems nearly impossible for me to give it up. My parents explanation for it is that they took away the bottle too early and that because kids don't have the bottle to suck on for comfort, they revert to something else. I have a 1 year old nephew that sucks so viciously on his thumb that it gets red and swollen. He has a very fussy and clingy character while my niece at the same age has never sucked on anything but a bottle. She's, I guess, more "mature" and non-clingy. Well... as mature as a baby could be. I was infact of the same nature as my nephew in the sense that I was an insecure child with troubled parents. Alot of children that suck thumbs in my family or children I meet through family seem to have the same trend. As for Colter, that story stumps me. Out of the blue at 6? I've been doing it for so long I can't remember when I started! Perhaps he picked it up from a friend at school as I often liked to mimick the kids I met in kindergarten?
Posted by: Tara | August 14, 2005 at 05:35 AM
Goodness, yes. My son puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. He is 4. FOUR!!!! I am always like "get your fingers out of your mouth", "get that toy out of your mouth". He never took a bottle or a pacifier either; but he's very "oral". But it's really kinda gross. I mean, where has some of that stuff been?!?!?! On the floor, in the car, on thr ground, on the sidewalk, and on and on. Ick.
Posted by: Chrishawn | October 26, 2004 at 06:44 PM
I have a son who at the age of 7 not only sucks two fingers (they have callouses to prove it), but he carries around my silk pajamas. I am worried sick that he is going to grow up and
#1. be a smoker and #2. Drive his wife crazy carrying around her lingerie for comfort.
Posted by: Wendy | October 23, 2004 at 10:19 PM
I sucked my thumb until I was fifteen (but only at night when I was by myself!) Now, I'm a chewer too. Pen caps. Erasers. The tops off of water bottles. You name it. I've tried everything to break it. Now I just accept it. And no, using gum isn't an adequate replacement....I feel Colter's pain!
Posted by: CJ | October 23, 2004 at 05:47 PM
No, but my husband, Angelo will chew on his finger or thumb if he's deeply engrossed in a book, or concentrating on driving. It drives me nuts, and I'm bound and determined to keep Tony from doing it.
The other pet peeve is hand rubbing. Angelo does it when he's nervous, excited and/or upset. Drives me NUTS!
Posted by: VJ | October 22, 2004 at 03:58 PM
Each of my boys were different. Paul had a pacifer because I was not going to have a thumbsucker. We lost it when he was about 2.
Sean couldn't suck due to his birth defects and had to be taught. He now sucks on his hands/fingers if he is hungry. When we see that, we give tube feeds through his g-tube. Daniel had a pacifer until a year ago-he still wants to suck on everything! At 4 he still wants to suck. Peter never had a pacifer because Daniel would take it away. Peter doesn't suck on his fingers but likes to hold liquids in his mouth for an extended period of time before swallowing.
Posted by: Shelly | October 22, 2004 at 11:40 AM
Kayla didn't have a pacifier either, but has started to chew on things. How odd. I am constantly having to tell her to take things out of her mouth and not to lick things. This is one stage I will be glad to pass.
Posted by: Nikki | October 22, 2004 at 11:10 AM
It could be a way to "calm" himself. My 2 year old does that. I am a chewer still. I chew pen caps, milk jug rings, and occasionally my fingernails. But, now I found out they make things for the end of pencils and pens to chew on for kids in school and others who chew but don't want it know.
Posted by: Crystal | October 22, 2004 at 10:08 AM
My son used a pacifier until we *lost* it in a move when he was two. Personally, I sucked my thumb until I was in the third grade. (Secretly, of course, those last few years.)
And you know, I just remembered something. A few days after I'd given birth to my son, I started waking up in the middle of the night with my thumb in my mouth. I guess I was overly tired, and my subconscious knew that bit of comfort would help. (It stopped soon after I realized it.)
Posted by: Meg | October 22, 2004 at 08:54 AM
I call Mallory a goat,because she chews on everything.Drives me insane.I find little bits of evidence all over the house.She never sucked her thumb or a pacifier as a baby.Weird.
Posted by: emily | October 22, 2004 at 08:28 AM