Reasons Behind Children's Bad Habit of Biting Clothes

Illustration (Jessyka Marques/Pexels)

JAKARTA - As a parent, you probably still remember the baby's oral phase when he puts all the objects he is holding into his mouth. Babies do this when they are teething or to learn about the world around them. But what happens if a school-age child has a habit of sucking on or biting clothes and other clothing?

Although not all, but there are school-age children who have such a habit. The child will bite or suck on the fabric until it has holes or becomes thin. As a parent, you may worry that this behavior will draw criticism from peers or teachers and be associated with certain mental health or developmental problems.

VOI cited Very Well Family, Friday, March 3, let's discuss further the reasons why children bite their clothes and how you can help them stop the habit.

According to Monal Patel, MS, OTR/L, occupational therapist at the Blue Bird Day Program, Chicago explains that oral stimulation plays an important role in child development. From infancy to toddlers, children use the rooting reflex to meet basic needs when hungry and thirsty. As they get older, this seeking reflex is used to calm themselves down.

For information, the search reflex occurs when the baby's cheek is stroked (stroking) or touched on the side of the mouth (usually with the mother's nipple). In response, the baby turns its head toward the object touching it, in an attempt to find something to suck on.

"The deep pressure of biting into clothing can be calming for children as they seek ways to calm themselves," says Patel.

A child who soothes himself in this way chooses to chew on his clothes because he feels accessible. In the world of occupational therapy, this activity is known as proprioceptive input.

Just because it's a natural and ingrained behavior doesn't mean that biting on clothes can be dismissed. Laura Grashow, PsyD, a licensed child clinical psychologist at the Child & Family Institute in Scarsdale, New York, says this behavior is tolerated as long as it doesn't harm her. But if these activities have reached the stage of hindering a child's ability to participate in daily routines or causing safety problems such as damaging clothes to the point of causing a choking hazard, then parental intervention is necessary.

Apart from that, Dr. Grashow also recommends talking to your child if you think these habits are causing problems. The important thing here is not to be judgmental. Your goal is to find out if the child is aware of the behavior and whether or not there is a biting pattern.

Remember, if your child seems to be having trouble controlling his behavior, call the doctor immediately because in some cases, biting clothing can be a sign of an anxiety disorder, ADHD, or a developmental problem.