Children love putting stuff in their mouths. Be it a book, their hands, or even their favourite toys. Why is it that kids put anything and everything in their mouth at around 6 months of age? It is because this is when babies start the teething phase. During the teething phase, babies chew on pretty much everything. Munching on objects encourages awareness and helps to soothe themselves.
Watch out for these signs during the teething phase: constant crankiness and irritability, drooling, reddish and swollen gums, a slight increase in body temperature, appetite loss or even disrupted sleep.
Here are some reasons why teethers can do wonders for your baby!
Benefits of Teethers
Teethers are an absolute must-have toy if you have a newborn at home. They come with loads of benefits and fun to play with too!
Relieves the aching gums during the teething phase
The Teething phase in kids begins when they are around 6 months and continues till they are 3 years old. Giving them the right teether can make the teething phase so much easier for both the child as well as the parent.
As your baby sucks on the teether, he will get comfort and relief from it.
Fun to Play With
Teethers with fun, interesting shapes can be very entertaining for little children. These can be used for years, so it’s one toy that will never go out of fashion.
Reduces fussiness and crankiness
Some situations can be quite overwhelming for babies. A crowded mall, waiting to get blood work done; can bring on full-blown crankiness in the child and make them act out. Having a teether handy will give the child something to focus on, making them less fussy.
Aids in Mental, Visual and Tactile Stimulation
When babies touch and feel teethers of various textures and shapes, it will assist in tactile stimulation. Teethers can help with mental stimulation as babies explore and play with them. Create fun stories out of our cute themed teethers like vehicles and animals. These can be fun playtimes for both the child and the parent!
Open-ended, imaginative play is possible with teethers. This in turn will promote language development and enhance their creativity.
Themed teethers can be visually appealing to young babies. They will definitely pique the child’s natural curiosity and appeal to them tremendously! Little ones explore and experience toys with all their senses. Wooden teethers are smooth (without any splinters), textured, and tactile. Gravitating towards teethers to create wonderful sensory experiences for your teething baby!
The natural feel of the wood will provide a splendid play experience for your little one.
Enhances Fine Motor and Gross Motor Skills
Looking at the teether, reaching out for it, and taking it to the mouth promotes hand-eye coordination in babies. Trying to reach for the teether and holding it improves their fine motor skill- skills which they will use later to eat, play, and perform various activities at school and home.
When they pass the teether from one hand to the other, it enhances their gross motor skills.
As you can see, wooden teethers are not just comforting for your child to bite into. They can help with a child’s all-around development.
Materials used to make Wooden Teethers
The botanical name for Beech Wood is Fagus Grandifolia. It comes with a reddish-brown text that lends a lovely finish to wooden teethers. Beech tree finds applications in the use of furniture, interior decor, flooring, etc. Nowadays, Beech Wood is also used to manufacture toys.
Despite being medium to heavyweight, it can be cut or drilled into the required form. It is not far behind when it comes to the bending properties, it can be carved effortlessly with hands as well as powerful tools. Moreover, it can be stained and polished to an exquisite finish.
Neem tree is otherwise referred to as Indian lilac or Margosa tree. Neem Wood has a reddish-brown hue which looks appealing on furniture and wooden toys. The interlocking, coarse particles of Neem Wood make it quite strong, this, in turn, lends durability and strength to the wood. It can be manipulated easily with the use of hand tools or machines. It does not crack all that easily. Wooden toys and fine toys crafted from Neem Wood are chic and tasteful.
Another popular material that is used for making wooden toys is Maple Wood. As a matter of fact, it is a naturally safe wood that is dense and long-lasting wood that will not crack very easily. The colour of maple is a white hue with reddish-brown tints to it. Maple Wood is preferred for its smooth grain, sturdiness, and a rather unique colour as opposed to other types of wood.
Whether it's Beech Wood, Neem Wood, or Maple Wood, all of these are high-grade seasoned wood which is used to make children’s toys. These are all naturally-safe wood, and therefore, toys made out of these materials can be put in an infant’s mouth.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of wooden teethers. These are much better than the plastic and silicone teethers available in the market.
The properties that make Neem Wood, Beech Wood, or Maple Wood highly desirable when it comes to making teethers for babies are:
- Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral.
- Durable, tough, and won’t damage easily.
- Non-toxic and free of chemicals.
- Helps to build immunity.
- Helps in soothing aching gums.
- Aids in building immunity during the teething phase.
- Lightweight and easy to hold.
