BethG Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son (turned 5 two weeks ago), began chewing on the neck/collars of his teeshirts recently. Can't think of any new anxiety/issue or what brought this on, but he's chewing/deforming ALL of his shirts. Anyone experience this? Will this just pass or do I need to put some nasty tasty stuff on the collar or what? What's up with this? I don't see any new teeth either. How do I stop this habit? I even bought him a circular TEETHER and he'll use it when I bring it to his attention, but he prefers his collars. He'll have a huge wad in his mouth and it'll be so wet that you can hear the water being crunched out of it. By bedtime, the shirts are wet in the front. He stops when we tell him, but 15 minutes later he's gnawing away.:glare: HELP!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 It'll pass. I gave mine gum and encouraged him to run around shirtless whenever it was feasible. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 It passed for mine (he was mostly a sleeve chewer, so it only happened in winter). We bought him some medical tubing and made a necklace out of it for him, and that helped some when we remembered to give it to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I bought mine those tennis wrist bands to chew on instead. It worked well, and saved on the clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I bought mine those tennis wrist bands to chew on instead. It worked well, and saved on the clothes. Oh, I like this idea. My 3.5 year old has been ruining his shirts, too. I've started bringing him a toy or stuffed animal to eat whenever we go out, because that seems to be when he does it most. Actually those are probably just the only times that he stays full clothed for more than 15 minutes!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My 4.5 year-old recently did this. It came and went in about 2 weeks, so I'm voting that it will pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2denj Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son did this from about the time he was 5 until about 13. It will pass, but he will probably ruin many, many shirts! I wasted alot of time saying, "stop chewing on your shirt". It is a habit and he is going to do it anyway. I would probably buy cheap packs of t-shirts for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son did that at age 5-6. I had him take off his shirt and go shirtless until his shirt air dried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Yes, my 6 year old does this from time to time. It seems harmless enough. Just gross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My 10 yr. old is just starting to outgrow this behavior. I found it annoying, but not alarming. The thing that bugged me the most was that all of his t-shirts had little bits missing out of the front of the collar where he chewed. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son did this when he began losing teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilacii Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 It must be a 5 yr. old "thing". My son's shirt is gross! However, I've been told by my elders that this will pass:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethG Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Good suggestions from you all. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son (turned 5 two weeks ago), began chewing on the neck/collars of his teeshirts recently. Can't think of any new anxiety/issue or what brought this on, but he's chewing/deforming ALL of his shirts. Anyone experience this? Will this just pass or do I need to put some nasty tasty stuff on the collar or what? What's up with this? I don't see any new teeth either. How do I stop this habit? I even bought him a circular TEETHER and he'll use it when I bring it to his attention, but he prefers his collars. He'll have a huge wad in his mouth and it'll be so wet that you can hear the water being crunched out of it. By bedtime, the shirts are wet in the front. He stops when we tell him, but 15 minutes later he's gnawing away.:glare: HELP!!! :001_huh:My 5 year old just started doing this too!!! I think I will try giving him gum (he loves that), and go shirtless at home (he loves that too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindergretta Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My 8 y/o ds does this. (It might be part of his spectrum issues.) Anyway, we have recently started having him chew gum. A lot! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuzor Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Hhmm I have noticed my six year old doing this. He does not seem to do this much in his regular clothes. But more in his pj's. I will give him gum and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My oldest did this when he was a little younger than yours. I just nagged him to quit every time I saw him doing it. He grew out of it. Sure made his t-shirts look trashy, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFwife Claire Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My 10 yr. old is just starting to outgrow this behavior. I found it annoying, but not alarming. The thing that bugged me the most was that all of his t-shirts had little bits missing out of the front of the collar where he chewed. :glare: My 3rd son has done this for awhile, and his clothes looked like beavers have attacked them! He started when he was maybe 6, and it is slowly lessening now (he's 9 1/2). The thing that drives me the craziest, is that I can't pass many of his shirts down to his younger brothers! He had a hoodie that he wore all last winter, and he GNAWED OFF THE CUFF! Blech! I'm taking note of some of these suggestions. I really have no idea what causes this, but it did seem like it was just a bad habit that got entrenched. I used to chew my hair when I was about the same ages, and that drove my mom crazy. Of course, you can just cut hair off! Maybe if she would have cut my hair, I would have started chewing my clothes, LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My DS began shirt chewing about that age and still does. The neurologist told me it's part of the Tourette Syndrome. I can't tell you how many shirts have been ruined around the neckband or the sleeve cuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnette in WA Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 This post and its questions gave me a laugh! My 5th child (of 7), also a boy, chewed the front part of his shirt collars for, oh, maybe 2 or 3 years from about 4 or 5 to 7 or 8. I never asked anyone about it, just wrote it off as a slightly strange habit. I also remember being most irritated about not being able to pass those t-shirts down. I didn't say much to him about it, but his older brothers and sister teased and commented about it frequently. He doesn't do it anymore (he's 16) and we all just kind of joke about it when we have one of those "do you remember...? sessions. I don't think I'd make too big an issue out of it; just maybe save out a couple of shirts that aren't too chewed, to wear out in public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My son (turned 5 two weeks ago), began chewing on the neck/collars of his teeshirts recently. Can't think of any new anxiety/issue or what brought this on, but he's chewing/deforming ALL of his shirts. Anyone experience this? Will this just pass or do I need to put some nasty tasty stuff on the collar or what? What's up with this? I don't see any new teeth either. How do I stop this habit? I even bought him a circular TEETHER and he'll use it when I bring it to his attention, but he prefers his collars. He'll have a huge wad in his mouth and it'll be so wet that you can hear the water being crunched out of it. By bedtime, the shirts are wet in the front. He stops when we tell him, but 15 minutes later he's gnawing away.:glare: HELP!!! It could be anxiety, he could be starter for teething, he might just like the oral sensory feel of it. can you make/buy/find a wad of cloth he can use instead? possibly sew/snap it on the inside of his shirt so it is handy when he wants it, and hidden when he doesn't. some of those candy necklaces? gum on hand - if it's just the chewing he needs. I destroyed so many shirts - I wasn't even aware I was chewing . . . .(I stopped because of braces.) autism spectrum sites, sensory-processing disorder sites that cater to them have supplies specifically for chewing as it is very common. for girls, they even have "necklaces" that dont' look like a chewy. pencil ends, etc. my 1ds22 chews on pencils, paper clips, whatever else, and totally destroys them. when I bring it to his attention, I get his blinding grin.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 My DS began shirt chewing about that age and still does. The neurologist told me it's part of the Tourette Syndrome. . very common with sensory and autism spectrum disorders as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I would give him something else to chew. Both my boys chewed their shirts, so I gave them a chewy tube to chew until the impulse passes. It took a year or two. They wore it hanging around their necks at home and left it behind when we went out. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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