dunbarfamily
I'm a proud WDW-loving wife and mama to six
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
Hi everyone,
You are all so welcoming and helpful here. I've posted a few times in the past, but mostly, I just "lurk" here.
I'm coming out to ask for help. Our oldest will be 10 in January. He's a good boy, smart and eager to please. He was diagnosed with ADHD about two years ago, displays anxiety and irrational fears and after therapy, he has been taking medication for about 15 months now.
Our problem is he is chewing on EVERYTHING. Literally. Fingernails, toenails, pieces of toys, things he finds on the floor, paper, plastic, even the wood on his bed. He sleeps on the top bunk and I'd say he's chewed away about 25% of the guardrail. Seriously. He has been doing this for at least 4-5 years.
We are at our wit's ends. We've talked to the doctor multiple times and we are told they don't know what causes it, but some kids do it and others don't. The counselor doesn't provide much more insight. I've googled, "kids who chew", but I keep finding that people give their children a baby teether. That seems dumb to give a nearly 10 year old a product designed for a four month old.
WHAT is causing this and HOW can we get him to stop? Its so frustrating for us to see him chewing EVERYTHING, and its rather disgusting. He'll chew up his bed so much his saliva will drip down to his little brother's bed below. I think this is probably something he can't control, but it doesn't eliminate the frustration.
WHAT do I do? Please don't judge me. We already feel bad for getting after him. I just don't know what to do. Ugh. Bribing him, threatening him, rewarding him does not work, lending more support to my idea that he can't control it.
You are all so welcoming and helpful here. I've posted a few times in the past, but mostly, I just "lurk" here.
I'm coming out to ask for help. Our oldest will be 10 in January. He's a good boy, smart and eager to please. He was diagnosed with ADHD about two years ago, displays anxiety and irrational fears and after therapy, he has been taking medication for about 15 months now.
Our problem is he is chewing on EVERYTHING. Literally. Fingernails, toenails, pieces of toys, things he finds on the floor, paper, plastic, even the wood on his bed. He sleeps on the top bunk and I'd say he's chewed away about 25% of the guardrail. Seriously. He has been doing this for at least 4-5 years.
We are at our wit's ends. We've talked to the doctor multiple times and we are told they don't know what causes it, but some kids do it and others don't. The counselor doesn't provide much more insight. I've googled, "kids who chew", but I keep finding that people give their children a baby teether. That seems dumb to give a nearly 10 year old a product designed for a four month old.
WHAT is causing this and HOW can we get him to stop? Its so frustrating for us to see him chewing EVERYTHING, and its rather disgusting. He'll chew up his bed so much his saliva will drip down to his little brother's bed below. I think this is probably something he can't control, but it doesn't eliminate the frustration.
WHAT do I do? Please don't judge me. We already feel bad for getting after him. I just don't know what to do. Ugh. Bribing him, threatening him, rewarding him does not work, lending more support to my idea that he can't control it.