Chew Chew Chew

[physmom]

DD is chewing anything and everything in her path.  She's NOT teething (she has all her teeth already) and thankfully she's not chewing small objects either.  But she does seem extremely hungry and will out eat me sometimes!  Granted, she's already at the high end of the height/weight charts but still... In general she just wants to chew, chew, chew.  She really loves to brush her teeth so we normally help her get started and then leave her in the bathroom for awhile because she loves to stay there and brush.  Well, yesterday I went in there to check on her and she was eating the soap!!!!

She also keeps asking if she can bite DH and we've told her to chew on one of her stuffed animals instead of us (so she carries the animal around in her mouth).  She'll also chew on any straws/cups she has.  FWIW, DH has a HORRIBLE, horrible habit of chewing on the side of his mouth and IT DRIVES ME NUTS.  I saw DD doing that too and have told DH he can't do it anymore in front of DD because I don't want her picking up on it too (I wish he'd just stop it all together).  Oh, and she's chewing on her nails now too!  Please any suggestions on something that I can give her that's safe for her to chew non-stop on??? I'm almost tempted to give her a pacifier since she never sucked on those and used to chew on them instead...

[insidevoice]

I would just redirect her and find some safe alternatives.  I wouldn't necessarily connect the  chewing to eating or hunger.  In this situation, since you cite both a desire to chew and apparent hunger, I'd ramp up the amount of food available and find  some chewing/biting alternatives as separate solutions.  It sounds like two separate issues.

http://www.nationalautismresources.com/chewelry.html

[pbjmama]

It sounds like she is seeking oral sensory input.

Here is the checklist for Hyposensitivity to oral input

may lick, taste, or chew on inedible objects

prefers foods with intense flavor; i.e., excessively spicy, sweet, sour, or salty

excessive drooling past the teething stage

frequently chews on hair, shirt, or fingers

constantly putting objects in mouth past the toddler years

acts as if all foods taste the same

can never get enough condiments or seasonings on his/her food

loves vibrating toothbrushes and even trips to the dentist

There are many many products for kiddos here is an example, many children like these chewy tubes and they come in different textures.

http://amandastherapysolutions.com/oralmotor.aspx

You might consider that she has other sensory issues as well. Not all children do but it may provide insight into other 'habits' she has. 

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processing-disorder-checklist.html

[physmom]

Thanks for those resources!  I'm going to see if we have something like that locally.  Oh, and, yes, DD does have some sensory issues, I forgot to mention that in the OP.  We have yet to get an official Dx but our previous pediatrician (we recently moved) agreed that we should get it checked out further.  We just haven't had a chance yet to do that since we moved. 

So I shouldn't worry about her wanting to eat all the time?  Is it normal for a 2 year old to out eat her mom?

[pbjmama]

For sensory stuff my personal preference is to work with an OT, I have found that peds are not alot of help or a great source of knowledge.

I think it can be normal for a child to out eat a parent, it depends on growth spurt, child's activity level, parents appetite, etc. But since your dd has this other issue going on it is possible part of the eating is she is looking for that oral input.

[insidevoice]

Originally Posted by pbjmama 

For sensory stuff my personal preference is to work with an OT, I have found that peds are not alot of help or a great source of knowledge.

I think it can be normal for a child to out eat a parent, it depends on growth spurt, child's activity level, parents appetite, etc. But since your dd has this other issue going on it is possible part of the eating is she is looking for that oral input.

An OT is a wonderful resource for sensory stuff. I will second that peds are often not a huge help once you get into sensory stuff. 

My 2 yo is now approaching 3. At 2 he could out-eat me without a problem.  Now that he's a little older and not going through a growth spurt, I toy with the idea of duct tape to keep him at the table long enough to eat more than three bites.  (Instead of the duct tape, I opt to leave out monkey platters- less battle that way.)  He also has some sensory problems, and we have worked extensively with an OT to help him.  Some of his eating was sensory seeking (anything hot/sour/strong flavored was a hit) but most of it was simply related to his being a big and quickly growing kid. 

[physmom]

Yep, we actually do want to see an OT.  Our insurance just started at the beginning of this month so we're still figuring out how to navigate it (and are waiting for our cards so we can actually go see doctors).  I also know locally sensory issues aren't really well know and that would fall more into the autism category here (from what I gather, like I said we're still learning) so in the meantime we'd like to find a pediatrician to at least get some idea of what's out there.  It looks like there is also an OT close to where we work so we might try contacting him directly and see what he says. 

I forgot to comment on the flavors.  Sometimes DD really likes spicy things, sometimes not.  She is really sensitive to food being too hot and all food has to be pretty close to room temp before she'll eat it (but she LOVES cold things and will happily suck on ice cubes).  She loves really salty/sweet things, though.  She also was a late eater (she didn't eat any solids until 12 months) and she nursed until she was just over 2 (and I'm talking about round the clock nursing).  I have a feeling we never really realized how much she was consuming every day because she was getting so many calories from nursing until she was 2.  Now that she's weaned we're seeing exactly how much she's actually eating and it's a bit staggering!