to ask how to stop my child from chewing stuff?

[TheHumanMothboy]

DS is 12. His equipment for school looks atrocious- he chews his ruler, his pencils, protractor, glue stick (not the glue thank goodness, the base), his pens, even chewing through two steel fountain pens this academic year

I don't know how to stop him, he says he can't stop. Bit I am so worried about his teeth and jaw, and damn sick of needing to replace equipment (I send him with chewed stuff, but pens stop working when the end is bitten off, and he makes his pencils disintegrate!)

Suggestions please!

You already had some great advice.

I really bad and told DS other kids pick their nose and scratch their bums so that stopped chewing on pencils etc.

Lucky he only chews his toes nails grim Unlike fingernails as he chews skins around nail also, which at one point few got infected ended up hard layer of nails failing off.

31 year old chewer here. Been told it probably links to insecurity. I did chew less stuff naturally as I got older and a bit more confident but I do still do it if I'm worried. I chewed my ex's passport once. Thought it was fine; it felt so satisfying!

Also because it's a go to habit I do sometimes just do it out of boredom.

Omg thought it was MINE! My passport! Wouldn't chew someone else's on purpose.