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sniffing toddler?
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Yes, sniffing. Not sniffling.
My 2yo sniffs EVERYTHING all.day.long.
This has been going on for a few weeks.
A few months ago,he was licking me and other things.That has stopped.
Could there be something wrong with him?
Sensory issues or something else???It could be sensory or it could be just some wierd annoying habit. Don’t panic! I am glad the licking thing has stopped since I would be more worried about germs. My dd10 who has severe sensory issues does sniff things before she eats them but her main sensory issue is auditory and thankfully she has never been into licking, though I know many kids who are. If the sniffing is interfearing with daily life I would ask your doctor. Is he/she using it to sooth himself? Check out “The Out of Sync Child” from your library which should have a part about smell as a sensory issue and that could help you answer questions you may have. Hopefully it is just a phase but if not, there are lots of ways to manage it and help you all cope.
Not to dismiss your concern of if something is wrong, but could he just be pretending to be a dog? My kids all play “doggie” games, and the youngest ones, 2 and under, usually play by sniffing and licking(and we highly discourage licking:) They do it all day until they are tired of it, but you said a few weeks so maybe it is something more. I also have a daughter who has to smell everything as well, but once she smells it she moves on, is he sniffing the same thing repeatedly?
you know, I tend to be on the laid back side of these things (not to trivialize at all, please don’t take it that way) – but maybe the lighthearted way to look at it is that at that age they are learning so much, they have gained much independence and are able to explore their world much more than they used to. Everything is so new – many things they see, they are seeing for the first time (to them at least it seems this way). I can remember when my boys were 2 and 3 and the seasons would change they were amazed at how their clothes were different (they didn’t remember then from the previous season) – they would feel and feel of the longer clothes or the newly exposed skin. So maybe his sense of smell has “come alive” to him and he wants to sniff all he can sniff to figure out how things are different. Mine still have certain things they love to smell – any time I am cooking they want to sniff all the bowls. So, I wouldn’t necessarily think there is an issue – I would lean towards the “he’s just exploring the new world around him” side of things. But I would be thankful the licking stopped 🙂 Our niece went through a licking stage for a while (she loved pretending she was a dog) – and yes, that can be quite gross!
I agree with mjemom. Children that age are all senses, so to speak. They still like to touch, taste, and smell everything, it seems – or at least my children were that way. My 10 yo dd would constantly eat asian beetles (UGH!) during this stage. The dr. told me what I just wrote above, and said as long as it wasn’t poisonous, it was fine – she was just getting some extra protein.
I know it’s terribly annoying to you, but if your dc knows that this bothers you, it may entice him to continue to do so simply to get a rise from you as well – my nephew is like this. On the other hand, you know your child best. If there are other indicators besides the sniffing, licking, etc that there may be another underlying issue, then you should follow your instincts on this. God has given this child to you, and you know him best.
~jacqleene
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