Eating Crayons

Hi,
I had the same problem with my little ones. Even though crayons are non-toxic, I was always worried about the possibility of choking on chunks of them... as well as the dubious nature of having a diet largely comprised of wax.

We switched to washable crayons (Crayola) which are non-toxic and kind of melt when they get wet. The kids could color, the baby could munch at will and I could safely navigate the crayon-eating stage while I slowly taught her that crayons were "not for the mouth."

I limited the time, space and outfits allowed for coloring. It was my way of limiting the mess and controlling how much my kids ingested (because let's face it, even non-toxic melty washable crayons aren't exactly the most nutritious thing). Making a mess is 98% of the fun, so I just set things up accordingly and let them have an hour of wildly uncivilized behavior.

Also, be aware that if you use washable crayons, you will have a child entirely painted with melted color -- and it will dribble as they drool. I simply let my kids color in their swim suits, naked, diaper only, or in 'art outfits' that we had for cold weather days. Always put a tablecloth down on the floor (or patio) under where they are doing their coloring (this is a good idea for clay, as well) because the chewed up bits of crayon frequently get tracked all over. A tablecloth is easy to just bundle up and shake out over the lawn before tossing it in the washer.

As for breaking her of the phase: just use consistency and patience. It will pass, but it takes a bit of time. The washables take the stress out of it -- and they make for some great keepsake photos. 'Cause who doesn't love a picture of a half-naked purple and green baby?

Best of luck! :-)

2 moms found this helpful

Hi J.,
In my opinion, 2 YO's have short attention spans. I would let her color for a few minutes and then switch to something else to entertain her.

Remove the problem until she is mature enough to understand. introduce the crayons again when she is 2.5..... A few months sometimes makes a big difference.

Lol , they are harmless but make technicolor poo poo that's hysterical! I know, my son has eaten a few himself .
I bought him the crayons for toddlers that are in the cute animals with just the tip sticking out . Now if he bites off the tip he's "ALL DONE" coloring . There is much less crayon ingestion. The stamps are great fun for him too and wipe off him and everything else with just a diaper wipe !

Haha! That's no fun! My best suggestion would be to let your 4yo color while your 2yo is sleeping (until she's a bit older). While they're both awake, choose something that doesn't involve crayons - there are those great "watercolor" pages that just need a paint brush and water or the special crayola markers that only work on special paper.

Good luck!

I'm with Danni B on this one. My daugter does the same thing, but I haven't had the crayons down in a while, cause it is so cold, I can't toss her outside for a hose down... =)
Anyway, if your son is distressed with the baby eating his crayons, try letting him color while she is sleeping, or having her bath or something...
Good luck
R.

Put them away when she does something wrong. When she cries tell her, "You have to be a big girl to color. We don't eat our crayons or color on the walls/etc. , only color on the paper." She will catch on FAST- especially if she sees her 4 yr. old brother continue to have fun!

They make these twist up crayons - maybe your daughter wouldn't be able to eat those. Check them out at target.

Dear J.,
We have the same problem but with play dough. We just stopped doing play dough with her and let our older child do it while the little one napped. She will outgrow this gross habit.

Other suggestions... get the aqua doodle coloring pages for her. They sell them at Target in the toy section. They are a bit pricey but the only thing your child can eat is water.

If you do choose to do crayons, be sure you use ONLY Crayola. They are supposed to be non-toxic. Do not use any crayons from a dollar store or other non-brands.

Good luck!
J.

Contact the crayon company and ask them if their crayons contain lead. If so have your daughter tested for heavy metal toxicity. Checkout www.bluedominoes.com for more info on what products contain lead and other toxins.
D. Merlin
Mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com

Try "color wonder" markers( by crayola). They are great! The color will only appear on the "magic paper". They are a little pricy, but well worth it if your daughter loves to color :)
Here is a link for them: http://www.crayolastore.com/category.asp?NAV=COLOR&.

Hi J.,

I wouldn't worry too much -- kids will experiment with eating a lot of things we would not normally consider edible, most of which will do them no harm (have you caught her eating dirt or sand yet? ;-) ) Check to make sure that the crayons are nontoxic. Beware of products that you buy in the dollar stores, though, and many products made in China. They often contain lead or phenol, which are not safe.

If you don't mind the mess, instead of crayons you can let your kids finger paint with colored puddings. Chocolate, of course, for brown, and vanilla mixed with food coloring for other colors. Another fun and edible coloring activity is to make rainbow toast. Mix a little food coloring in milk and let the kids use cotton swabs or clean water color brushes to paint pictures on bread. When they're done, toast the bread to reveal the picture.

Also, I used to get my kids paint with water books. These have the pigment dried onto the paper in little dots which can be spread around with a damp paint brush. Don't worry about painting or coloring inside the lines. The fine motor control required for that skill with evolve over time. Put a mat down on the table to protect the surface if she misses and take the crayons/paints/whatever away with a firm "no" if she uses them on inappropriate surfaces.

BTW, any chance your 4 yr old is egging her on?

Hi J.,

So many things to worry about, right? I don't know about the non-toxicity of the crayons, but I read an article about crayons among many other things like personal care products and pet foods, containing the renderings from dead animals that have been "recycled". Here's the link if you'd like to read it: http://www.naturalnews.com/z025130.html

I would definitley rethink giving your youngest the crayons until she has passed the "putting things in her mouth" stage.

This is so gross to me, but most big manufacturers are not out to protect the public's health, they are looking out for their own interests, namely money!

I hope this helps some.

T.
www.sharethecause.com/T.