Hi Moms,
I'm at my wits end. My son is 39 months old. He would never take a binkie as a baby, which I thought was a good thing, until now. When he was about 6 months old, he was so upset. I was busy and gave him one of my husband's socks (just the white, athletic sock type) to hold on to. He started chewing on it and, you guessed it, is STILL chewing on socks almost 3 years later. It is is his "comfort" item and he wants to have a sock to chew on while he watches tv, goes to sleep, or is upset. We must wean him off of this habit but I can't figure out a way to do so without him coming apart at the seams. The dentist feels that it will start causing problems with his teeth so I feel that I must wean him. Any suggestions? Thank you!
You could cut an inch or two off of it ever week or two and before to long he could stick it in his pocket...??
Please don't wean him. It is a security item and unless it is hurting him leave it be seriously :) He will eventually outgrow it I promise.
I totally agree,don't wean him from it! As weird as this may sound children that have their comfort items ripped from them without them giving them up feel as if they have lost a part of them. Yes it can be annoying to see your child still gnawing on the socks but look at this way, he IS able to be comforted by them, it could be worse and be a pacifier which can cause the teeth to protrude and he's a happy camper when he has his comfort item. I wish my youngest had a comfort item other than me as it gets quite tiring being her pacifier. He will outgrow it and he will one day not have the need for the socks to chew on. The more you push the issue the more he will want them as well. Good luck!
i agree, let him have what brings him comfort, even if it goes out in public eventually some mean kid will make fun of him for it and that'll be the end of it.............let the babies be babies.....he will grow out of it
K.,
The way I do it is just sit them down and talk about some rules that will go along with the sock. I do the same thing with the binky, (the good thing is the sock probably is not moving he teeth any:)) If it bothers you that he still uses it just limit where he can have it. I make rules like, you can use it when you are really sad, (When he is sad try other ways to distract him first before you let him have it) then he can have it but he has to get it himself,(don't get it for him, but keep it where he can get it.) then he can have it when he is in his room, and then only in bed. Once it is limited to bed then he will start to only use it at naps and night or if he is really sad,(then he can get in bed for a bit till he calms down). It is good for him to have something that relaxes him. And you can help him use it like a "time out", "self renewal", or "alone time" kind of thing, to help him regulate his emotions. It could be a really great tool.
I wouldn't worry about taking it away. He will grow out of it on his own. And soon enough be embarrassed that he ever had it:)
Good luck
E.
Well, maybe you could get him/make him a sock monkey?
If you get/make several, you're covered for when one needs to be washed/repaired.
http://www.sockmonkey.com
http://sockmonkey.net
my nephew had "blue blankie" until he was 7 he never took it to school just wanted it at home. my son is 27 months and he still has his stuffed monkey. i wont force him to give it up. if you really think he needs to stop then explain it to him. or allow him to use it at certain times like bedtime only. In my opinion they give it up when they need to. my son doesn't take his monkey in the car he just wants it to sleep with at night and sometimes he wants to hug it throughout the day
I agree with the moms who recommend to let him have the item that soothes him. He's still relatively young, and it sounds like he hasn't developed other soothing mechanisms.
Our son has his thumb and his blanket. We don't let him take the blanket out of the house, but it's his way of winding himself down at naptime (daycare requires it), bedtime, and when he's stressed.
We can't take the thumb away, and he's a good kid, so I don't see the harm in having a comfort item like his blanket. I had a ripped undershirt of my father's when I was the same age and had outgrown it by kindergarten (though I still have it as a keepsake).
My only advice would be to make sure to wash it often as he likes to chew on it and perhaps try to duplicate it, if possible.
Good luck!
Hum, does he HAVE to have it all the time? By that I mean, when you leave the house to go somewhere do you have to take it with you? If so, then I agree, maybe try weaning it to use in your house only. But if he only uses it at home - I would just let him be. He obviously is attached to it. I don't really see the harm in letting him have it. He'll get to a point when he won't need it anymore.
My son is attached to a blankie. He uses it when he is tired or upset too. I'm totally fine with him using it, it really gives him comfort. I can't imagine taking it away, I think he would be so sad!
I would try to just limit it at first. Only while he is napping/sleeping. My DD still has a blankie. She loves to chew on it too! We started that she must leave it in her bed and can only have it when she is going to sleep. I don't see how this little bit of sock chewing is going to ruin his teeth? If it is just the action of chewing he likes and you take away the sock, I think he may just go to another object...I wish I had a better suggestion for you. I would just start small and work your way up to taking it away completely.
