[AuntLavender]

and paper towels. He has started to eat more food lately and I wonder if it is related? My son is one of those children that breastfeeds and eats a single M&M in a day and is fine with it! Last week he ate a chicken leg down to the bone (he even ate parts of it I wouldn't have but that were safe to eat) and yesterday he ate a whole hot dog and most of another!

How do I curb the napkin and toilet paper and paper towel eating? He makes spitballs out of it more than actually eating it (I hope) as there is always a mess.

I tried giving him him chewy (I even bought him a chocolate scented one) but he only chewed on it a little bit.

We use cloth napkins at home mostly and he doesn't chew on those yet he seeks out the paper products.

All thought welcome!

Sincerely,
Debra, homeschooling mom of 4 ages 10(AS), 9, 7, and 4 (Apraxia, Dysarthria, HFA?)

 

[dianamerrell]

i dont have any ideas for you i just wanted to let you know you are not alone. my son is a hair eater

: . we have to keep his hair short or he will pull it out. he also picks it out of hairbrushes, off furniture, and off our dog and cat! even the dust bunnies aren't safe!

my only thought, maybe there any nutritional deficientcies that contribute? the term is pica (for eating non food items due to nutrition) - if you want to search

hope you get some answers

 

[AuntLavender]

My second born a daughter used to twirl her hair so tight she'd break if off and it was 2-3 inches shorter on one side of her head (her hair is bobbed with bangs)! Thankfully she stopped! I used to think the hairballs were doll haircuts!

 

[aiccerb]

My ds is an oral/eat anything kind of kiddo and paper was a phase he went through too. Particularliy books

: He loves his chewyies but for some reason he liked the texture of paper for a few months. We couldnt find anything else that he would take instead when he was "in the mood" lol.

I found some seeweed and rice paper sheets at a local ethnic grocery store here and I just started offering strips of it with all his snacks/meals. Sounds strange I know, but it met the need for him, and at regular times through out the day so he didnt go looking for paper.

He phased out of it after a few months. Good luck mama.

 

[bri276]

also, make sure it's not an iron deficiency, because sometimes pica is caused by that.