My daugher keeps putting her hair in her mouth....

Hi, all,

lately I've noticed that Shannon keeps putting strands of her hair in her mouth. When I ask her why, she says something like "I just want to" or "I like it". I try to clip her hair back, which helps.

Have any of your kids had a habit like this? (She also sucks her thumb at night sometimes, but has always done it). The twins are starting first grade soon and I'm concerned she'll do this in class (they're in the same class, and like school and their friends there, so there are no separations issues). She does get jealous sometimes when her brother seems to get more attention.
Should I be worried, or is this just a phase?

Thanks for any advice,

DeLana

 

It's pretty common. I have noticed the longer the hair the more likely it seems to go in the mouth. My sister was one of these girls. She had a braid to her butt. Once they cut her hair she didn't do it as much

 

My DD does it. I did it when I was a kid. It is similar to sucking your thumb, so most kids outgrow it. If I catch it I just make her get it out of her mouth.

 

Sarah has just started doing this because her hair is finally long enough to reach her mouth. I can't blame her, since the hair basically goes across her mouth all by itself unless I clip it back! And she will let me put a clip in, but she always pulls it out within an hour.

She really wants to grow her hair long, so I keep reminding her that her cousin had to get her hair cut really short because she wouldn't stop chewing on it (which is true), and that usually gets her to stop at least temporarily. I'm hoping when the hair gets a little longer, it won't be quite so tempting.

I wouldn't worry about her doing it in class -- if she does, I doubt she'll be the only one.

 

My girls haven't done this, but I thought about this thread when I was at the park with my kids yesterday and a little girl who was 4 or 5 had her hair in her mouth the entire time she was there. It makes me gag to think about having hair in my mouth, but I'm guessing like others said, it's just a phase/habit some kids go through.

 

One of my DDs has a short bob because she chewed her hair so much.

We have tried to grow it out--- but it always ends up chewed. Chewed up, wet hair is just gross!

 

I don't have a hair chewer, but notice loads of kids do it or have the tell-tail signs. It is interesting because a lot of boys in my daughter's K class sucked/chewed on their shirt sleeves or front part of their shirts. One little boy would soak the entire front of his shirt .

 

My DD did it. So I cut her hair short enough to stop it. If it gets even CLOSE to being long enough, she's trying to put it in her mouth. If she wants long hair, she'll have to be able to take care of it.

 

yep, both of my girls did this, but one of them finally stopped doing it (without cutting her hair). the other one is still doing it, but she still also puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. if it's not her hair, it's a stuffed animal or a toy, or the sleeve of her shirt. the girl has an oral fixation, but she'll outgrow it. i did it as a kid (actually, i was a bit older than her when i was doing it) and well, i outgrew it, so as much as it grosses me out, i just tell her to get it out of her mouth when I see her doing it, and try to keep her hair up as much as possible. I'm not chopping her hair off because of it. She loves having long hair and it would be traumatizing for her if I did that to her.

 

That's why my DD has short hair... LOL!!! She chews her nails and would chew her hair if I let her! NO CLUE how to manage!

 

One of my girls does this and my niece does this. Honestly, it makes me :bad: when I see them doing it! I try to stop my dd from doing it when I catch her.