This is often a question that parents ask when their little one is putting a variety of toys or items in his/her mouth! There are specific reasons that children do this, and it is important for us to let them and even encourage them to do this safely!
Children start to mouth objects early in life. They often find their hands/fingers. When they start to get more coordination with bringing items to their mouth more consistently, it happens with more objects and toys. We see an increase in mouthing around 4-6 months. How long they mouth objects depends on the child. Some will continue to put things in their mouth until they are completely done teething, while others will start and stop as they get new teeth and get older. Neither is wrong or right!
Now let’s talk about why they put everything in their mouth and why it’s important to let them! First, this is how your child learns about the world around him/her. They explore items and the texture/taste of them with their lips, tongue, and cheeks. This helps given them an idea about their world! Next, they often put more items in their mouth when they’re teething. The pressure of biting can help with cutting the tooth through the skin and often helps with the pain. Another reason to encourage mouthing of objects to help them learn to soothe themselves and calm down when they are upset. It is comforting for them to have something in their mouth and can bring them back down when they are mad/sad! Finally, it is important for children to mouth objects so they can practice and help develop the different muscles and movements that are important later for feeding and speech! Their gag reflex will move back in their mouth and they will learn how to move their tongue, lips, and cheeks more efficiently for feeding and speech!
So, now that we have talked about when and why we see children mouthing objects, it’s important to remember to encourage your child to mouth objects safely! We do not want them getting objects into their mouths that are sharp, small, or something that could break and they could choke! If you have any questions related to mouthing or concerns with above skills, do not hesitate to ask any of us!
-Amber-