Where Play Meets Potential
You are probably here because you have a little one struggling with teething. I have some bad news for you. There is no cure for teething.
I know, I wish there was and I wish among this list of hacks there would be something to take all their pain and all your suffering away. The truth is you probably won’t find that here, but you probably will find something that works to relieve their pain at least for a little while. There is not one thing that works for every child. Every child is different and that is why it is good to have lots of ideas up your sleeve to try to best meet the needs of your child.
To be completely honest with you, I feel like somewhat of a fraud as I write this because Ruby has not struggled with teething as much as some other children have. I have heard horror stories of sleepless nights, endless crying, fevers, drooling, clingy babes, biting others, etc.
Ruby (who is currently 13 months with 4 teeth) has had bouts of extra fussiness, clinginess, and even a low-grade fever. We never lost a ton of sleep due to teething, but I have heard that one a lot. I understand how frustrating it can be to not totally understand what is causing the struggle with your child and wanting it to stop in any way possible.
This parenting thing is hard. You are not alone. We will get through this.
I hope that reading through these hacks sparks an idea for you to try. And I really hope that something will work to relieve their pain (or yours), even if it is for just enough time for you to catch your breath.
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Sometimes the most important thing while teething is to distract them from their pain. Adding water is a great way to do that for most children. They are probably needing some relief in their mouth also, so adding the teethers to the water is a perfect combination.
If you would like to see more water play ideas head to my post “50+ Water Play Ideas.”
When children are teething they often put EVERYTHING in their mouth. They are also looking for sensory input. Giving them what they need, lots of sensory play and the ability to mouth things, could be a great relief or just a great distraction. Head to my post “Edible Sensory Play” to see tons of ideas.
Another fun activity we have done that would be great for a teething baby is frozen pom poms.
We love playing with pom poms. They are probably our favorite loose part. They are so versatile and we have used them in many ways. I personally love the extra large size so they are not such a choking hazard for Ruby, who loves to put everything in her mouth.
To freeze I soaked them in water and then placed them in a recycled egg container. I put them in the freezer overnight and when I got them out the next day they were like frozen little balls. Some of the ones that had extra water were more like pom poms inside of an ice cube, but they were still perfect to play with, especially on a really hot day.
Ruby did put them in her mouth and rubbed them on her gums. She also sucked on them and chewed them. It must have been such an interesting texture with it being frozen but also furry.
We made homemade watermelon popsicles with our Grabease utensils as perfect sized toddler popsicle holders and when Ruby was thoroughly enjoying one I thought it would be great relief for a baby that is teething. If your baby is not old enough to be eating real food, you can also make popsicles from breastmilk or formula.
For our recipe we combined about 4 chunks of watermelon and ¼ cup milk (we used almond milk, but you can use whichever). Blend, pour into ice trays, put Grabease (or popsicle sticks) on top, and freeze.
In fact, I do remember giving one of these to her when she was having an extra fussy night (not sure if it was teething or general fussiness) and it cheered her right up.
I know for Ruby at least, chewing on something is her biggest relief while teething. It was interesting though when she was really little and she just started teething (or what I thought was teething, but just lasted forever) we were in a music class and she started chewing on the wooden sticks. She loved chewing on the wooden sticks and I realized she didn’t have any wooden teethers. Most had been plastic or silicone up until that point.
So, I suggest trying multiple textures and materials of teethers. Some suggestions are: wood, silicone, plastic, foam, fabric, crinkly fabric, or even some household materials with metal (whisks, spoons, lids, etc.). For your convenience I have included some ideas below. Click the pictures to purchase the teether.
Star Wars Teether with Clip by PaciCatchers on Etsy.com
Silicone Bead Teething Ring by Young and Wild Co on Etsy.com
Montessori Wooden Rattle by Essential Montessori on Etsy.com
Crinkle Bunny Ear Teething Ring by Aleighas Craft Room on Etsy.com
Many loose parts for infants and toddlers make great teething tools because they offer a variety of textures and materials. They can mouth them which gives them sensory input on their gums that must feel great to babies with teeth coming in. In fact, one of Ruby’s ultimate teething relief was from cold, wet washcloths.
Please be sure to check out my blog post “Loose Parts for Infants and Toddlers” and then sign-up below to receive your FREE list of over 100 loose parts and keep updated on future blog posts.
Ok, my last hack is more a reminder for you to give yourself some grace. You are working so hard and I know you are a fabulous parent because you are doing everything (including reading this blog) to help relieve the pain your child feels. You are doing exactly what you need to do which is meet your child’s needs. And even if you don’t have all the answers you are still doing the best you can and that is the best for your child.
I admire you and your resilience with this problem. I know some have it way harder than I do. So, remember to give yourself a break. When you have reached that point where the crying, fussing, or clinginess is really getting to you, walk away, ask for a break, get some outside help, take a deep breath (or two or three or ten). Do whatever you need to do to get back to a place where you can think clearly.
I’ll end with my favorite piece of advice to parents. Trust your instincts and take the path of least resistance.
You got this!
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