EEEKS!!!Andrew is eating the crib and the paint! Need suggestions!

[kathsmom]

Hi, everyone!

I put Andrew in the crib earlier this morning while I went to the bathroom. He was happily playing with his toys in the crib, so I did a couple of things around the house. When he started fussing, I went to get him out and noticed white stuff around his mouth. At first, I thought it was spit-up, but upon closer inspection it turned out to be white paint from the crib!

I saw that he had chewed a piece of paint off to the bare wood and that the wood looked kind of fibrous-y from where he had chewed it. This is on one of the ends of the crib where it arches. Perfect height for him to gnaw on when he stands in his crib.

This crib is 7 years old (bought it new for DD). It is a cheaper crib - it is a Delta Luv and was about $150.00.

Should I be worried about the paint he might have ingested? It wasn't too much and he doesn't seem to be showing any signs of distress. Should I get another crib? I have some friends who might loan one to me (Amy - gravymommy- I'm thinking of you!).

Gotta run get Katherine at school! Any suggestions would be helpful!

TIA! Take care!

[flagger]

I wouldn't be worried at all for a seven year old crib. He will injest far more yucky stuff and live to tell the tale.

You can tell him about it when he brings his first girlfriend home to meet Mom and Dad. Be sure to take pictures.

[KimberleyDawn]

I agree with Flagger don't worry about the paint. I thought my 1st son was the only little hamster around! Eventually he chewed it so much that I bought a new crib because I didn't want people to see it!!!!
Kim

[kathsmom]

Flagger and Kim,

Thank you for your replies. It was just so disconcerting to see that white paint around his mouth! I inspected the crib after it had "dried out" from his spit and my only concern now is that he might get splinters from it.

I tell you, this child chews on more stuff than the puppy we had at one time! His particular chewing fetish is shoes. He took a chunk out of my cheap rubber flip flops and he especially loves to chew on Katherine's leather tennis shoes. I wonder if I should just get him a rawhide bone!LOL!

Thanks again, and it's nice to know that my child isn't the only "hamster" out there either!!

Take care!

[flagger]

This is the old school part of me talking. If he gets splinters once or twice then he would probably stop doing something that hurts him. I think his mind might process "Doing this causes my mouth to hurt something fierce, I think I might do something else."

There is a non-toxic spray called "Bitter Apple" that we use on wood and shoes to keep the dogs from chewing. Don't know if it is safe for kiddos though.

[gravymommy3]

Hey Toni,

I would not worry about the paint. I am fairly certain that anything manufactured in the last 10 or so years (if not longer) is NOT lead-based. And I have to agree with Flagger that if Andrew gets a splinter, he will most likely stop chewing. Course, the crib is gonna look like hell! I wonder if you put a little tobasco sauce on it, if that will deter him? Or will that make it seem more like an appitizer to him?? I don't think getting another crib will do any good - if you go with a non-painted wood crib, he will still be chewing on varnish and wood.

I don't think you saw it last time, but Hayden has chewed on the corners of the walls, through the sheetrock and mud and paint, down the metal corner bead. It looks like I have a a very large rodent living in my house. I freaked about it a first, but honestly, how was I going to stop her and if it didn't bother her, then bon apetit!!! Little monster!

[Tondi G]

You might consider getting a small sander and sanding it down smooth.... I kept thinking about bitter apple too...LOL... we've used it on our dogs/pups and it always does the trick... the tabasco might be an option but I'd be sure to put a cup of water in the crib incase he needs it...LOL

Good Luck
~Tondi, Mason(2) and #2 due 6/04

[emmasmama]

What about one of those plastic guards that fits over the rails? I'm not sure what part of the crib he's chewing on, but I know you can buy those to go over the main rails, not sure about the ones on either end.

HTH,

[kathsmom]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I might try the tobasco, but if he's anything like me, he will find a way around it! (I sucked my thumb when I was little and they put tobasco on my favorite thumb - the right one. I just switched to my left one until they stopped putting stuff on the right one!). I think that I will get DH to sand down the area that he has chewed up.

I wish that he was chewing on the top of the side rails, because there are teething rails there, but he is chewing on the end part of crib. He is chewing on the part that faces him near the arch, so there is no way that I can cover it.

I guess he will just have to learn his lesson on this one! Amy, next time I come over, you have got to show me where Hayden chewed up your wall! I never noticed it last time!

Take care everyone and thank you again!

[gravymommy3]

Oh, it is in two different places - looks like we have a beaver! I had a pacy until I was four and my mom put tobasco sauce in it to make me give it up. My dad loves to tell about how I figured out how to hold my head just so to avoid the tobasco. Determined little varmit!!! Still am.