Drooling Toddler

Shenzhennifer

Registered User
I read that drooling usually subsides by the 1st birthday, as does the interest in mouthing everything...
But my son is now 15 months and he still drools all the time.
It`s getting a bit embarrassing now. Local people ALWAYS comment on it or give me a tissue to wipe it or do it themselves. His shirts get soaked fast, and the saliva makes them smell too:( At his playgroup and playdates he`s drooling all over everything - I can no longer just expect everyone to accept it as typical infant behaviour, because often their kids have stopped doing it and in his public playgroup it`s very anti-social.
I read online some sites that have suggested a control problem with his mouth or lower lip. But although he is not particularly verbose yet (few words but constant babble chatter), I don`t see a problem with his mouth control as he can chew relatively well, uses a straw cup every day, can use a regular cup ok too, and he is always making faces and using his mouth or lips in some way.
So, has anyone else had a drooly toddler? When did it go away and what did you do about it?:confused:

Signed,
WET
 
there is one little boy at my playgroup that is exactly the same. his mummy just laughs it off and changes his bib (that he wears ALL THE TIME) 3-4 times per class. as teacher, i just make sure when he's done playing with something we take it to be washed...

not much you can do about it, except laugh it off as just one of those things...

ps> the boy in my centre is nearing 2 year old now...
 
my 23 month old is drooling like a savage beast as well, has been for the longest time (can't even remember when it started in earnest). we know it's teething - his second molars are not in yet but are fast on the way (our GP has confirmed this upon probing around in his mouth).

i'd bet your little guy is getting his molars as well. at 15 months, he may or may not have his first molars and canines in yet, and most likely does not have his second molars yet.
 
hi there, my 3.5yr old son is STILL drooling!!! started at 4mths and has continued all the way through. I spoke with a speech therapist who said i shouldn't worry until he's 4 but he did recommend some mouth exercises for him to do and they have helped. (he used to wear a rolled up tank top around his neck to catch all the drool - instead of a bib which looked too baby for a 3yr old LOL)

1) blow a tissue 10 times - 2 sets
2) purse lips and make a kissing sound by sucking air in (10 times)
3) press lips together in a smile and make a smacking sound.

the main purpose of the exercises is to strengthen the muscles around the mouth and just help him be more aware of his mouth. my son was also a poor feeder as a baby and could not latch to my breast. He even had a hard time with the bottle, often taking 1hr for each feed. not sure if it's related but since we don't have any speech issues and it's just the drool, we'll just wait until he's 4 i guess. Totally know what you mean about the tissues offered by strangers and comments. I've been told so many times that he's too old to be drooling. sigh. nothing i can do!!!
 
Thanks, fellow wet mothers, nice to know I am not the only one getting soaked over here:)
I`m pretty sure he`s not teething, but if that`s the case he`ll have been teething for the last year straight.
I still also think that his mouth muscles are ok (never a slack feeder, makes mouth faces like mad), but MilkMonster, thanks for your tips and I will still try them, bc he is still young, so who knows (and haha what do I know, really?).
I talked to another mother at his playgroup today and her son is also a drooler. She is less bothered by it. And also she (HK local) has never had other local people say things to her or `help` her son with a tissue. Maybe it`s just us foreigners who are the lucky ones:)
 
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