Parent Tip Sheet - Biting
Children usually discover biting, by chance, around 1 year of age when chewing and mouthing are normal teething behavior. At this stage, parents think it's cute. Around age 2 to 3, children may bite when they feel frustrated or want something from another child. Biting is a primitive form of communication. After age two or so, biting may become a deliberate way to express anger or intimidate others. Biting can result in a puncture or cut. It is a serious misbehavior which calls for your close attention. If your child bites, give him/her a 2 minute time-out for biting others. Take steps to reduce biting incidents. Teach your child words and help him/her talk about his/her anger. "You are mad. Tell Mandy to stop!" Watch your child closely whenever she is around other children or in situations where she/he is likely to bite.
Always treat biting as a serious matter. Interrupt biting with a sharp, "No." Be sure to use an unfriendly voice and look your child straight in the eye. Never laugh when your child bites, and don't treat it like a game (love bites). Make sure older siblings follow your lead. NEVER BITE BACK. This may teach your child that biting is okay if you are bigger. Don't use punitive punishment like using soap to wash out your child's mouth, pinching his/her cheek, or slapping. Praise good behavior and your child's efforts to use words to get what she/he wants.
POINTERS FOR PARENTS:
* Make a family rule that "We never bite people." Biting hurts.
* Give safe alternative behavior such as giving a toy or teething ring to bite.
* Help the child learn and use words to get what they need.
* Never bite back. The child may learn its okay as long as you're bigger.
* Biting is a serious issue, no matter the reason. Be firm in your response. Biting hurts.
* Watch for signs that your child might bite. Get involved and help your child meet her needs.
* Praise your child for not biting.
Work and Family Resource Center grants permission to reproduce this tip sheet for non-commercial use. Copyright 1996 Work and Family Resource Center. All rights reserved.
Victim of the Biter:
Please remember that it takes time and patience to stop a biter. Many a parents who have children that end up being the victim to the biter want the daycare provider to quit keeping the biter or become extremely frustrated wondering why thier child was not being supervised well enough that thier child was bitten. Biting happens so very quickly that often times even the parent and caregiver themselves are also bitten. If we can't stop even ourselves quick enough from being bitten, then we deffinately can not leap tall towers of lego's, doll cribs, and other children to make it across the room to stop the biter. Although it is a video moment each time we try. Looking like superwoman on a mission flying across a room. If that's not enough to scare the biter then the tone of our voice as we are out of breath, and frustrated and the look on our face with sweat pouring down as we have just lept across tall towers of lego's must be horror!! We try to stop them, and also always remember...tommorrow it may be your child who is biting!!!