We had been patiently waiting to find a solution for Silas’ hand biting. We tried the Munch Mitts that were made for infants to teeth on, but those were far too small for his 6 year old hands. We tried socks, but his spastic bite and super strength were able to break skin and bite through the thin layer of the socks. We were at a loss of what to do because whenever Silas was in pain (which is often with his spastic CP) he’d ferociously flail his arms and bite onto his hands. We’d have to watch him like a hawk to block himself from getting his hand into his mouth. He also uses his hands to teeth since he’s still cutting molars and cannot grasp a teething toy to bite onto to self soothe. So you can imagine how excited we were to find that Happy Hands had come out with a product for older children and adults to use. Specifically targeted for those who could not functionally hold onto a teething aid themselves.
The product is creatively designed with three different teething choices. Each teether on the glove has a different texture. All three of them are tough enough to allow even the most spastic mouth to chew on, but not break through the silicone. This is an important component for kiddos and adults like Silas who cannot control the force of their bite due to the spasticity in their jaws. The first teether is a smaller fun lime green with a linear texture. The second is a fairly larger bright orange teether with a bumpy texture. Both of these teethers are sewn securely into the glove and located on the sides. The third teether is a silicone purple heart that can snap into the top of the glove. I personally like that this one is optional and has the ability to be removed from the glove. Silas due to his limitations from muscle spasticity cannot get this one to his mouth so we will often keep it out. It is clipped into a small pocket on the top of the glove so the other neat feature is that you can clip different teethers into the glove. The glove itself is a fun bright blue and has a black and white print crinkle fabric sewn onto the front in a rectangle. I am not sure if the company meant for this component to be important on the glove, but for kids with CVI (cortical visual impairment) like Silas, they often see black and white more clearly than multicolored objects. Silas personally can distinguish fully colored objects now due to improvement with his CVI, but for a child that is more severely affected by CVI this is a really great feature because it will help them to see the product clearer to bring to their mouths. I think its great that the company put so much thought into the design on this product even down to the details of color, texture and fabric choice. The fabric of the glove is very sturdy and padded for the childs protection from their busy mouths. It’s also padded for the protection from excessive saliva production, so their hands stay dry. And trust me Silas soaks his gloves right up and his hands remain dry. I like the shape of the glove as well because for those with CP like Silas has, their hands are often stuck in a fisted position, so this design allows you to slip the glove over their fist with no trouble. If your child or adult keeps their fingers open, the teethers are strategically placed on the outside of the glove itself to protect them from clamping down onto their fingers.
The glove comes in three different sizes. Small, medium and large. I believe their site offers a sizing guide that shows more accurately how to choose the size your child or adult might need. I originally ordered a size medium for Silas due to their sizing guide. I did notice it was a little bit smaller than I imagined it would be. It fit perfect over his hand which was great, but didn’t allow for much room to spread his fingers if he needed. He tends to keep his right hand tightly fisted but his left he will often open more frequently. For this reason I also ordered a large after seeing how much he enjoyed the size medium. I think that if you had an adult, it would really depend on their hand and how it functions, I could not see an older adult fitting their hand into the size large if their hand wasn’t fisted. I do wish they offered larges sizes for this reason. Silas also tends to get extra sweaty because of how he overworks his body when he’s upset and biting, so the large is better for those times because he has more room in the glove to allow for air circulation inside of it. Silas is six years old, and on the skinnier side to give you a reference for how this fits his body type. His hands have gotten a little fuller since he’s gained some weight, so we often use the large over the medium for him. The large is roomy on him, but it stays securely on his wrist due to the adjustable velcro closure. The glove also comes with a handy bright blue bag to store the glove in and to launder it in. I place it in the bag to wash it, just for protection. I like that they provide this extra accessory. We will often store the purple silicone heart teether inside of the bag too when we don't have it clipped into the glove as well as extra teethers that we clip into the pocket here and there.
We couldn’t be happier with this product and really our only wish is that it would come in even larger sizes for when Silas gets older. Overall this product has saved Silas’ hands time and time again. It’s allowed him to safety self sooth, and to do so at his convenience. It allows him to teeth when he wants, and for us as his parents to have piece of mind from him self harming when his body is in pain and his reaction is to bite. I would highly recommend this item and I think it is affordable compared to other “special needs” labeled items.
If you are interested in purchasing this product you can visit: www.gummee.life/21-happy-hands
If you are interested in purchasing this product you can visit: www.gummee.life/21-happy-hands
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