Chewtoys for adults - do they exist?

[SuZir]

Is it really possible that in our world of excess there is a product that doesn't exist?

My adult son would need a chew toy and I couldn't resist looking for options. And almost nothing came up. Can it really be, that all chew toys around there are either for babies or younger school kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (veeeery bright colours mostly)? There were some jewellery for moms to wear for their teething babies and maybe something like that could be okay. Unfortunately at least one is so well advertised that many would recognize a brand and wonder why childless young man would wear it.

While looking I noticed chew toys you can put to your pen or pencil. Cool, I would need one and I'm sure so would many others. I know I'm not the only one whose pencils tend to look like this or worse:
http://cdn2.holytaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Chewed-Pencil-195x300.jpg
And i can assure you that splinter in your tongue is no funny business!
But also those tended to be in awfully bright colours. I know tons of people, who bite their nails, fingers, clothing, pens, lips or are compulsive gum chewers. Many of us are adults and still chewing this or that. How come no one is wanting our money and making us age appropriate chew toys?

I'm greatly disappointed in market economy! :2dissapointed:

 

[Hound dog]

Sunflower seeds.

No joke. They're yummy, and they do ooooooohhhhhhh so good for the chewing thing. Did it for years. They helped me break the nail biting habit. Of course then I had to break the sunflower seed habit. LOL

Will say though that breaking the sunflower seed habit was far easier than the nail biting one.

 

[Star*]

I think I would want to know WHY he's got so much anxiety and talk it out with a therapist rather than get him a pacifier. Get the the root of the problem and STOP the behavior all together. Just my 02 cents. It may be a behavior he's not even aware that he has or it stems from a deeper anxiety that is bothering him on other levels that manifests itself outwardly in the form of pencil chewing. I think I'd start with a therapist.....it may be that they could do some other exercises that when he finds himself starting to gnaw on a pencil he could have a hand held exercciser like one of those rubber balls - and use that before he destroys his teeth.

 

[keista]

http://www.amazon.com/CHEW-STIXX-PE...IDYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339250621&sr=8-1

These are yellow - just look like a big eraser. there's also gum, pen caps and straws. I've seen many adults constantly chew on toothpicks.

Then there are my two favorites cigarettes and food! I've kicked the butts, but replaced them with food and packed on more weight.

 

[SuZir]

Star: it was me who is specialised on destroying pencils. My son does it too, but he mostly bites his lip.

Mine is mostly habit, I think. Some is probably sensory stuff also with me, some just habit I have taken to help me concentrate. I usually don't even notice, when the pencil ends up to my mouth. I'm slightly neurotic but mostly it is not really a anxiety thing for me.

For difficult child it is sensory and anxiety thing. Neither is likely quickly solved and chew toy would be for him to help to soothe himself in the situations there several factors come together and cause him anxiety. I also think that chewing for him could also be same it is for me, helping in staying focused.

 

[DammitJanet]

Im trying to think of what could be a chew toy but not be so noticeable. Dont they make a fairly thick leather strap that could be tied into a "necklace" sort of thing he could wear with maybe a set of dog tags or something and then he could chomp on the leather piece as needed. You can get dog tags with favorite bands or sports teams or even bottle caps to put on strings. Or it could be a really thick piece of rope. He would probably have to be replaced often I would imagine.

 

[DammitJanet]

Actually after reading another post I saw something about chewelry and went to amazon and saw some of those things and wondered if you couldnt make something work from there. I saw a lanyard and also one of those things that you can attach to a belt or belt loop and it retracks. You could stick something he could chew on the end of that. I liked some of those hard plastic discs or the ones that looked like key chains. Of course he could get one that looked like a bendy animal and say he got it at a fair or something and just chew the heck out of it.

 

[SuZir]

I have had few days time to think this and I have noticed that surprisingly high portion of adults chew something. Pens and pencils, fingers, nails, lips, hair, toothpicks, straws, wristbands, arms of spectacles, water bottle caps, lollipop or ice cream sticks and many, many other things. So someone really should sell us chewers something nicer!

For difficult child I think anything he could keep with him and that he could then 'absent-mindedly' put to his mouth would be just fine. No one would likely think it twice. Something to keep in neck would be ideal but why not for example some kind of mobile phone jewellery or key chain to put to his memory stick or something. Or of course it could be something cutesy and he could blame his girlfriend and say she gave it to him for good luck and demanded him to keep it with him. Old blame wife/girlfriend trick would work just fine in this. And i'm sure his girlfriend would back him up if needed.

by the way. if someone is wondering why on earth I'm putting this much thought and energy my adult, fully capable son's chew toy issues and fussing about that, it is because I need that right now. He has awfully lot on his plate right now and to succeed he has to work very hard and be very mature with everything. And still it will hurt him. He also disclosed me something that distresses me greatly and is very hurtful for him. And there is no darn thing I can do to make it easier for him or help him or comfort him. While he is my baby and always will be, he indeed is no baby any more and this is something only he can work through. Only thing I can help him with is to find that darn chew toy. And it is very little.

 

[Tiapet]

Oh my wow! Thank you for this thread! I have an orally fixated difficult child and through this thread it also springboarded the anxiety ideas for the other difficult child and ideas we've been searching for for sensory issues to be met in school. This has been a god send! Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[DammitJanet]

hey....I have a baby boy too and I worry over him all the time. They will always be our babies. That is why I was trying to figure out something to help you so badly. Yeah maybe something to hold a pair of eye glasses even if he doesnt wear them...he could now wear sunglasses...but I really think a thick longish leather necklace with one of those hard rubber rings on them would be the best thing. If he got one that was in a girly color he could say it was from the girlfriend. If he got it in a dark color, he could say he thought it was a cool thing he found at some young teen store.

 

[Star*]

If your heart is set on an adult fixated chew toy then I think a dentist or an oral surgeon would be a good place to start. THEY would probably see the most damage done to teeth by angst v chewing and have solutions that they themselves have probably talked to psychologists and psychiatrists about so that teeth were NOT damaged further.

I still believe that speaking with a therapist that could stop the anxiety or minimize it would be better - than a hand/mouth oral fixation. It's a habit. It's a bad habit. I'm not saying it's not recognizable.....but I think about thinking outside the box. You have a child in say 9th grade - middle school and you give him a "chew toy" to take to school where other kids are ALL THE RAGE on watching him/her. NOW do NOT misunderstand me that I don't get what you are saying about trying to help him/her. BUT do get what I am saying that you've just armed your teenager or preteen or tween with a pacifier in school. (Star also notes she was a pencil beaver - but Star also adds she had anxieties in school that she didn't deal with until she was MUCH older that manifested themselves in the form of VERY.BAD.CHOICES. AS.AN.ADULT) and it ended up in therapy ANYWAY. Mk? Sooo you give your kid a gumby or a KONG pencil eraser to chew on. CAN YOU IMAGINE the fallout of ONE kid making fun of your kid - GNAWING on something in class? IMMEASURABLE. MORE anxiety and my thoughts from here are - THERE isn't a chew toy big enough to quell THE anxiety just caused.

So Im back to - GET to the root of the problem and to oral fixation / root of the anxiety BEFORE it changes the mapping in the brain, the way your child makes decisions - becuase a brain that makes decisions while it's anxiety ridden is NOT making decisions that it would make under clear and conscious thinking....or better choices.

Just my .03 cents....(cuz I added .01)

And I'm all for ridding all people of anxiety - but how about some feedback tapes - or relaxation techniques, or a massage......or some fun time or hard sport to blow off steam or a nice walk with you just talking - or going out with a ball bat and beating the ground? Finding out how to find peace in your life? Yoga, Swimming? Learning how to breathe properly - Do you even KNOW how to calm yourself whenyou fell upset? Do you care to find out - or teach your children to recognize their triggers? Stress is a killer. Anxiety is a precursor. ........Nice bubble bath with a cold drink and soft lights and then a story read to your son - something to look forward to - and when he goes to school? Lessons on how to deal with stress.....a mentor - someone the school provides free of charge he can tap out - and go for a walk to calm down....then resume studies.

LOADS of other things ---------just saying alternative things......that teach him how to deal with anxiety for life instead of buying a box of #2's and supporting staples until hes 50. (hey don't hate the messenger - she loves you and your kid) ......

 

[SuZir]

LOADS of other things ---------just saying alternative things......that teach him how to deal with anxiety for life instead of buying a box of #2's and supporting staples until hes 50. (hey don't hate the messenger - she loves you and your kid) ......

I do hear you and you certainly have a point. Though his teeth are fine, it's his lip that has it hard. But if you have time and want to hear whole story, read my thread in Parent Emeritus about the situation (it is long post I'm sorry to say, here is a link http://www.conductdisorders.com/for...ducation-program-meeting-good-bad-ugly-48960/). Having a chew toy (and other sensory things) to help him calm down alongside the relaxation techniques is an idea of the psychologist difficult child's team hired to help him with his problems. In this case his tendency to lash out to his team mates in the bus, when overstimulated and feeling threatened and being unable to flight from the situation. Part of his recommendation is also to seek therapy for his PTSD type symptoms, but I'm not sure if difficult child thinks this is a time and place for that. And it is of course up to him.

 

[buddy]

http://www.specialistid.com/Plastic_Wrist_Coil_ID_Badge_Holder_s/269.htm

This is Q's current favorite (not the exact one but you get the idea....his is longer though....can go on as a necklace...he even stretched it around his waist (clearly your difficult child would not do that, lol...he also puts it on as a head band)...it is softer on his teeth and not as obvious looking as the surgical tubing that is often used. But, the surgical tubing is not as "toxic" I suppose and comes in different strengths so biting hard can be done without breaking the tube or teeth. The tubing can be cut into bead like lengths and put on a leather string so it looks more like jewelry. If it is on his wrist he can make it look like a habit (like hair or pencil chewing) where he puts his arm up and just bites on it, Q likes his neck then he can just put it in his mouth and his hands are free, lol...but he is not quite as aware of what people would think.

http://www.nationalautismresources.com/cheweze.html

above are the clear plastic tubs you can put on pencils, but again,could put them on a leather strap and they dont look like baby teethers.

http://www.nationalautismresources.com/smart-mom-teething-bling-pendant.html

This is a pretty gender neutral necklace made from non toxic materials specifically for older kids chewing.....as with any of them if they are super aggressive biters it may not work.


HEY found non toxic chewables like Q uses, they also have a few other ideas, not sure for a boy at your son's level for some though...http://www.got-autism.com/ADD-ADHD/Oral-Sensory-Chew-Tools/cHu-buDDy-Chewable-Bracelet.html

necklace size: http://www.got-autism.com/ADD-ADHD/Oral-Sensory-Chew-Tools/cHu-buDDy-Chewable-Bracelet.html

http://www.autismshop.com/chewables-sensory-items/chewnoodle-blue-bumpy.html key chain chewie...looks just like a stick same one maybe stronger??? http://www.got-autism.com/Oral-Motor/Super-Chewnoodle.html


Once you know what you want to try can look at cheaper sites like amazon etc. but none would break the bank anyway.

 

[DammitJanet]

Star...this kids group of people around him are mostly accepting of him anyway. Or they are being taught to be.

 

[SuZir]

Buddy: Thank you! Those were good links. At least I found a chew toy to my own pencil and some will likely work for difficult child too. In the end it just has to be something not sticking to an eye too much when he is not chewing it and still easy to keep with him.