Chatting With Your Children About Things They Shouldn’t Put In Their Mouths

from Shine Newsletter, Spring 2006

Whether it’s their hands, clothes or even the remote control, children ages 2 to 5 will put just about anything in their mouths. Here are a few tips for helping your child understand what he or she shouldn’t chew on for safety’s sake:

Offer a substitute teether. Tell your child that if she feels the urge to chew on something, a teething ring is her only option.

Give an incentive. Calmly explain to your child that if he can’t be a “big boy” and stop putting things in his mouth, then he’s not old enough to have the “big-boy” toys he wants.

Use a bitter taste as a teaching tool. If your child has a common object that she puts in her mouth, try covering the object with a safe nail-biting treatment that has an unpleasant taste.

With a little time and reinforcement, your toddler will soon learn to stop the behavior.