News

By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.

Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L

Do you ever look at your child and wonder why they are chewing on their fingers, clothing or hair? Maybe your child tends to gnaw on their pencils while doing homework? Or perhaps, when your little one comes home from school they have chewed and torn sleeves? You’re not alone if this behavior leaves you feeling confused or frustrated. Before you tell your child to stop chewing, it is important to understand WHY.

Put simply – Chewing reduces stress and anxiety. That’s it. (There may be some other reasons which I’ll outline in future articles, but that is the primary reason.)

You may be thinking, “But my child isn’t stressed out”. However, there may be going on than you realize, especially with the uncertainty provided by Covid-19. Children have very little control over their environments and it is important to understand what is going on in their lives to the best of our abilities as parents.

Let’s examine the concept of chewing due to stress and anxiety first. Do you know any adults who chew their nails when they’re anxious? Or maybe their pens? These are actions that I know that I personally take when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Children are no different from us adults.

 Chewing helps children cope and self-regulate

In 2019, The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists reviewed Munchables and provided this key sentence in their report.

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists recommends Munchables sensory chewelry for its ability to “replace inappropriate chewing behavior (i.e. chewing on fingernails, pencils or clothing) and to provide potential regulating effects for the sensory system - reducing fidgeting and promoting attention and focus.”       

 That last half of the sentence provides the official OT answer you may have been seeking – “Provide potential regulating effects”. We can go back to the scientific literature and find a peer-reviewed study written about thirty years ago by Scheerer that found the following,

“There is a great deal of research that supports clinical observations that having something in one’s mouth to chew or suck on can provide a calming, organizing, and focusing response.” (1992)

But your child doesn’t need that scientific literature. Kids intuitively know that chewing helps to calm and focus them. The takeaway here is to not force your child to stop chewing. They NEED to chew. Your child isn’t chewing on their pencils to drive you crazy. They are chewing because it is helping them to cope. The key is to provide the child with a safer alternative to their clothing, fingernails or whatever is closest at the time.

Chewing behavior may peak during big changes in a child’s life such as starting school, moving or during divorce. It is important to realize that children are coping in the best way that they know how – by chewing - because it works.

The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.

Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.

Change "Don't Chew That" to "Chew this" with Munchables Chewelry.

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.

By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.

Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L

In my previous article, I outlined how chewing helps children self-regulate. However, not all children chew as a self-coping mechanism. Some children may find the world too loud, too bright and simply too much. These children, especially those with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), may chew if they feel overwhelmed by their environments. Depending on the study you read, the science tells us that

Somewhere between 5-8% of school-aged children have sensory processing issues – that equates to 1-3 kids in every classroom. (Source)

Can you imagine feeling as if you were that child stuck in a room that was too bright or too loud? Or, maybe if you were forced to wear clothing that was unbearably scratchy? I know I go a little bit crazy when the TV volume is up too high or if I have to wear that itchy Christmas sweater for more than just photos!

Now, imagine living in a body where it feels like your brain is being bombarded with these unwelcome responses during everyday activities. These overwhelming feelings can cause over-arousal and emotional dysregulation, which can manifest as anger, depression and behavioral problems.

These children instinctively know that one of the ways that they can avoid that stress reaction is to chew.

Next time, we’ll explore stimming, proprioception dysfunction and other reasons that your child may be chewing.

The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.

Change Don't Chew That" to "Chew This" with Munchables Chewelry

Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.  

By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.

Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L

We’ve discussed chewing due to stress and sensory processing disorders in earlier articles. Further along the spectrum, we find children that exhibit repetitive behaviors such as full body rocking, unusual hand mannerisms (like finger-flicking and hand-flapping) and chewing. These behaviours are all examples of self-stimulatory behavior (or stimming). Stimming can help children manage the sensory information surrounding them.

Stimming can be a way of self-regulating behavior – to “keep it together” so to speak.

This stimming may look unusual to the casual observer, but it helps children manage their emotions and cope with overwhelming situations. It allows them to either increase or decrease the sensory overload as needed. Let your child be a sensory seeker. They are doing what they know is best for them. If you try to eradicate their sensory seeking behaviour, your child may withdraw more and more until the point where you may lose your chance to build a conversation.

What the child replaces their stim with may be less preferable than the current one.

Another reason your child may be chewing is proprioception dysfunction. Proprioception is a big word that just means the body’s ability to sense itself. If a child can’t correctly interpret their body’s signals properly, the world can be a scary place. These children typically report feeling scattered or disjointed and may appear clumsy or have poor motor control. They may also have trouble staying still. One of the ways children can self-regulate is by stimming – as described in the previous paragraph. Children with proprioception dysfunction chew because it helps to center themselves in the world.

Other reasons that your child may be chewing might include simply being bored. Children AND adults engage in chewing to help maintain a regulated state. For example, those who chew their pens or gum during a class or a meeting are using that activity to remain attentive because they are bored and need an external stimuli to keep them going. Also, a lot of people mindlessly seek out food or snacks when they’re bored . Chewing (or oral stimulation) is very much a normal daily occurrence that everyone engages in to some degree.

Other reasons that your child may be chewing are teething for younger children and pica (the eating of non-food items). If you suspect pica, please consult your doctor immediately.

Next time, we’ll explore ways to provide oral sensory input in a variety of ways.

The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.

Change "Don't Chew That" to "Chew this" with Munchables Chewelry.

Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.

By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.

Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L

Talking to your child can sometimes answer many of the questions surrounding their chewing habit. In addition to creating a non-judgmental dialogue, observe your child. Do they chew only while doing homework? Primarily in the evening? Usually on hard objects? Knowing the answer to these questions can help understand the behavior and inform your conversation with a specialist, if needed.

Want to provide your child with oral sensory input in a variety of ways? You can try

• Blowing bubbles,
• Drinking through a straw,
• Eating crunchy snacks,
• Brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush,
• Humming & singing,
• Chewing gum
• And of course, using Munchables chewable jewelry.

The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.

Change "Don't Chew That" to "Chew this" with Munchables Chewelry.

Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.

Occupational Therapist Katie Yoon uses her coil bracelets 3 ways:

1. Keeps her focused during long Zoom meetings,

2. Ties her hair back during therapy sessions, and

3. Offers it to students for exploration during therapy.

Munchables will be discontinuing the sale of all teething necklaces, pacifiers and teething mitts effective December 31, 2020. I have decided to make this move so that I can focus exclusively on my passion - sensory chews.

Please visit https://www.munchables.ca/collections/babies for deeply discounted pacifier clips ($5.99), teething necklaces (from $9.99) and teething mitts ($5.99). Very limited quantities.

Free shipping. 

Baby Munchables are only available for shipment within Canada.