Does anyone else have a child that chews through everything?! My almost five-year-old chews holes in all of her clothes and chews on her hair and nails. I bought her a brand new pair of pants, and they already have a huge hole in them from her biting and picking at it.
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Yes!!! My son is almost 15 and still chews on everything!!! Even with gum in his mouth!!! His Nick name is goat!!!
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My kids did that same(theyâre older now and still sometimes do it with the shirts) itâs sensory issues⌠I bought em sensory chew toys.
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Mine. I have holes in his blankets and hats. Chews his fingernails low. My son will be 6 in December. Itâs died down a little. Only the nails now.
That sounds like a sign of anxiety. They sell rubber necklaces that the child will chew like instead of their shirt collar.I would talk to your doctor about this
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My 2 year old chews on the feet of her pjs. She hasnât in a while but she used to be so bad at it
2yr boy chews every fuzzy blanket just the corners⌠So my bed blankets by morning hes made the corners either sopping wet or crunchy corners 
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Definitely take a look into sensory disorders and have the child evaluated for them. Chewing things can be a type of stimming as well. Definitely talk to the doc about it. Write down what they chew how often you notice it how long it lasts and when or if there is a pattern for the chewing. It may help you figure it out before even going to see the doc
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My lil girl is 2 an she chews her nails and hair not all the time just sometimes I try to tell her that her nails are super dirty and chewing them may get her sick and that when she chews her hair it will ruin it.
Itâs a sensory processing g disorder,try chewy toys that hang around the neck.Good luck,my grandson goes through a tshirt everday.His shirts
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My son does then and he was putting holes in everything. I gave him like 5 or 6 hair bands to wear on his wrist. When he feels like he needs to chew on something he bites on the hair bands and like sticks his teeth under them. Plain black hair elastics are way cheaper to replace than clothes and arenât as noticeable as the chewy necklace things
Yes, my son is 8. He chews his shirts and im constantly taking things out of his mouth. He has ADHD and some sensory issues though which cause him anxiety.
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Mine does this, heâs 6. It his anxiety getting the best of him. Itd be his nails really bad, and we had a change of lifestyle and set routine and it helped him. Not like chew through things, but he did his nails, his blanket when he was a baby, I got him a fidget cube cause now its impossible for him to stay still
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Omg my 4 yr old daughter, it drives me batshit crazy, sheâs also very destructive with everything.
Dollar stores sell cheap chew toy necklaces. My daughter has one its a sensory thing. Talk to her doctor too about concerns
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My son doesnât chew on his clothes or anything like that but he does chew on straws. He just gets really concentrated and doesnât realize he does it. I also know his dad does the same thing so I donât know
Check out chewy tubes
Thereâs a medical term for that. I donât remember what it is, but I know a woman that when she was a toddler and a little older that ate her hair. She would eat it in her sleep.
Check out Hoodie Chew on Amazon.
My 14 yr old has anxiety and Iâm buying one of these for Christmas.
Agree that it could be parasites or sensory issues. I have seen parents post gains post about this after detoxing. Detox With TRS by Streams of Healing
Hubby and I are newlyweds sitting on our couch discussing all the things we ate. Tops of Bic pens, all the corners off of my collars, all of the plastic ear pieces off my glasses, the hair I could pull around to my mouth, tender tree branches, hay, salt blocks, clover. pencils, tongue blades used for scooping white glue in school, popcycle/ ice cream sticks. We concluded it was a hand to mouth fixation and what we needed was his/hers teething rings. Iâm 73 and can still find myself chewing on things. Yet I really donât like gum.
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My son chew his clothes and nails now and has pretty bad anxiety. My oldest boy had anxiety and PTSD he chewed everything even the wood from the top of his bunk bed he grew out of it though. I did therapy as well. My youngest is doing therapy to figure out his anxiety.
My 17 year old son still has a bit of a habit of chewing on things. Doc said it was just when he was nervous and with social anxiety. explain to them what damage they are causing and repeat it as much as necessary. Hopefully you can get some help with this. My son chewed holes in expensive shirts and countless other things
I used to do that when I was little. Literally chewed through the wooden headboard of my bed, I ate paper, string, my hair, all kinds of things. Iâm not sure what itâs called or what was wrong. Not gonna lie, the urges are still there but Iâm old enough now to know better. I think I was told itâs a sensory thing or something like that.
My daughter! Definitely contact the Dr. We use chew necklaces. You can buy them on Amazon. It keeps her from putting holes in her shirt and chewing toys. Its part of her sensory disorder
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Hair does not digest I believe itâs called tricophagia.
The hair builds up in the stomach and does not always pass into the intestines. Can cause serious complications over the years if not addressed.
Nails biting is a form of stress and anxiety
I would be talking to the dr.
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My son chewed on everything and had anxiety. Definitely speak to her dr!
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I had a son who did this. We had him tested for pica. The blood test was negative and was so traumatic he stopped eating non-food items.
My oldest whos 8 does those sort of things. Heâs on the spectrum and in general a sensory processing disorder.
Personally I would call her doctor and see what they think. The sooner you can it to stop (if you can) the better
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Sounds like pica. Have you brought this up to the childâs doctor?
I use to chew on my hair when I was young, but only my hair. Nervous habit? Idk. I remember Iâd like doing it is all. Donât remember why I stopped other than my mom made a comment about ruining my hair. I liked my hair; itâs probably part of why I stopped.
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Just their nails!!! Not necessarily chews them, but picks them. I have cut my 8 yr olds finger and toe nails maybe, three times!!! My 9 yr old bites his finger nails! Oh, winter mittsâŚ8 yr old bites them.
Contact her doctor. My son is the same age and has PICA. He will eat things that arenât food but heâll also chew on clothes, his nails, and other inedible things. He was diagnosed with this at 4.5 along with ADHD and ODD from a psychologist.
I tried for 3 years telling multiple pediatricians something was âwrongâ with him. We finally got the referral to the psychologist and everything we suspected was true. She wasnât happy it took so long for someone to send us. So donât give up!
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Sounds like she may have either a sensory disorder or possible anxiety.
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Yes and it was pica. Very scary! Definitely should be taking about it with your dr
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My son is 10. And chews on his shirts non stop. Even got a note from his teacher saying I might need to bring a second shirt cause heâs soaked by half time at school.
Definitely anxiety, maybe boredom. I did this as a kid, minus the hair thing. I did grow out of biting my clothes/necklaces though, and picking at the clothes. Teach her coping mechanisms for boredom and anxiety. I didnât require medication to get over it.
Teach her how to braid her hair and maybe sheâll do that instead of putting it her mouth. I would make tiny braids all day at school when I was bored.
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I read up about this a while ago as my 8yr old started doing this during lockdown and I thought it was perhaps anxiety. turns out it is a magnesium shortage (read it online). I gave him extra vitamins and low and behold it took about three weeks and he stopped doing it. Might be worth a try. I also have to mention he has a very balanced diet and I thought he was getting enough magnesium in through that, but no.
I would say give it a go. Thinks itâs called PICA-but I self diagnosed. If it persists maybe see a GP
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Find safe things to chew on instead. Donât try to stop the behavior completely, but try to keep it from interfering with daily life. There are chew necklaces that my girlfriend uses for her chew stimming.
Definitely speak to the doctor to see if itâs not something like vitamin deficiency or something, but generally kids and people on the spectrum have different things they do to help regulate emotions
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Look into pica, anxiety, and/or anemia(low iron) ⌠the answer may be somewhere in the middle of those things⌠hang in there, mama.
Same problem not sure yet what to do⌠My daughter dentist is the one the 1st asked about it
My son does heâ s 9. Has sensory processing disorder, adhd and aniexty.
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Sounds like PICA. My son had that issue when he was little. Not as much as an adult. Try to figure out the trigger.
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They have necklaces for the kids to chew on when they feel the need too. Ask the dr about it first
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Talk to a doctor cause it could be symptoms of a vitamin deficiency!
My students who did this were diagnosed with pica.
My son ASD did from about 4 to 7 or 8. The necks of his shirts, blankets, stuffed toys.
Oh no. I would say sensory disorder, mild autism maybe, anxiety.
Maybe you should talk to her pediatrician.
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Mmmmm.some serious matter.the doctor would be the answerâŚstrongsâŚ
My son was 3 when he started doing that. He would chew on his clothes, and other things. Consulted his doctor and we found out he is on the spectrum and has sensory processing disorder. He also had low iron so the doctor prescribed meds for that. Definitely get it checked out. Good luck.
Iâve known many kids that age that do this. Especially hair and shirts. They seem to mostly grow out of it. It can just be a nervous habit, it could have deeper roots like stress or trauma. Try helping them find alternative things to fidget with. Keeps them busy. You can also spray vinegar water on the shirts. That will deter them chewing on it. If it is just a habit. Worked well on someone I knew.
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You should really speaks with your kids doctor asap
These r amazing really help I have a few for my 5yo with autism
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Maybe get her some chewelry.
There are lots of other websites and different price points, but hereâs an example.
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Yes shes autistic and everything goes in her mouth! Shes 5 in march and she actually has her old teething ring at my mums (where she chews a bit more because shes not at home, its absolutely a comfort thing).
My daughter use to chew on the hands and feet of her dolls, along with other toys, as well as her nails. Due to anxiety. My daughter, for the first 22 months of her life her and I lived with her father, who was abusive and living with him felt like walking on eggshells. So, itâs completely understandable for my girl to have anxietyâŚheck, I still do at times. For the past 2 years, her chewing has gotten better and she will still chew on her nails every so often though.
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I chewed on my hair around that age. I just liked the feeling of how it squished between my teeth. Try giving her gum or a necklace from the baby aisle that the mom wears and the baby chews. But let her where it and chew on it.
Iâm not being ugly so PLEASE do not take it that way. I do not have a child with that issue, but it definitely sounds like something she needs help with. If it were my child, I would take her to be evaluated just to be on the safe side.
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Yes, my son has sensory needs and this is one of them (chewing) anything or anything in the mouth. We redirect with lego man (rubber) on a necklace thatâs safe. He is 6 and on the high end of the spectrum with heavy sensory needs.
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My son is 14 and has been a chewers since birth. When he was small it was his collar and sleeves and now itâs plastic anything. I talked with all of his providers from his pediatrician to his dentist and orthodontist and some kiddos just do it. He could have worse habits. He does have sensory stuff but is crazy bright and super talented athlete. I wouldnât worry too much. Just talk with your doc and see what they say.
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Yup-my autistic son used to chew holes in his shirt necks. Still chews on anything and everything. I bought him a chewie necklace when he was younger (they have tons online.)
ADHD son did this to shirt sleeves. He had other oral fixations as well. He grew out of it. 23 years old now and perfectly well functioning adult.
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I do not, but I have a family member whoâs daughter does. Sheâs got ADHD, is on the Spectrum and is an obsessive compulsive. Itâs a form of stimming (self stimulation) and the repetitive movements calm her.
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My son chews holes in the face mask that we bought for him to wear to school. Not sure how many more we can buy before you call it getting out of hand. And then he grabs one of the other kids mask and they try to wear it later after being washed, then we have a major drama scene on our hands.
Yes sounds like you may need to get her evaluated hun. Seems like she may have some sort of nervous condition. Hope you get her figured out Be blessedâ¤ď¸
My son is 7 and will suck and chew on the collar of his shirts. He does it out of boredom, Iâve noticed since he has to wear his face mask all day in school now heâs been sucking on it instead.
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My son is 10 and chews on his hoodie sleeves and the collar of his shirts and lately been catching him chewing on his headphones my son has ADHD & ODD i bought him one of those chewy necklaces but he didnât use it for long and he doesnât know where it is
Could be sensory issues or low iron. Sometimes a safe âchewing necklace or toyâ fixes the problem but could also may be linked to something you may need to be more aware of. Talk to your ped.
My baby doesnât put anything in his mouth. I never thought it was an issue but wonât try table food. I think itâs a sensory issue.
My son chews on pens a lot of lego pieces I found gum is a thing for him so he doesnât chew on other things so hard or chewy candy also helps
My son use to chew not anymore, I bought him a chewy. Its a necklace they can chew. Its sold on Amazon and ebay. My child is autistic.
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My son chewed through so many pieces of clothes. He is almost 12 & outgrew it. He also has ADHD.
Try buying her a chewy. They make chewys in many textures from softer to very firm. It could help her out immensly
With regards to nails or thumbs. I say carry on will put mustard on there. Never had to do it as stops.
My daughter techer told us to get her a chew necklace it has made a big difference at school
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Have her iron levels checked. She might be experiencing pica from anemia.
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I have a 7 year old who does this. I buy her new clothes and the first time she wears them she will chew holes in the sleeves or collar.
Yes chews tp, cardboard, nails, hair etc.
Tara Jones-Pennington what is it that you use for your daughter who chews? I remember seeing you found something to help with thisđ
Following!! My 8 year old has been doing this for years!
She probably has severe anxiety
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A silicone teething necklace should help. Talk to their doctor about it too. It can be an early sign of mental health issues. Good luck mama!
Its anxiety⌠I had this problem as a child too⌠they sell things to help now daysâŚ
My son chewed on corners of blankets!!
Sounds like possible sensory processing issues.
Try ordering her some chewelry from amazon.
Its helped my two kiddos a ton.
Anxiety is my 1st thought. My son used to chew the zippers off his jackets. He went thru 3 1 yr. Hes now 12 n treated for anxiety n no longer does it!
My son has autism he is 10. Hes high functioning. He still chews on everything. He pulls strings out of his pants which unravels them and also he does the same to the elastic in his underwear to the point where there isnt any also does the same to socks.
But her a chew necklace or bracelet
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My daughter does. Sheâs ADHD/ASD, and I believe it is a result of boredom, schoolwork avoidance and general anxiety. We tried the Chewelry, but she didnât like that she could bite through it, like a squishy toy. 
Canât just get her stuff she can destroy and either eat or spit all over the floor, so we are stuck with her destroying clothes, shoes, pencils, nails, picking at her face. Itâs a nightmare. I was going to get her in therapy when Covid shut everything down. I guess I should get back on that, but idk what they can do for her meeting online. She needs hands on therapy, not talk therapy. 
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Kind of sounds like a form of pica. Have you spoken to your childâs pediatrician?
Try gum, like all the time.
Omg!!! My son. From he was a toddler. Teeth marks in all of my furniture. At 5 his new favourite⌠Charging cords! Itâs not an anxiety thing for him. He does it while chilling out watching tv.
My daughter is 6 now and she did this for a long time! Especially the ends of her sleeves. She still does sometimes but I noticed its only when she is nervous or uncomfortable. I think it might be a anxiety thing for your girl too
OKAY. Therapy Time,
Please call her Doctor, and get her a complete physical to R/O Chemical Protein Imbalances - he will refer You / Family to a Child Psychiatrist that specializes in Neuro Sensory âDisordersâ
R/O P.I.C A., and other disorders
Im 21 and still chew my nails, I also chew on the skin on my lips.
Tobacco sauce stops chewers.
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Go on Amazon. They have something called a chewy. It helped my son.
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Pica is a common problem. My daughter chewed on erasers, balloons, etc. I got her some heavy-duty bikes and that helped. Now she has a âsensory necklaceâ made from rubber that she chews on when she feels anxious.
It could also be an anxiety thing.