Should you let your baby "mouth" his toys and other things in his surroundings if this is the way infants learn about their environments?

6 Answers

fabliaux | 2 years, 3 months ago

Yup, everything was in the baby's mouth. I didn't worry much and she didn't get sick very much either. If I really didn't want her putting stuff in her mouth when she was smaller I would pop the pacifier in. I don't have to worry about that too much anymore. I'm glad that is over for the most part. I don't think it's feasible to try to keep everything out of the baby's mouth. A better choice is to just make sure what she puts in is as clean as possible.

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unwirklich | 2 years, 4 months ago

I think it non-sense not too. Mouthing is a instinctual act in children and as a parent its our responsibility to not have anything that could be harmful if mouthed in reach anyhow. As far as germs, I feel a little bit of germs/dirt only strengthens the immune system. I make no effort to sanitize toys, etc. unless my child has just gotten over being sick and I don't want him getting sick again.. If their dirty, I was them, end of story. Other wise I feel you only disservice the child making him more prone to serious infection due to an undeveloped immune system.

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cherise | 2 years, 3 months ago

I'm not a parent but everyone is saying what I remember hearing:

The baby's immune system is actually strengthed each time they are exposed to germs, but don't get sick.
The baby learns from mouthing toys.

All that can be done still on this question is find some sources for this, and so I did:

source(s):
http://www.new-vis.com/fym/papers/p-feed1.htm
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/dailycare/canyoubetooclean/

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michellefedin | 2 years, 4 months ago

Personally, I am a mother of a 5yrs old and I let him "mouth" his toys. I did clean them on a daily basis even though they still were exposed to the air again ;) You could even have a separate container filled with all the baby's mouthing toys so they won't be exposed to his other toys which aren't made for the mouth. Toys for infants and young children are designed to provide pleasure and comforts to their mouths. Toys are also designed for children who are at a developmental age when mouthing behaviors are common. Because this occurs primarily during teething, the majority of these toys are marketed as "teethers" or "teething toys." The idea that these same toys serve many other purposes in development is new to many parents and therapists. MOUTH-TOYS provide numerous learning opportunities that introduce children to the sensory world, and prepare the mouth for more complex feeding skills.

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vicgoodwin2 | 2 years, 4 months ago

I would and did let my children mouth their toys. I thought it was part of how they learn. Since the feeding is all they know for the first little bit of their lives, it seemed normal that they would taste test everything.

source(s):
my opinion

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tifa | 2 years, 4 months ago

Don't worry.. When your child gets older and goes to daycare or school and you don't see what she is putting in her mouth, you will be glad that she has received a good dose of antibodies from all of the things in your house that she already had in her mouth before. This is why it is good to breast feed the baby too. They get lots of antibodies from the mother through her breast milk. It would be better if you worried about having enough time with your child for reading books together and enjoying each other. The kids grow up so fast, don't they?

source(s):
personal experience

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