Dear Dr. Sylvia,

My 7-year-old son has developed a habit of chewing on his clothes. It's usually the left sleeve of his shirt (he's right-handed), or if he's wearing short sleeves, it is the collar. I can't figure out a way to stop this. He is a really good student and doesn't seem to struggle with anything at school, so I don't think it's stress-related, just a bad habit that is ruining his clothes! Please help.

Chewing on sleeves is a fairly common symptom of tension, and although it's annoying and hard on clothes, it is easier to deal with than thumb sucking or nail biting. Usually, the damage gets straightened out in the washing machine and dryer.

You may wish to observe the times and circumstances under which your son does more chewing to better understand the causes of his tension. You may be able to change some things, while others may simply be outgrown. If your son seems to do more chewing while watching scary television or reading scary books, you may want to have him avoid those and explain the reason. Tell him he can go back to them again when he learns to stop the habit.

Children usually are embarrassed by the appearance of their clothes, so they will try to get over it on their own and outgrow it rather rapidly.

Dr. Sylvia Rimm,Phd

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