My Son Sucks on His Shirt

My son did the same thing and it drove me crazy too. Nothing worked until he was ready...he finally stopped when he was 5!

I've had a couple of mine do this. I just constantly reminded them to stop and eventually they did outgrow this habit. Stay consistent and he'll stop. Good luck!

My son who is now 28 did this almost continually until he was in his early to mid teens. I hated it. He would chew holes in his shirts. He ruined every shirt he put on. There was literally nothing I could do. It was an oral fixation. It was just one manifestation of his oral fixation. He also had texture aversions with some foods. He chewed his nails (still does) and literally every thing went in his mouth. I once had to call poison control when he was 12 because he chewed on a tube of superglue and it busted open in his mouth. He still chews on weird things. Not just the normal pens and pencils that most adults chew on - but things like remote controls, DVD packages, his wallet, his phone, the knees of his pants, his pillow, glasses etc. I realize that he is on the extreme end of it. When he was around 10ish, and I complained to his psychologist about it, the Dr told me to pick my battles and this one wasn't a battle worth fighting. So I quit fighting it.

I wish I could help you. If I had it to do over, I would ask my doctor about ways to teach him to deal with it.

Oh my, my son just went through this gross habit, I hated it!!!! I just told him to stop every time I saw him do it. He was actually stretching his shirts out and putting little holes in them. I told him we pay for the shirts and I don't give them to him to destroy and that people have to wear clothing. He finally stopped, ugh, that was one habit I just had to nip in the bud. Good luck!!

My Daughter and one of her friends did this off and on from preschool to Kindergarten her friend 1st grade. It is so gross! It was hard when she was in Kindergarten because I wasn't there to stop her. She ruined a favorite shirt as it stretched it out beyond returning to it's original shape which helped get her to stop. Distraction helped. But I think she just sort of out grew it.

Mine, too.

It comes and goes. 3... it was pretty much all darn year off and on.

It's resurfaced a few times. Typically when he's stressed out/ sensory seeking. Like this year (tons of health issues/stress) it's just popped back up in the past month or so.

Each time it crops up, it 'goes away' faster, and comes on less strong. The last time (a couple years ago) it lasted for about a month. Every day 10 million times a day for a week. A few times a day for another week. Every few days for a third week. Maybe once the fourth week. Gone after that. The time before that it was a 3 month thing, where it was almost constant for a month. Slowed down on month 2, and intermittent on month 3.

This go round, he's doing it once a day instead of a gazillion times, and he's already skipping days, and it's only been a week and a half.

I just keep reminding him. Plus, he doesn't like the smell (because it goes sour in half a day after only sucking on his shirt once).

My MIl said my husband did it. My 6yo is a shirt sucker on and off. He did it as a toddler and sometimes I catch him and have to tell him to stop. Probably just a phase.

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H. you have had a lot of responses already and I feel like Robyn and I could be sisters. My son is now 11 and still puts innapropriate things in his mouth. He has an oral fixation too. As I see it it can go 1 of 2 ways. #1 - it is just a gross phase and he will grow out of it. Or #2 - it will be a psychological issue that will need therapy.

Have you tried putting something like a "dickie" over the top of his shirt and see if he will use that instead of the actual shirt? Try spraying white vinegar on it and see it if deters him, if it does then maybe you can stop him. If he finds something else to soothe himself with then he is determined to continue.
Good Luck
M. F

Mine did this for a short time. I asked him why he did it. He said because he liked it. I didn't really try to stop him. He stopped as suddenly as he started. Perhaps if you can figure out why he's doing it, you might be able to re-direct it?

I agree with Patricia that re-directing him could help. Do it the instant you spot him sucking; give him something to do with his hands like banging pots with spoons or whatever will really distract him from it.

It could be either a self-comforting mechanism that he does almost unconsciously, like other kids suck their thumbs or twirl their hair, or it could be an action he does when he's bored, or it could be an action he does when his mind is elsewhere -- such as when he's watching TV, or looking at a book, etc.

Think about when he does it: Is he mostly doing it when he's not really engaged with anything? Then it could be out of boredom. Or does he also do it when engaged in something, as if the sucking helps him concentrate? Then it might be his unconscious way of focusing. Some people, even adults, chew their lip, or bite their nails, or chew a pencil eraser, when concentrating hard.

My friend's son (now 10) needs to chew sometimes to help him focus and actually has permission to use special "chewies" in school when he needs them. An occupational therapist provides these.

I'm not saying at all that that's where your son is heading but it's worth keeping in mind if he continues and can't be distracted from it. If that's the case in a while, you could ask your pediatrician if this is something to discuss with the ped. or with an OT.

The chewing in itself isn't really harmful (though yes, adults do find it sloppy and damp!), but you do want to see whether it's just a three-year-old habit that will stop, or an action he is needing for comfort or concentration. But for now, just go with big distraction and if you're consistent with distracting him, that might take care of it.

I was going to say that it's a sensory processing issue and I see others here who have made the same assessment. My friend's son has this so I have heard a lot about it.

If it makes you feel better, this quite common. My kids never did it, But I substitute teach and I've seen this quite a few times over the years. The only thing I could do was remind the students to not suck on their shirts. he will grow out of it.

He is looking for more proprioceptive input to his central nervous system. This is a sign of Sensory Processing Disorder and goes way beyond sucking on a shirt. Take him to a SIPT certified OT and have him evaluated. All processing starts with the vestibular system. When that is out of whack, everything is out of whack. If a child is born C-section, breach, emergency, premature, trauma, ear infections, congestion, allergies, little movement in the womb or afterwards in life, multiples, medications like antibiotics, emotions passed from mother to child, and many other reasons why. Please take him to a professional because he will not grow out of it, he will grow into it.

I talked to the school nurse yesterday about this! My boy has done a mild version of this off and on for a few years. His dad said that he did it when he was young too. We haven't seen it in a while, but this is his 1st week of school, so it doesn't suprise me that he would pull this coping mechanism out of the closet. His dad grew out of it and he's mostly grown out of it. We stop him everytime he does it and sometimes give him something else to chew, like beef jerky. I've seen him reach for his shirt and stop himself, so, I know it's working. He doesn't have a sensory disorder. It's just soothing for him in a stressful situation. The school nurse said it's very common in boys up to age 6 and nothing to worry about unless it causes other problems or continues past age 6.

My son has done this off and on for a long time, he is back on his in phase and it drives me nuts because it stretches out the neckline of his shirts!!! I notice he does it when he is bored or nervous. He will grow back out of it again. I don't believe he needs to see a specialist though everyone has a comfort thing.

Yes, my son did this at that age, too. He also chewed on the corner of his blanket to shreds and on my couch (which was never allowed). I also have a cousin with twins and just the boy twin would chew on the long sleeve of the shirt he wore. I finally decided to ignore it and one day it just stopped. I like your idea of taking the shirt off if you are home. We often take his shirt off at mealtime at home to avoid stains. I think half their motivation to continue is the attention we give it. Try reverse psychology and compliment a stuffed animal with a shirt. Tell your son, "I really like the way (toy's name here) has a dry shirt and he doesn't chew on it."

My almost-10yo does that when he's reading, & actually bit a hole through the other day (he doesn't do this as a consistent/constant thing, but maybe if a book is very exciting). At least the shirt was more of a play shirt & not a good one, but still. I don't know how to get him to stop - it's a very unconscious thing. If we point it out, he will stop, but may do it again not even realizing he's doing it -

My 5 year old used to do that. He did it for maybe a year on and off when he was 3 or 4 and then he stopped.