4.5 year old put finger in his mouth to throw up

[Auraji]

My dss came upstairs I've been organizing things for a yard sale and he told me that he threw up on the couch. I asked him if he was ok and he told me yes. I asked him if he was sure, if he didn't feel sick or anything and he said that he threw up because he put his finger in his mouth four times because he was trying to get his mouth boogies out. I'm not sure what boogies, he wouldn't explain. He just opened his mouth and said see? I didn't see anything.

Should I be concerned? I thought it was really weird for a kid to make himself throw up, but maybe he learned this from someone?

I told him to not do it, because making ourselves throw up can make us sick. He was all embarrassed about it and turning his back to me, so I didn't say anything else.

[Oriole]

I don't think it's a big deal when it's an isolated incident
Kids do weird stuff. I would only be concerned if there was something else going on, yk?

My sister is healthy and well-adjusted as can be, and was a no-trouble kind of kid growing up. Yet, when she was about 7 y.o. she purposefully cut herself with a knife "to see what it was like". Weird? Yeah.

[ivymae]

It doesn't sound malicious or destructive - more like he was curious and found the eject button. if he starts doing it to get what he wants (aka: i can't go to grandma's I'm sick) or as a habit (I'm bored.... i know, I'll throw up, that's fun!) then i would worry, but I know I've nearly thrown up from brushing my tongue before, because I misjudged my gag reflex. Maybe his throat hurts/itches, or he has some phlegm in his throat that he was honestly trying to 'pick'.

[rightkindofme]

My two year old does this. I have no real idea as to how to curb this behavior. I don't think that it will necessarily be a long-term problem so I am mostly ignoring it.

[nextcommercial]

Well, he might actually have "boogies" in the back of his throat. Kids crack me up.

Or, he may just have found that creepy hangy downy thing in the back of his throat... assumed it shouldn't be there, and tried to get it out.

Now, I bet he's convinced something is wrong with thim. Not only does he have mouth boogies, but now he's yakking too. Poor kid.

[butterfly_mommy]

I wouldn't worry about it. Kids sometimes do things to see what will happen (cause and effect) I can remember gagging myself numerous times because I figured out that if I tried to touch my uvula (the punching bag in the bag of your throat) I would gag.

Even now as a 36 year old grown women I get those "I wonder what would happen if I ........" but now I have slightly better impulse control then I had when I was a kid

Maybe he was looking in a mirror and noticed his uvula and was trying to get it out or maybe he had phlegm or something or maybe it was just to see what would happen.

[Auraji]

Thanks everyone

I sometimes worry a little too much and into is this normal mode? lol

[kimmypoo]

Originally Posted by rightkindofme

My two year old does this. I have no real idea as to how to curb this behavior. I don't think that it will necessarily be a long-term problem so I am mostly ignoring it.

When I was little (don't remember how old), I used to make myself throw up so that I could stay up later. My mom caught on and started making me help clean up the mess. I stopped doing it soon after.