To take DS to GP for eating headphone cables

[Pardalis]

His headphones used for gaming have been getting ropey looking. Always put it down to the fact he doesn't look after them - dropped on the floor, twisted, chair trapping them. I have always said that if they break due to misuse then I wasn't going to replace.
I noticed tonight how bad they were. Due to the long cord it wasn't always obvious.
Turns out he's eaten them. In places the whole of the black plastic covering has gone. Some of the inner and even the copper. And some weird fibre stuff.
He's said he swallowed it.
I got really upset, told him that he shouldn't eat it and why. He got upset in return and obviously headphones have been taken away.

My first instinct is to book a GP appointment to find out whether eating that has harmed him.

He's fine at the moment. Am I overreacting?

Gaming is one of his pastimes. We are a tech household. I work in IT. I'm sure if I was a musician or artist he would do that as well. Actually he's a better artist than I am.

He's also a mean trampolinist, quite a debater and can cook a good omelette.

Although why I'm responding to this question I don't really know.

I just wondered whether other parents would worry about their child having consumed cable components

My ( now adult ) DS who is disabled and autistic ate and chewed some bizarre stuff
Was a sensory thing. Curtains, books and CD covers. Was very impressive given his physical difficulties. He chewed through a cable on at least one occasion.

Mostly stopped now but still chews on paper sometimes.

My son at that age used to eat huge chucks out of his jumpers / tops. He grew out of it.

BlackeyedSusan

Thank you so much. I have just ordered a pendant and wrist chew thing off amazon.

Hoping it will do the trick. He can chew away safely.

I'm glad I posted. Although I will keep a look out for after effects of copper and weird fibre ingestion!

Lalliella because kids like to game?....

Is it just the cables? Does he eat paper? I used to and grew out of it. not the wire chewing

I might be a bit worried about the copper. Can you see how much is missing?

I've caught my son doing this recently OP, he hasn't got through to the wires yet and has been warned he better stop or he don't have them anymore. That's a lot of rubber he has chewed off of them, but it looks as though it's been over quite a long period of time and if he's been fine so far I wouldnt worry.

I think it's just a nervois/excited/anxious thing they do while playing like people nail biting etc. Doubt there is anything more too it than that

I think if he'd eaten a large amount of the cable in one sitting then you might have cause for concern, but this just looks like a sensory thing in which case finding a substitute is the best option. My dd destroyed wii remote cords (expensively annoying) by grawing at them and my ds chewed all of his collars into shreds. He was also a terrible fiddler and jiggler with some sensory issues. We gave him a variety of fiddle toys, mainly so that he was less distracting to others and he is much physically calmer now. I'd try him with a chewable necklace or something else he can hold and try not to worry too much. One of my relatives had pica and only had issues when she ate quite a large stone that got stuck, everything else just went through her.

Why does a 6 year old have gaming headphones? Why is he gaming at all at the age of 6? Sorry OP but you ought to be getting him to do pastimes that are a bit more healthy than that.

Translation: "allow me to completely ignore the question you've asked and instead ask my own judgemental and entirely pointless questions. Did I mention the judgement? Children should only play with wooden toys, ideally just a stick. Get him a stick. Let him chew on that."

Pardalis, there is a company called Chewigem who make chewable toys/jewellery/fiddle toys from food-grade silicone. DS is a chewer and has lots of them. His favourite is the tyre tread bangle, closely followed by the TV remote and the spiky ball. Before I started buying these for him he would also chew his headphone wires, I spent seventy fucking quid on noise cancelling headphones and he ate the bastard wires. He's also been known to chew through clothes, Lego bricks, books, the iPad cover, his shoes. If it is able to fit in his mouth, he bites it, but the stuff from Chewigem helps put a stop to it by giving him something safe/suitable to chew.

I nibbled on all sorts. Paper (all my childhood books had page corners missing), Hair (I constantly gnawed). Candles (took them out of holders and got stuck into the ends. So Mum didn't notice), sleeves, toys...
I'm 50 now and still orally focused when I'm stressed. These days its popcorn or vaping.
Its just a comfort tool and is a healthy tool AFAIK.

Thank you so much everyone. I'm ordering the whole lot. Ha ha

And it's reassuring to hear that many other kids have eaten the same.

I know I can't be there every second of the day to stop him chewing - but knowing there are safe alternatives is a relief.

Anyone had any success with allowing a chew thing at school? He has had a couple of the injury reports from school that have mentioned nail biting. Would he be allowed a chew thing? Or would that be deemed too distracting?

Also, wireless headphones!

Lalliella that's very ignorant of you to say.

I'm not being judgy about the fact he is gaming but presumably the nature of the post implies he is gaming unsupervised, at 6. Maybe have him doing it in the living room where you can supervise and address such issues?

Agree with others he probably doesnt need an urgent appointment with GP but a routine one may make sense.

I'd start giving him a multi vitamin that includes iron and see if that helps.
If it was just a sensory thing would he not spit out the plastic rather than actually eat it?

Sorry posted to soon.
Honestly some people just do this. It's really not unusual.
Although obviously he needs a safer chew object. Which you're clearly addressing appropriately.

I'd ask GP or pharmacist as bits of copper and unidentified fibre in his stomach would worry me.

School allowed DS to have a wristband chew as it could be worn discretely under his sleeve.

DD ha a chewable necklace at school.

Why does a 6 year old have gaming headphones? Why is he gaming at all at the age of 6? Sorry OP but you ought to be getting him to do pastimes that are a bit more healthy than that.
How stupid.

He's not gaming unsupervised. He's only allowed in the kitchen/diner and not in a bedroom. Focus has been on what he's doing on the laptop - which I thought was most important. Never occurred to me that he was eating his headphone cable!

Anyway. Thanks to you guys, hopefully will all be sorted

He’s 6 and chewing!! On his gaming headset 😂

How this works in our household is anyone need needing to chew like a baby whilst playing FortNite gets Soffiee the Giraffe 😂😱

It's fine, 111 will probably tell you to check his poo to make sure it's being digested.

Lots of non-profit edible stuff can pass through our bodies with no harm.