I’ve discovered that my baby is an omnivore.
Omnivore means: “someone or something that eats all kinds of foods indiscriminately.”
My baby puts everything in her mouth. My baby also licks everything. So, yes, my baby is the very definition of omnivore. And, I bet yours is too.
When I say everything, I mean everything. That includes toys, my fingers, phone cases, chair legs, food of any kind, and even bits of plastic torn out of her play mat. That last one freaked us out when we caught her putting it in her mouth. The mat’s thin plastic keeps coming loose, and she likes to pick at it. We’ve taken to cutting away the loose bits to prevent her from eating plastic. Needless to say, that mat won’t be with us much longer…
Baby Putting Everything in His/Her Mouth is Perfectly Normal
The good news is that this behaviour is perfectly normal. It’s called “mouthing,” and is part of how they learn about the world. Our child will touch things to feel their texture, pick them up, and feel them with her fingers. Next, she’ll lick and/or put them in her mouth. This helps the baby learn about the shape and texture as well as the taste.
Toddlers eventually stop mouthing, one their motor skills have improved enough that they can use their fingers to explore things. Most kids will have stopped by age 3.
Should I Do Anything About It?
Obviously, it’s worth keeping an eye out for safety and basic hygiene. Keep everything that’s unsafe out of his/her reach. That means anything that’s sharp, and small objects that she could swallow and choke on. There’s a reason why some toys have a “choking hazard” warning for children under three…
You should also try to regularly clean the toys and floor in her play area. Don’t go overboard, though, because your child’s immune system can handle a bit of grime. You may wish to avoid sharing toys with a child that’s sick, because that could pass the virus/bacteria on to your child/baby.
Beyond that, just relax, and see the funny side.
Food-wise, My Baby Really is an Omnivore
We’ve been blessed with a child that really will eat almost anything. She’ll eat meat, fish, avocado, broccoli, sweet potato, and oranges. She loves blueberries (just like her Dad). She’ll eat almost anything that’s soft enough to eat without teeth.
It took us a few months to finally find something she really doesn’t like: green kiwifruit. I think the kiwifruit we bought were just a bit too sour. There are other things she doesn’t like so much, but she’ll still eat them (most of the time).
She’s Got the Bib
I created the bib below to make fun of babies putting everything in their mouth. It’s funny, cute, and amazingly accurate. My wife and I are grateful to have a little omnivore. Omnivores are way better than picky eaters!
Want one for yourself? Get this bib by clicking here.