Sometimes I wondered if those fancy teething rings were for me, not her.
Yeah, totally get what you mean. Half the stuff I bought ended up collecting dust while my kid just wanted to gnaw on the TV remote or my phone case. Honestly, whatever keeps them happy and gets you a bit of peace is a win in my book. Don’t stress about it—babies have their own weird logic. The washcloth trick’s still solid, though.
Honestly, whatever keeps them happy and gets you a bit of peace is a win in my book.
I get the need for a break, trust me, but I do worry about letting babies chew on stuff like remotes or phone cases. There’s a lot of bacteria on those—not to mention small parts that could come loose. I used to think it was overkill too, but after my niece got a mouthful of remote-control battery goo (long story...), I started sticking with things designed for teething. Cold washcloths are great, but I’d just be careful about what ends up in their mouths.
I do worry about letting babies chew on stuff like remotes or phone cases. There’s a lot of bacteria on those—not to mention small parts that could come loose.
I get where you’re coming from, and yeah, the remote thing freaks me out too (battery goo? Yikes). But honestly, sometimes I feel like the “germ” panic gets a little overblown. I mean, obviously don’t let your kid gnaw on something that’s falling apart or covered in who-knows-what, but I doubt a quick chomp on a clean phone case is gonna cause lasting damage. Most of us survived eating dirt and random stuff as kids, right? Not saying we should hand them the TV remote as a chew toy, but I just can’t stress about every single surface.
We tried all the classic teething toys with my nephew—half of them ended up ignored on the floor while he went after shoes or his dad’s headphones. In the end, we just kept a rotation of things that were easy to wipe down (silicone spatula was surprisingly popular), and if he got his hands on something mildly questionable, wiped it off and moved on. I totally get wanting to avoid anything with small parts or batteries though. That’s a whole different level of risk.
Cold washcloths are a solid tip, but sometimes they just want something different, you know? And honestly, if you’re losing your mind at 3am and the only thing that calms them is chewing on a wallet or whatever… I say pick your battles. Just maybe skip the remote with the sketchy battery compartment.
Anyone else’s kid obsessed with the weirdest objects instead of actual teethers? It’s like they know what’s “off limits” and go straight for it.
Totally relate to the “off-limits” magnetism—my little cousin always wanted my retainer case instead of her actual teether. I get the germ thing, but as long as it’s not something with sharp edges or batteries, I try not to stress too much. Silicone spatulas are underrated for sure... they’re easy on gums and you can just toss them in the dishwasher. I do think it’s worth being a bit careful with anything that could leave marks on their new teeth though—my orthodontist warned me about hard plastics after I chipped a tooth as a kid.
I do think it’s worth being a bit careful with anything that could leave marks on their new teeth though—my orthodontist warned me about hard plastics after I chipped a tooth as a kid.
That’s definitely something I worry about too. Even with silicone stuff, I’m constantly checking for little tears or bits that could break off. Has anyone noticed if cold washcloths actually help at night? I’ve seen some parents swear by them, but I’m always nervous about fibers getting stuck or if it’s just not clean enough.
