Don't Eat That!

[holothuroidea]

I need a strategy to get my DD (11.5 mo) to stop eating everything she finds. Up until this point, I've just been using redirection, but it's just not working because she always finds something bad to put in her mouth.

For example, outside she eats the grass, I take the grass away and give her a stick to play with so she chews on it so I take that away and give her a big rock and she just gnaws on it and I'm worried about her teeth so then I take her hands and try to walk with her, put her on a swing, etc. and she will just use passive resistance until I give up and then she'll pick up... oh, say, an acorn and eat that (and choke and nearly die).

I'm so exhausted with this. I don't even take her outside anymore because of it, I just get so irritated taking everything away and trying to redirect and she gets irritated because she can't play the way she wants to. Neither of us end up having a good time. Nature is very important to me, I don't like feeling stuck indoors.

Are there any gentle ways to teach a one yo to not eat everything? I can't stand reinforcing commands like "no touch," because I feel like... that's how you teach a dog KWIM?

Help!

[MamaKickyPants]

I would love to give you some wonderful advice here, but I have a feeling that what you're doing is really the only way to go about it. My DS is 14 mos, and is BIG on putting things in his mouth. I actually let him do it most of the time, unless it's an obvious choking hazard or obviously very germy. I got tired of pulling everything away - just like you! His favourite thing right now is sticks. He got over the grass thing cause he realized it doesn't taste very good. I tell myself it'll work itself out eventually!

'Discipline' in a traditional sense, doesn't really work on kids this little (nor does it work on bigger kids, IMO, but that's another story!) You'd just end up banging your head against a different wall. Try letting her chew on different stuff, if you're comfortable with it...

[Rico'sAlice]

When you first take away the grass why don't you give her something that she can chew? Obviously she needs something to chew on, either b/c her mouth hurts from teething, or she finds it comforting or whatever. So give her something safe like a teething ring or cucumber slices.
Other than that I think they mostly just need to grow out of it.

[treehugginhippie]

Ahhhhh, the little nature lovers we have Mine is 11 mo also. It's great that you have her outside! I hear ya on the wanting to mouth everything. I think it helps to remember that at this age...they investiage things the same way we would look at them...it goes right into the mouth.

As for grass (assuming it's not treated w/ pesticides/chemicals), leaves or sticks...I let her put it in her mouth and just watch her. Acorns...no, I wouldn't want her to mouth that though. Dirt is ok too...just not a handful of it

[NicoleCS]

DD2 is finally growing out of that - she's almost 19mo - she just loves to experiment and chew! Consistent Vigilance and keep offering her things she can chew! And remember a little dirt never hurt anyone - now I do wonder about the water in the birth bath and dog food but that's a whole another story!!!

[holothuroidea]

Originally Posted by Rico'sAlice

When you first take away the grass why don't you give her something that she can chew? Obviously she needs something to chew on, either b/c her mouth hurts from teething, or she finds it comforting or whatever. So give her something safe like a teething ring or cucumber slices.
Other than that I think they mostly just need to grow out of it.

I know this sounds crazy, but she's not interested in chewing on things that are safe to chew on. I think it's because she is bored with them. She is a very curious little bunny who has to explore every new texture she finds.

This includes drier lint, carpet fibers (she physically pulls them out of the carpet, what am I supposed to do about THAT!? lol) the couch, etc. I have resorted to giving her a pacifier but now she's learned to take it out when she wants to taste something else.

Originally Posted by treehugginhippie

As for grass (assuming it's not treated w/ pesticides/chemicals), leaves or sticks...I let her put it in her mouth and just watch her. Acorns...no, I wouldn't want her to mouth that though. Dirt is ok too...just not a handful of it

I'm a big believer in letting them eat dirt and germs and so forth, I believe it helps them build up their immune system when it is safer because they are breast feeding. I also think it helps to avoid allergies and things.

However, our backyard is a shared courtyard that is chemically treated. So much so that I find a lot of poor dead birds and frogs. I don't want her putting anything out there in her mouth. So if I want to go outside I need to go to a local park, but the playground at our local park uses recycled tires instead of wood chips.

Our local nature preserve is safe and I absolutely love it there, but it's quite a trip and I can't do it every day.

*sigh*

I guess until some magical fairy comes on here and gives me a special magic word to say to her I just need to wait it out. It is very exhausting, though.

[rainyday]

Unfortunately, I think this is one of those phases where you just have to be super vigilant. My child was the same way - very, very oral - and absolutely everything went in his mouth for a long time. Our solution for inside was no shoes in the house (to minimize chemicals and dirt being tracked in and then eaten), and all small things out of reach. Outside was harder. We did a lot of time in the stroller, in a wrap, or just walking holding hands together. And I did a lot of what you're doing - pulling everything little out of his mouth if I couldn't stop it before it went in or stopping him from grabbing things if I REALLY didn't want them in his mouth (so like pesticide-treated things, not just a clean stick). But I also just relaxed a lot about what got chewed on. If it wasn't chokable, and it wasn't dangerous (i.e. pesticide-coated), then I let it go.

The good news is that this phase will end. The bad news is that it might take a year or even two (though a year from now it will probably be way better even if it's not over). Hang in there!

[caenach]

Same boat, pretty much.

Any way you could have, um, "safer" no-nos for her? Like some clean/heat-sterilized sticks from the nature preserve? Or maybe you could scatter a handful of edible flowers where she's playing? Or some "safe" sand or dirt in a bucket? I don't know. That's what I do for our parrot.

Do you have a patio/porch or anywhere that you could provide some cleaner alternatives--like organic, safe-to-eat plants potted in organic/untreated soil? My DD loves to dig in my potted plants on the patio and can often be redirected to them if she's ventured farther out.

[Ruthla]

Is it really going to hurt her if she eats grass or gnaws on a stick? I'd definitely keep her away from the chockables such as acorns and small rocks, but it's NORMAL for crawling babies/young toddlers to explore the world with their mouths!

I'd just let her explore the world with her mouth, making sure there's nothing sharp or chokable or poisonous. Germs and dirt don't scare me.

[holothuroidea]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Is it really going to hurt her if she eats grass or gnaws on a stick? I'd definitely keep her away from the chockables such as acorns and small rocks, but it's NORMAL for crawling babies/young toddlers to explore the world with their mouths!

I'd just let her explore the world with her mouth, making sure there's nothing sharp or chokable or poisonous. Germs and dirt don't scare me.

I think you missed my second post. Our courtyard is heavily treated and is obviously poisonous because I keep finding dead animals on my patio (no pets allowed here so it's not a cat). Also parked in our lot are the pest control and lawn chemical people with a big tank full of whatever they spray all over the place.

Germs and dirt don't scare me either. I encourage dirt exploration at the nature preserve and beach but those are not our everyday locations.

[holothuroidea]

Originally Posted by caenach

Same boat, pretty much.

Any way you could have, um, "safer" no-nos for her? Like some clean/heat-sterilized sticks from the nature preserve? Or maybe you could scatter a handful of edible flowers where she's playing? Or some "safe" sand or dirt in a bucket? I don't know. That's what I do for our parrot.

Do you have a patio/porch or anywhere that you could provide some cleaner alternatives--like organic, safe-to-eat plants potted in organic/untreated soil? My DD loves to dig in my potted plants on the patio and can often be redirected to them if she's ventured farther out.

I don't want to encourage the eating of plants. We have a basil plant potted in organic soil but it's still a no-no for her because I don't want her to think it's OK. She doesn't know the difference between basil and something poisonous.

Thank you all for your replies.

I just have to wait it out, I guess.

[holothuroidea]

So, what's the most ridiculous thing your LO has ever eaten?

One time at the preserve I had a beetle on my shirt, so I picked DD up and showed it to her. She picked it off of my shirt and ate it! I could have stopped her but.. eh, it's just a bug. DH FREAKED. Haha.

[Cujobunny]

Originally Posted by Rico'sAlice

When you first take away the grass why don't you give her something that she can chew? Obviously she needs something to chew on, either b/c her mouth hurts from teething, or she finds it comforting or whatever. So give her something safe like a teething ring or cucumber slices.
Other than that I think they mostly just need to grow out of it.

Exactly.

[Bea]

Maybe I'm just too laid back about these things, but unless an item was obviously damaging to teeth, like munching on rocks (we have a large area of pea sized pebbles) or poisonous as certain plants are, I was totally of the opinion "have at it' when it came to chewing on sticks, eating the grass etc.

You only crunch on so many dirt bombs before you discover they aren't tasty. How many depends on the individual child but a conversational 'EWWW Yucky' get's the point across.

Don't stress it. Grass, clover, plantain weeds, dandelions et al in your lawn...they're all edible. Sticks will get spat out.

It's all extra dietary fiber and vitamins!

[Bea]

Originally Posted by holothuroidea

So, what's the most ridiculous thing your LO has ever eaten?

One time at the preserve I had a beetle on my shirt, so I picked DD up and showed it to her. She picked it off of my shirt and ate it! I could have stopped her but.. eh, it's just a bug. DH FREAKED. Haha.

Protein!!!:

[treehugginhippie]

Originally Posted by holothuroidea

I think you missed my second post. Our courtyard is heavily treated and is obviously poisonous because I keep finding dead animals on my patio (no pets allowed here so it's not a cat). Also parked in our lot are the pest control and lawn chemical people with a big tank full of whatever they spray all over the place.

Yikes! That's scary! I wouldn't want her to put anything in her mouth from outside either.

[holothuroidea]

Originally Posted by treehugginhippie

Yikes! That's scary! I wouldn't want her to put anything in her mouth from outside either.

I know! I would love to have a lawn where I can let her run around and munch on clover and dandelions.

[LynnS6]

Find a stick that you think is safe, wash it thoroughly and bring it out with you when you go outside. Hand her that when she starts exploring. Heck, I'd get a couple. Maybe peel the bark off one and leave one with the bark so they're different textures.

Is there a safe place for you to set up a sandbox? Heck you could set up a couple of dish pans with sand and water and I bet she'd be in heaven. Or you could switch them out for rice or beans or something else on other days. Yeah, she'll eat them, but she'll get the sensory input she's craving.

You can also try frozen wash clothes. Soak a baby washcloth and wring it out so it's not dripping, but still has water in it. Put it in the freezer. When you go outside, grab a couple of these. My dd (who's very 'oral') loved to suck on these. The combo of cool and wet was great. She's 5 and she still chews on washcloths! If you keep 5-10 of these in your freezer, they're great for teething as well as bumps and scrapes.