Toddler Holds Food in his Mouth
I have no idea why my 2 year old son is doing this, but he is holding food in his mouth for an incredibly long time. He does this nearly every meal. Whatever his last bite is – he simply holds it in his mouth until it liquifies. He has done this for up to an hour each time. He will not spit it out when asked. I’ve also tried to “pry” his mouth open but he refuses. Often times when he finally gets tired of it, he will either spit it out or finally swallow it (which must be oh-so disgusting). I’ve even tried bribing him with something he NEVER turns down (juice) and he would not take a sip.
I’ve searched around and it seems that other parents have experienced this with their toddlers, and there have been different theories as to what the child was trying to accomplish. Some Moms thought the child did it because they didn’t like what they were eating. This makes sense to me – although my child does it regardless of of what he’s eating. It could be green beans or chocolate, he will still hold it. Other Moms have stated their child is looking for attention. This also makes sense to me, but I know that isn’t the case for me. My son certainly has his moments when he’s looking for attention, but I can tell that is not his intention.
I think the best advice I’ve heard is that this is just a phase and he’ll outgrow it. I’m sure he will, and as frustrating as it is the meantime – I’ll do my best to just pretend that it doesn’t bother me. Perhaps if I don’t make an issue of it, he’ll stop doing it. Let’s hope.
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None of my own kids did this, but a little girl I used to nanny did. The worst was when she would do it with milk. She would hold it so long it would curdle. I started always making her sit at the table to eat and never letting her leave until her mouth was empty. There were three other kids and I’d send them to do something fun like run in the sprinkler or paint and she’d be stuck sitting there. It only took once or twice until she quit.