DS not swallowing his saliva!

[onlygirl]

It's been happening for a week or so. He just lets his mouth fill up. If you tell him to swallow it he does so it's not because he can't or because he has a sore throat. He will even try to talk with his moth full of it so he ends up making a mess rather then swallow it. He is almost 8 BTW. should I go to GP or is it something a Health Visitor could help with?

mouth full

If there's no physical reason for storing up a mouthful of saliva it could just be a disgusting habit (like nose-picking or spitting etc.) that you need to scotch with a stern telling off.

Hi

I only just saw this. But I wanted to add, my dd (nearly 7) went through a longish phase of doing this, tickings off had no effect at all with her, but after ignoring it for a while it subsided for a time and then came back (briefly, thank God) a few weeks ago.

It seems to be one of the range of tics she has when she gets a bit stressed out over something.

Not sure what the answer is, we never got to the bottom of it, but hopefully it will be transient.

It does sound like a behavioural thing if he was dealing with the saliva without any problems before.

I would sit down with him and have a chat about it.

Point out how it's going to make him uncomfortable by having a wet chin constantly and ask him what he thinks his friends will say if they see him dribbling.

Perhaps a sticker chart to get him to stay dry or swallow before he speaks - whatever you think would be an achievale aim. Ds (8) is very motivated by match attax cards at the moment, so they are used as a bribe for him currently

I would also make sure he is drinking lots as this will help him swallow the saliva too as he sips water.

You could also give him some sports sweat bands to wear on his wrists if you think this might help.

I did this when i was about 7/8.
From what i can remember i had got it into my head that my saliva was somehow poisonus. Not that i was making poison more that it was contaminated. Maybe he has some idea like that in his head?
Even then i knew that this was a silly thing to think so i wouldn't tell anyone why i wouldn't swallow it.
I remember my parents treating it with humour and not making a big deal of it which helped. I remember a teacher giving me a row and this just made me embarrased but didn't change anything.
After a month or two i gradually stopped on my own accord.
I have grown up to be a perfectly normal person so god knows what it was all about!

thanks all.