My 15 Month Old Puts Everything in His Mouth

I believe this is why toys have warnings on them that state they are not appropriate for children UNDER 3, due to small parts that may be swallowed or cause choking. It's normal.

Hi there, I have a totally normal 32 month old daughter that has been doing the same since she found her hands. I talked to her pediatrician who asked me some questions but as she is also a thumb sucker concluded that she is just a child that experience things through her taste. He told me this will get better as she gets older and find other ways to explore but I know how you feel. I keep asking her if that is food and as she is verbally very advance we have conversations now about the difference between things that is suppose to go into your mouth and things that is not. It is getting much better but it took a long while. If your boy is normal in other instances he probably is just exploring. Talk to the pediatrician to see if there is not a iron deficiency or other things that could be causing it and then try to not freak out to much. Hope it gets better.

This is normal for a child his age - it's probably partially due to teething, but it's also normal for a little one to explore by putting things in his mouth. I would just try to make sure to keep his toys and other things clean. Personally, I would never put something that tastes bad on toys just to deter my son from putting things in his mouth.

My son is almost 18 months and still puts most things in his mouth. I think between 18 - 24 months that will change. I have a 3 year old who was the same way. Good luck.

It is worrisome as a mom to see your child putting everything in his mouth but, if you read about child development you'll see that putting things in their mouths is one way of learning/exploring. they use all of their senses to learn about their environment. so try your best to keep things as clean as possible and dont fight it too much unless it is something that is dangerous. good luck.

Sounds totally normal to me. Remember, you've got a little boy on your hands who is experiencing everything for the first time in his life, using all of his senses including taste and touch. Everything in his world and his life is new and he's learning with every action. At this age, in my opinion, there really is not 'right or wrong' way to play with a toy.

Make sure you regularly clean the toys, only make available the toys that could be teethed, and if he starts putting things in his mouth that are unsafe, stop him.

Constantly drawing attention to the issue will likely not be processed by him as "I should use the toy properly, like the directions on the box or an adult tells me to" but more like "hey when I put this in my mouth and mommy gets annoyed she pays attention to me - let's do it again and again and again!"

It's a phase and it will pass.

Most parents have this problem at one time or other. Simply dip the toys in a distasteful liquid (ask dr.). Let dry and give the toys back the next day. Of course you'de take them away when he's asleep so you need not upset him when playing with them. Make sure each time he continues to put them in mouth, take it away and tell him "yucky"..make a face and distract him with something else. Exercise him or something. One on one time . He'll love it.

It may or may not be teething...
My son did that.. and still does not as much anymore we have chewies for him for his Sensory Processing Disorder.

Look it up and see if anything elce rings true.. if so.. Contact Early Intervention they can help and it does not usually cost or cost much..

SPD is hitting our kids hard these days cuz It is more an Environment thing not totally a shot thing for all.. though my son was messed up from his DTAP shot and we have a ton of sensory issues.... it caused seizures for our son...

But do check out Sensory Processing Disorder and see what you find out..

I reallly hope it is just Teething issues..

PS.. Most Peds dont know Crap about SPD so dont bother asking them.. they will end up saying your child is Hyper and call them ADHD.... they better get some education before too long SPD is on the rise!!

Unfortunately this could go on for a while more. I am sure you are pointing out how icky these things are, etc. so I won't get into. Point out that it's not food and then leave it at that. Maybe just make the toy go away if it's only used as a snack.For about the next year or more you will retrieving things from mouths, stopping the child from running into the street, putting things in light sockets and later on hanging around with evil friends and coming in late at night. All things we don't want them to do. Exhausting but comes with the territory. You'll figure out your own way as everyone does. And you will be rewarded all the time with those big smiles and hugs which will make it worth it.

I babysit a little girl that is 2 1/2 years old and she tries to put things in her mouth. My girls never really did that after a about a year old. But my son is really oral so I think I may have problems with him.

Anyway, I constantly started telling her that toys don't go in her mouth. I would ask her "is that food" then I would tell her that it doesn't go in her mouth. After she was about a year old I started to gently pop her hand...not too hard, but enough to get her attention. She knew she shouldn't put things in her mouth because she would try to hide from me, but that urge was so strong. She tells me all the time now when she has something she wants to taste..."this isn't food right"? I'll tell her no it isn't food, we don't put that in our mouth. I think her colds and runny noses have slowed down considerably since she stopped putting everything in her mouth. There are some good reasons to try and undo that habit.

Be patient, be consistent and insist that they not put anything but food in their mouth.