Why is he so messy?
Having messy kids after meals is a real thing and a lot to clean up. Maybe the mess on the table and floor doesn’t bother you as much as the fact that your child can’t lick sticky items, such as peanut butter, off the roof of their mouth. However, being a messy eater (dropping food on the table and floor) and the ability to clear your mouth of food after eating are both related and there is help and hope for that mom or dad overwhelm you may feel surrounding this issue!
I’ll never forget hearing my child talking funny and doing lots of movement inside their mouth with their tongue only to take a peak and see peanut butter stuck to the roof of their mouth.
What gives?
Why are they so messy and why does food get stuck on their palate?
The answer to this is one of the many reasons I am so passionate about helping you uncover the root of your children’s feeding, swallowing, and oral motor issues.
First, we are so glad you are here asking the questions and seeking answers. Don’t accept that it’s just normal to be a messy eater, to be unable to clear food residue from the mouth. There is indeed a reason for this and a solution!
When oral motor movements are impaired, we often notice the breakdown in functional motor patterns like being able to clear our mouth after eating and/or an impairment in the ability to lick our lips clean after eating something like yogurt. If the muscles of our face and mouth are working optimally, we should not lose food while chewing and swallowing, our lips should remain clean and free of food residue.
What’s the solution?
Myofunctional therapy for children (and adults!) who are at least 4-years-old can assist impaired oral motor movements and get to the root of the issue. Not only does myofunctional therapy address oral motor movements necessary for chewing, intraoral bolus management, and swallow-prep, but a comprehensive myofunctional evaluation will also assess for possible maintaining causes and make appropriate referrals as necessary. Check out our directory of myofunctional therapist and get your child on the path to orofacial myofunctional health!
