Jacob's Pet Peeves

Jacob has several pet peeves I guess you would call them. I would have to say that #1 on his list is chewing gum. He hates it. He won’t chew it and doesn’t like anyone else to have it either. I love chewing gum. This is a constant problem in our household. If he is tired or in a bad mood the sound, smell or sight of someone chewing gum can reduce him to a crying mess. I have repeatedly told him that if he would just try chewing a piece that he might change his mind about it. About 2 weeks ago he finally gave in and put a microscopic piece in his mouth. Thirty seconds later…he threw up his supper.

When he was 3 years old we put him in occupational therapy on the recommendation of his preschool teacher. He would throw up or at least gag at the sight of a band-aid, hole in a shirt, scratch on someone’s skin…basically anything that disrupted the surface of anything. We think it stems from him being a preemie and being on a ventilator in his first few days. He has a really strong gag reflex. The OT improved his sensory problems but every now and then something pops up. The last year it has been chewing gum. I can’t wait until this phase is over…it’s really hard to stop chewing the moment I see his head turn, lol.

What brought this topic to mind today was a lesson in one of the classroom’s I’m in…the teacher was discussing the way laws are made and about the process of how we would ban chewing gum from the US. She commented that in Singapore chewing gum was banned. I came home tonight and told Jacob about this and he promptly asked “When can we move there?”. I’m fairly certain he was serious.