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Eating non-edible items
My 18 month old daughter has been eating anything she can get her hands on: paper, crayons, books, napkins etc. At first I didn't think much of it since it's normal for kids to put things in their mouth and I thought it must be teething related. But it's now been going on for months and she actually swallow the items instead of spitting them out. I try my best to keep things away but I can't follow her all day! Nor can I take her outside became she will put rocks or debris in her mouth. My neighbor suggested it might be a deficiency of some sort. Has anyone's child done something similar? Was it a deficiency or did they grow out of it?
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My son did this too, seems normal for this age.
Putting things in their mouth is normal, but obsessing over it and. Trying to sneak things when they know they're not supposed to even if you're in sight might be a sign of pica. Easy enough to get checked for peace of mind
I used to eat outside flowers til I was 10 lol just try to give her stuff that is edible that is similar to the things she wants to eat if she likes crunchy stuff maybe meringue cookies? I know I seen someone on TikTok buying stuff similar to the non edible foods her daughter eats
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I think all children do this and you literally do just need to follow her around all day if she's somewhere that isn't baby proofed. Both of mine required a lot of 'don't put that in your mouth' and 'that's not a food '. My youngest is 2 and is generally fine about not putting things in her mouth, but I still wouldn't leave her unattended with choking hazards. So, good news: it doesn't last forever.