Our 5 year old still puts things in her mouth, but she knows it is wrong because she tries to hide it from us. Usually, it can last until they are about 3.
There is an actual term they use for it, especially in animals. It is called oral fixation, and is perfectly normal as in babies, they have many nerve endings in their mouths that mean they gain more info about objects by putting them in their mouths.
As your baby gets older, they become more able to use the nerve endings in the hands to feel and explore objects, but will still try and taste them to confirm what the hands are telling them.
Some people are chewers. My two older ones are constantly chewing on little bits of plastic. And my brother who is 41 stills does it as well. Most annoying
If there is something plastic near my husband it always ends up in his mouth! Drives me crazy!!! Good luck trying to stop it, my children no longer do this, but I dont think it is because of anything special I have done, or didnt do! lol
My boy will be 1 on Monday and he still puts things in his mouth. Not so much as when he was younger, but yeah still doing it. Hang in there nothing you can do it is just the way they feel things at the moment.
LOL - we have been very lucky, our wee man lost interest in taste testing and chewing everything in sight once he could walk (10mths). Sometimes when he is sick he will 'be a baby' as he puts it and chew or suck things - I think he just associated it with being a baby and grew out of it early. Try not making too much fuss, as if it is gaining attention, it is likely to continue longer.
Based on my experience, it's around 18 months to 2 (slightly longer if your child is a pacifier user since they are just the kind of kids that absolutely has to have somethign in their mouths!!) Of course the frequency decreases by a whole lot as they get older. But I remember my son grabbing a fist full of sand from his sandbox and putting in his mouth at around 15 months. Yuck!
lol, isn't this fun? I think my girl stopped between 18-2 yrs. Hang on, it will stop! Though I my daughter still likes to bite stuff, she is going on 3, but that normally from nervousness.
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