Controlled Dribbling

[Spring]

My 22 month daughter has started a peculiar habit suddenly. She will hold either food (apple, chocolate, not usually meals) or saliva in her mouth for ages, sometimes up to an hour and a half, then dribble it out when she needs to talk or drink. Depending on what is in her mouth it makes a terrible mess!!! I think this is her discovering a 'control' thing and she will stop it as soon as she started. Nothing seems to trigger it, ie attention seeking etc.

Has anyone else experienced this? Nothing will make her spit it out until she is ready to - even tickling!!

I've not heard about this one but you could be right about the control thing. My 18 month old has recently taken to holding in his hand the last sweet he is given. He'll chomp his way quite quickly through the rest but hangs on to the last one like his life depends upon it. Jelly babies become a stick mess and as for smarties! You can't prise it out of his hand and he won't just eat it. Eventually, an hour or so later, he gets bored and just drops it. Very strange.