My Child is Mouthing Everything!
Oral sensory seeking behavior, or mouthing items, is a normal activity in babies and infants. Babies use a sucking mechanism to keep them to calm and self soothe. This self-soothing can also be called self-regulation. That explains why pacifiers are helpful in keeping a baby calm. Sucking is a vital survival reflex which assists in the feeding process.
As babies get older and become infants they then utilize their mouth to explore the world around them. So is it normal for my child to put everything into their mouth between the ages of 18-24 months? Yes, this process assists in the sensory motor development. It assists them to learning more about an object, such as how big is it, how hard or soft is it, and it’s shape. The mouth acts like a second pair of eyes, giving the brain extra information about the objects in the world. The mouthing behavior starts to decrease from eighteen months and above however it can continue until two years of age. In this blog We will provided ways to decrease oral sensory seeking behavior past approrpiate age. I
General oral activities to help children oral sensory seekers include:
Musical instruments: harmonica, or recorder
Whistles & Party blowers
Bubble blowing – you can use bubble straws for children who can’t use regular wands
Drinking drinks through a straw
For children that prefer sucking you can try:
Frozen fruit to suck
Ice cubes to suck
Candy
Lollypops
Homemade frozen juice sticks (using fruit juice)
If your child prefers crunchy textures you could try:
Ice cubes
Popcorn
Dried banana chips
Dehydrated vegetable chips/crisps
Crunchy Ceral
Raw carrot sticks or other raw vegetables
Oral motor activities with a Vibrating Tooth Brush Can be beneficial
Link to the vibrating tooth brush attached below:
Kids U Shaped Electric Toothbrush See link below
Oral Sensory Tool for Hypersensitivity, Hyposensitivity and Tactile Defensiveness
Chewable Oral Facial Massager, Set of 2 Oral Sensory Massager | Calming Motor Therapy for Kids
Oral Motor Chewable fidget bracelet
Chewable Oral Motor tools toddlers
