While adults and babies are the same species, it can sometimes be hard to remember that once upon a time we adults were babies and we likely put our fingers in someone’s mouth.
This article looks into why this may be happening with your baby
Why does my baby put his fingers in my mouth?
Babies may seem to do things willy-nilly, but they have reasons as to why they do certain things, and here is why your baby puts their fingers in your mouth:
Curiosity:
The world is vast and new for babies, and they will use every tool at their disposal to explore the world, and sometimes the only thing at the baby’s disposal is their hands
Your baby will explore you and will explore the inside of your mouth simply because they are curious and because they can.
Feeling the different textures and sensations in your mouth is what the baby is interested in, a baby who does this is in the oral stage where they explore their environment by putting things in their mouth or your mouth.
What to do:
This behavior is quite normal and isn’t something to worry about. As long as the baby’s hands are relatively clean when they do this, you and your baby will be fine.
As long as the baby removes theie hands from your mouth in good time then you will be fine. Remove the hands after a short time if the baby doesn’t remove their hands themselves.
If you don’t want your baby doing this then you can remove the hands from your mouth and say “no, dirty” in a gentle way to get the baby to stop, be calm and patient when doing this.
Mimicking:
If you put your hand in your mouth from time to time, or if you eat with your hands, the baby may mimic you and will want to put their hands in your mouth as a way of mimicking you.
What to do:
This is also normal behavior and isn’t something that you’d need to worry about.
If you want your baby to stop doing this then stop eating with your hands in front of the baby and keep your hands away from your mouth when around the baby
It’s fun for the baby:
If your baby puts their hands in your mouth, and you fake bite them, then the baby will be amused and will keep doing it to get you to continue fake biting them
It’s also fun for the baby as they get your undivided attention when they do this, this is very enticing for the baby
What to do:
This is a fun bonding moment for the two of you, keep this up and it will help to build a bond with your baby.
If you don’t want your baby to do this, redirect their behavior to something else like talking to them or giving them other toys to play with to keep their hands busy.
If you enjoyed this article you may be interested in other child related articles: Why Does My Child Like Spinning Objects?, Why Does My Child Run Everywhere?, Why Does My Child Refer To Himself In Third Person, Why Does My Child Talk So Loud, Why Does My Child Yell When He Talks, 7-Year-Old Fake Crying, Will My Baby Think The Nanny Is Her Mom, Baby Cries All Day With Nanny, Baby Grunting While Eating Solids,
