20 month old chews everything

It must be very frustrating seeing your son chew things that aren’t meant to be eaten, and having to keep everything out of his way. It must also be worrying, because he could swallow something harmful. Could he be cutting a tooth? The last ones often come through as children reach their second birthday.

He almost certainly will grow out of this habit as his speech develops and he becomes less mouth-focused. But in the meantime, can you give him something to chew on as an alternative, such as a rag, teething ring or teddy? You might make it clear that some things are not for chewing while other things are safe to put in his mouth, allowing him to choose one object from two or three each morning. This way you’re not asking him to stop altogether something he seems to have an urge to do.

His habit may have developed into something he now realises he can annoy you with and use to get your attention. Just in case this is the reason, try to ensure you spend as much time as you can together, playing, chatting having fun and ignoring the chewing as much as possible, but giving lots of positive feedback when he’s not. If he’s busy, he’s less likely to get going on the chewing.

If the situation gets worse, not better, you could consult your Health Visitor or GP. However, it’s more likely that, over time, he won’t need to explore objects with his mouth quite so much.