Why Do Children Eat Chalk?

It may not be on the mind of every parent every single day, but it happens quite often. Children often eat chalk, and in case a parent wonders why they might so now you are going to be taught why children might eat chalk.

Often when a child does something it is an instinctive action. For whatever unknown reason they just do things just because they feel compelled to based on an impulse.

For one, children like to taste everything. One of those things they often put in their mouth is chalk.

This may be a cause for concern for some parents, and it is not even just chalk that children gravitate towards. They might eat crayons, clay, coal, sulfur (substance on head of matches), plaster, watercolor pains, and more.

However, at least in the case of chalk it may not necessarily be a bad thing. There is a reason kids instinctively do what they do.

Further Explanation

Sometimes believe it or not a child can gravitate towards eating chalk because it has calcium in it. If you see a child doing this it could very well be that they do not get enough calcium and it just so happens that school board chalk as well as chalk at home has calcium in it.

As far as the amount of calcium an average growing child needs it usually ranges between 800mg for children ages 1 to 3 and 900 to 1000 mg for children 4 to 6 years of age. The amount can increase to the need of 1200 mg for children 11 years of age and older.

It is needed to help a child grow and develop normally. It for one helps each child form health teeth and gums and it also helps the child grow muscles and bones at the rate required.

A calcium deficiency may not be the only reason a child eats chalk, though. It also could be because the child is suffering from anemia, and or may have a hemoglobin deficiency. In either case these conditions are an indication that a child is not getting enough iron.

Children instinctively eat other substances for similar reasons. For instance, a child that eats the heads of matches may be suffering from a sulfur and/or phosphorous deficiency.

Likewise, of a child is eating clay they may be lacking in a variety of minerals (i.e. iron, magnesium) and/or they may not getting enough salt. Similarly, a child who eats coal may be lacking in various common and lesser-know minerals may chew on coal.

Warnings

Of course, whether it is chalk or another substance, children can benefit. However, beware of the dangers of certain processing ingredients. It may not be recommended of course to eat chalk or coal or other substances that are made with too many harmful ingredients.

If you are having a hard time breaking a child of a certain habit of eating any substances such as the ones described in this article, please consult a doctor. This is the best way to find out what you can do for your child overall.