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Topic: Chewing food?

03-12-2006 01:58 PM

always_chaos   Senior Member Location: Detroit Metro, MI Registered: Dec 2005 Posts: 478 Last visit: 03-24-2006

Elainah has been on a strictly table food diet since about 15 months old. We chopped and diced food into small pieces in the beginning and then as she became older we started giving her larger pieces. Lately I have been noticing that she is not chewing her food at all. She does feed herself most of the time and can manage a spoon fairly well. But she just gets the food into her mouth and quickly swallows signing "more". We have tried requiring her to eat slower and chew but it ends up a battle as she just swallows and then fusses and cries when we make her wait for the next bite. She is able to bite off pieces of food like bread or crackers but once it is in her mouth she just swallows. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to get her to actually chew her food? __________________ Visit Our Blog: Always Chaos At Our House

03-12-2006 02:07 PM

lespring   Super Member Location: Twin Cities metro area, MN Registered: Mar 2005 Posts: 3743 Last visit: 03-22-2006

UGH! Angela used to do this! She still LOOKS like she's chewing, but really she doesn't chew very effectively. Somewhere along the way, a few years ago her OT did a bite test that measured the pressure of her bite. Ummmmm there was close to nothing! Ok..so what did we do to get her chewing? We made up a song to the tune of "Row row row your boat" and said, "Chew (chewing motion now) Chew (again) chew your food (chew fast a bunch of times) chew it all the way! Chew your food time and again, Chew it all the way! (chew a bunch of times.) Just a goofy song, I know, but it helped. We'd also count. Well, I didn't, her brothers did. Counted each bite THEY chewed, and then she wanted them to count for her too. __________________ ~Leah~ mom to Noah 18, Tyler 17,Angela 9 (DS) downcues.com

03-12-2006 02:23 PM

vonda   Super Moderator Location: Middletown, MD Registered: Jun 2000 Posts: 4323 Last visit: 03-24-2006

Oh that just scares me to death. Now Noah does chew his food. He loves popcorn and grapes, and will not eat a grape if I cut it in half, so I'm watching him like a hawk the entire time that he eats to be sure he doesn't choke. Our Ds group had a get together and one of the little boys, who was about 8 at the time was sitting eating popcorn and I noticed he just SHOVED handsful of popcorn in his mouth and swallowed, no chewing whatsoever. I was just about having a heart attack the entire time. __________________ Vonda, mommy to Peyton, Sophie, Noah(Ds) and Halle

03-12-2006 05:25 PM

always_chaos   Senior Member Location: Detroit Metro, MI Registered: Dec 2005 Posts: 478 Last visit: 03-24-2006

Leah, I will have to try out the song, but she may end up causing an ever larger issue if we sing to her-she dances to all music and even some sounds like the vacuum or the washer and dryer spinning. vonda: Funny you mention popcorn-my daughter Hannah said "OMG mom she just swallowed some popcorn whole!" This is what prompted my thread in the first place-too wierd that you mention it __________________ Visit Our Blog: Always Chaos At Our House

03-12-2006 08:11 PM
mary c   Senior Member Location: Westchester County, New York Registered: Jan 2005 Posts: 688 Last visit: 03-24-2006	Our ST had us give Anna veggie sticks to let her practice how to chew. We would hold them in the side of her mouth (where the molars are) so she would have to bite it with her molars to chew. Supposedly this helps to remind them to chew. __________________ Mary Mom to Libby 6/92, Alex 9/93, Anna (DS)12/12/03

03-12-2006 08:34 PM
always_chaos   Senior Member Location: Detroit Metro, MI Registered: Dec 2005 Posts: 478 Last visit: 03-24-2006	Ok, I saw this mentioned in McKenna's post about eating solid foods.... what are veggie sticks? __________________ Visit Our Blog: Always Chaos At Our House

03-12-2006 09:29 PM

mary c   Senior Member Location: Westchester County, New York Registered: Jan 2005 Posts: 688 Last visit: 03-24-2006

They are a snack food I wouldn't ordinarily feed a kid, but they sell them in health food stores or Trader Joes. We can also buy them in some grocery stores. They are the shape of french fries but are made from a variety of vegetables--spinach, sweet potato, regular potatoes, etc. They taste kind of like not very good potato chips. They are usually about 2 to 3 inches long so you can hold one end and put the other in the baby's cheek where her molars would be without getting your finger bit off. They dissolve really easily so if she bites off a piece and then doesn't chew it, chances are low that she would choke on it. We tried this method with Anna and it seemed to work. From the other postings though it seems like our kids might just stop chewing for no good reason. Good luck. __________________ Mary Mom to Libby 6/92, Alex 9/93, Anna (DS)12/12/03

03-13-2006 01:18 AM
klem   Super Member Location: Gadsden, AL Registered: Aug 2004 Posts: 1759 Last visit: 03-24-2006	Slim Jims. I swear by them. Everyone thought I was nuts in the beginning. Before Drake was even 1 or had any teeth, he was gnawing on "mild" Slim Jims. After our ST got over being grossed out by it, lol, she thought it was a WONDERFUL idea . Drake chews like a champ. __________________ Kelley, Robby's wife mom of Daulton, the Mayor (10-07-98) and Drake, my treasure on loan from God (4-19-04) DS

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