Toddler Who Constantly Puts Things in Her Mouth!

HI K.,
It sounds like she may be having some sensory stimulation issues, often accompanied by oral stimulation desires. Usually, the oral piece can be solved very quickly because it is actualy a symptom of mineral difenciecy. Sounds crazy, but go to the health store and get a liquid mult-mineral and give her a small dose AM, PM for awhile. It should go away quickly.
If she is having other sensory type behaviors, you may want to consider getting her to a OT (www.floortimeatlanta.com is the best). Also, many of these will go away when you get rid of foods that is causing her immune to respond (the top three offenders are mik, wheat, soy). Best of luck, j

Have you spoken to her pediatrician? If her vitamins & minerals are low it can lead to PICA.

I would start there with some blood tests before imposing punishments. She may not be able to help it, YK?

I have heard (not sure though) that this might happen if the kid is deficient in vitamin C. Try giving multivitamin gummies if you are not already. I give my lil daughter calcium and iron syrups everyday, she never had a problem of putting things in mouth.
A pediatrician would definitely know a cure for this.

All the best!

This what a friend of mine did with her son that put everything in his mouth.....

1st time, you take it away and explain it is not food. Only food goes in our mouth.

Any time after that, take it away, flick or pop a hand and say not food.

After a day or two of this then the first warning goes out the window and you pop or flick the hand and tell her not food.

Another few days, just the flick or pop of the hand and no talking.

It took her a little under two weeks and every day it got better and better. By 2 weeks all she had to do was say not food and he would stop. A good thing to do is catch her before she puts it in her mouth as well. Put her in time out for destructive behaviors such as tearing out book pages, etc.

Some of this might just be pushing your buttons because she gets a reaction out of you. Try to remain flat tempered when you talk to her about it too.

Good luck!
S.

This is one of those danger things that required us to resort to spanking. You can talk to um till they are blue in the face but they don't get that they are in very real danger. Every time one of ours put something in their mouth we would immediately pull it out of their mouth and ask um if it was food. No it's not food , if its not food don't put it in your mouth. Then they'd have been told that the next time they put something in their mouth they would get spanked or a thump on the cheek.
You can start by taking anything she puts in her mouth away, no matter what it is , toys , hair bows, books, what ever it is take it away and she dosen't get it back for a while. Put it where she can see it. If she asks for it, tell her "no you can't have it you put it in your mouth" Asks again , tell her that if she wanted it she shouldn't have treated it badly and put it in her mouth.

Good Luck , this can be one of the tough habits to break.