https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 01:07:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855842 Fri, 09 Nov 2018 02:24:24 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2855842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not quite the same but my son is highly oral as well. He wasn’t necessarily putting fingers in his mouth but he liked to keep food in his mouth and chewed on a blanket (his paci) until he turned 3. More than my other two kids I can tell smell, touch, etc. comforts him a lot. He is very observant, aware, has an intense personality and also can be anxious.</p> <p>I also would just remind him when he does it that fingers stay outside your mouth.. is there anything else that brings him comfort? Maybe more cuddles from you?? I know it helped my son to have more physical touch. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855839 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 23:32:41 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2855839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: I just ordered 3 more because we tend to lose them. Her favorite are the textured grabbers right now. She wants necklaces, but she pulls them off, and then chews up the clasp. 🙄 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855837 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 23:06:07 +0000 Mrsbells 2855837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: I would just ask him to take his hands out of his mouth each time he does it and keep reminding him that we dont suck/chew our hands. My 2 yr old went through a phase of letting his mouth hang open as if in shock and I would remind him each time til he stopped doing it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855763 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:02:56 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2855763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No real advice, just wanted to tell you that my daughter took until nearly 5 to quit the pacifier for the same reasons you mentioned (and we didn't have a new baby in the mix), and she too is always putting her hands in her mouth, though it's not a constant thing with her, just more when she's distracted, she starts picking off her cuticles/skin on her fingers. I was, in fact, so anxious about the possibility of her replacing the pacifier with her thumb, that I didn't even fight the pacifier thing until she naturally just didn't need it anymore, so on that level, don't stress about it :)</p> <p>As far as the fingers/mouthing thing, I would probably talk to his pediatrician about potential sensory issues. I was going to go the same route if the issue exacerbated, but it hasn't been as disruptive as what you describe. I really believe some kids just have a stronger sucking reflex for comfort, so maybe observing his behavior and when this happens more frequently (is he feeling lonely? not engaged enough with others? learning/growth spurts?) and then talking to a specialist about ideas to redirect. I think they do grow out of it eventually, but coming from a family of thumb suckers myself, I know it can take years, and if it's hurting his hands or is disrupting things in other ways, worth an ask. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855744 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:29:29 +0000 wrkbrk 2855744@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Turtle: I just ordered some of these so I’m glad they work for O! We took DS’s paci a month ago (he will be 3 this month) and since then he has replaced it with his fingers. Groan. He only does it while watching tv. But still icky. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855742 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:26:36 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2855742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: No one has said anything. She doesn't do it when she is busy outside or with an active activity. But she chews a lot if she's sitting still, tired, in the car, etc. No one seems concerned. And honestly, even if they were, she's going to chew on something. I figure it should be something healthy and safe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855738 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:14:49 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2855738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes we went through this with DS1 who just turned 4 this past summer/fall. He was paci obsessed as a kid up til we got rid of it at 2.5. It seemed to be a self soothing thing or when he was nervous. He did it for a few weeks and then stopped suddenly. We prompted him to stop but it didn’t really help, he just stopped on his own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855737 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:13:08 +0000 MrsADS 2855737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. turtle did your ped or dentist ever say anything about it, like it could hurt her teeth or something? That's my other concern. He doesn't really chew on things other than sippy cups but I think if I had something for him to chew on, he would. I just sort of thought it was bad for their teeth to chew on stuff. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855732 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:05:03 +0000 snowjewelz 2855732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Now that I think about it, DD1 did have a phase around 3 where she kept putting her finger(s) in her mouth! It absolutely went away as she's almost 4 and I have not caught her doing it for a long time. We never figured out why she was doing. She wasn't chewing either just liked her finger in her mouth... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855729 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 11:01:56 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2855729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Chewies. O bites her nails, and has major oral sensory needs on top of that. We have chewy necklaces, chewy bracelets and some hand held ones, which are her favorites. Ark Therapeutics is a great brand and you can experiment with different levels of toughness to see what he prefers. O chews up various sippy cups and toys as well still. And books.<br /> But she likes the chewies enough that if she has one available she will use it instead. </p> <p><a href="https://www.arktherapeutic.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.arktherapeutic.com</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855726 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:48:08 +0000 MrsADS 2855726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lindsay05 I am thinking that is probably the case with him as well - just a developmental/self soothing thing, maybe, and it will probably get better on its own. In the meantime though, I just feel like it is so germy and gross, I'm afraid he is going to get sick constantly! He also chews up sippy cups. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855725 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:46:38 +0000 Lindsay05 2855725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our second daughter was like this at that age as well. If it wasn’t her hands she would suck on the bottom of her shirts. If she was wearing a jacket she would suck on her collar. Never did figure out why she did but she eventually stopped doing on her own. We would constantly remind her to stop doing it until one day she stopped. I had looked into purchasing a young child teething necklace that she could chew on but never did buy one. I feel like it was a developmental reaction. She is usually a little awkward and fidgety in new situations so maybe it was associated to some big changes going on. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855724 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:44:05 +0000 MrsADS 2855724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@foodnerd81 his speech is extremely advanced and has always been, but when I ask him why he's sucking on his hands I don't get a great answer.. I'll ask him to take his hands out and he will say "I know, because there are germs on my hands" but then 2 minutes later they are back in his mouth!</p> <p> I'm not sure that he seems anxious (or different than usual), but he is a kid that gets a bit anxious/nervous in new situations and has kind of an intense personality. Otherwise his behavior the last few weeks is the same. Obviously the new baby is a big change, but the baby was born in May so it's been a while. He moved to the 3 year old class at school in August, but again he's been there for a few months and seems well adjusted. So I'm not sure! </p> <p> Thanks for not paci shaming, LOL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855721 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:40:28 +0000 Foodnerd81 2855721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: I just want to say you should not feel bad for letting him keep the nighttime pacifier! Especially with a new baby, if that calms him AND you get more sleep, I just don’t think you have anything to feel bad about. (This is coming from someone who tried so darn hard to get either of my kids to take a paci and failed).<br /> Do you think he’s sucking/ chewing because he’s anxious or just processing the big changes in his life? Although you said he is getting worse in the last few weeks and the baby is 5 months. Is his behavior any different besides that? How is his speech? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/3yo-constantly-putting-hands-in-his-mouth#post-2855717 Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:31:08 +0000 MrsADS 2855717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, I don't know if this is anything to worry about or not. My 3yo has always been a kid who chews/sucks on his fingers/hands a fair amount, but I would say it has gradually gotten better with time. In the last few weeks, he's started doing it more and more. I went with his daycare class on a "field trip" (not really a field trip - more like a walk through campus - the school is on a university campus) and the whole time he had his hands in his mouth. Gross. </p> <p>And today his daycare teacher told me he is really chewing on his hands nonstop, to the point they have really noticed it. </p> <p>I have asked him if his mouth hurts or his teeth hurt (he says no). He turned 3 in August. I took him to the dentist in August and they said he didn't have any cavities. </p> <p>He does still use a pacifier at night (I know, shame shame!) - I am wondering if maybe that has something to do with it and feeling like a super bad parent, I should have gotten rid of it a long time ago. But he's a pretty high strung child and it calms him down SO MUCH at bedtime. He is extremely attached to it. We have a 5 month old who is up all night and I just cannot deal with messing up my 3yo's sleep as well. </p> <p>Or maybe it is some kind of sensory seeking behavior? IDK. Would you take him to the pediatrician or dentist to get this checked out? Or wait it out? I am not sure what to do. Or maybe it's nothing to worry about?!? </p>