Eating With Mouth Open...

[My4SunshineGirlsNY]

Does this bother anyone else? It has ALWAYS been my pet peeve for as long as I can remember, I think I am obsessive over it. I have always taught my 4 girls to eat with their mouth closed and have never had an issue with them.

My 7 year old daycare boy eats with his mouth open, very fast, and I can hear his food smacking. I have reminded him over and over and over to eat with his mouth closed and he STILL does it. It makes me want to leave the room every time he eats because I'm obsessive over proper eating habbits.

I don't want to scold him, it's obviously how he is used to eating, but how many times can I say "eat with your mouth closed please". Does this bother anyone else???

[bunnyslippers]

It drives me batty!!!! I can't STAND it, and I know some families allow it. When I have tried to teach kids about it, some of them look at me like I am a nutcase. I try to give gentle reminders, but inside I am screaming!!! I hate eating noises!!!!!!

[nannyde]

The best way to cure this is to chop his food into pencil eraser size pieces and spread them over a full plate a bit at a time. Require him to use a spoon and one piece at a time.

He needs to learn to SLOW DOWN and pay attention to each bite. You set him up to HAVE to pay attention to each piece by making them small... making them hard to get to..... making them one at a time. Don't be in a hurry to refill his plate. He needs TIME in between each "serving" you give him.

Practice eating SMALL pieces one at a time with mouth closed. As soon as he gets that then increase the size of the pieces... then increase the amount he has at one time before you refill.

It takes a few weeks but when he has the choice to laborously eat one little piece at a time or regular bites with his mouth closed he will choose to take normal sized bites with his mouth closed.

[SilverSabre25]

Can't stand it *at all*. I have two kids that are really bad about it. I ask them to chew with their lips together and one closes her mouth, stops chewing and starts swallowing her food whole; the other tries but forgets quickly. They are SO LOUD I can hear them from the next room!

[SilverSabre25]

The best way to cure this is to chop his food into pencil eraser size pieces and spread them over a full plate a bit at a time. Require him to use a spoon and one piece at a time.

He needs to learn to SLOW DOWN and pay attention to each bite. You set him up to HAVE to pay attention to each piece by making them small... making them hard to get to..... making them one at a time. Don't be in a hurry to refill his plate. He needs TIME in between each "serving" you give him.

Practice eating SMALL pieces one at a time with mouth closed. As soon as he gets that then increase the size of the pieces... then increase the amount he has at one time before you refill.

It takes a few weeks but when he has the choice to laborously eat one little piece at a time or regular bites with his mouth closed he will choose to take normal sized bites with his mouth closed.

Unfortunately I can't get this tactic to work with my one dcg. She just eats loudly and smacks with every infinitesimal bite that she takes. She also takes 30-45 minutes to eat lunch/snack if left to her own devices...eating loudly with every single bite. If I cut stuff into tiny bits she will eat the tiny bits in about three bites. Ever read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? She reminds me of a child from one of those stories.

[bunnyslippers]

I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle stories!!

[bice99]

I love Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. Always the first chapter book I would read to my 1st grade class each year. Here - I teach them to hum when they chew. Of course some have a hard time realizing that they can chew without humming, but I'd rather listen to humming than smacking

[sharlan]

#1 pet peeve.

After years and years of sinus issues and surgeries, my 16 yo granddaughter learned to eat with her mouth open.

I agree, small bites, little at a time. Chances are that you won't be able to retrain this child unless his parents work with him at home.