5 year old DS putting kippah in mouth

amother

cornflower

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 9:26 pm

Mine does it too, it’s an anxiety thing for him. I buy new ones often and I don’t really talk much about it.
You can get him a chewy toy if you think that will help.

amother

Forestgreen

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 9:41 pm

My three year old did. I struck a deal with him - only weekday yarmulkas so at least on Shabbos his yarmulka looked nice.

He grew out of it eventually

amother

Saddlebrown

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 10:07 pm

My kids would chew on their shirt and yarmulka. I was advised by an OT to give them hard pretzels or the like, to give them that sensory input they were seeking.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Sep 20 2020, 11:48 pm

First of all, this is SO common! It's as common as biting fingernails, or constantly fiddling with tzitzit.

When I was that age I had pony tails, and I couldn't stop chewing on the ends. It drove my mom so crazy that she chopped my hair short (which I hated). It just made me start biting my nails, and it took me years and years to stop. I also chewed my lips a lot until they bled.

Pick the lesser battle! An approved chewie of a similar texture would be a great thing to try. You may need to try several before you find a substitute that will be acceptable to him.

If his school lets, just have him have a "head kippa" and a "chewie kippa", and that will be the end of it. Let him grow out of it on his own. I doubt he'll walk to the chuppah with a kippa in his mouth. Wink

Most importantly, remember that this isn't just "an annoying habit". It's a self soothing mechanism, and he obviously needs to sooth. Kindergarten age is a pretty big change from pre-school, so let him have his transitional security object.