Toddlers and Biting Behavior

Your little one is growing so fast, right before your eyes. Ah yes. Those years of realization and exploration. They are adventurous. They are risk takers. They are fearless. They are our toddlers! We love them to pieces! So cute and precious. Look at those big innocent eyes. Those precious, little rounded cheeks. They can do no wrong. You could never get upset at such cuteness. Suddenly, something unexpected happens."OUCH! My child bit me!"

Who knew those little teeth could inflict so much pain?! You begin to wonder where things went wrong. You question yourself as a parent and wonder if your child hates you. How could your little one have committed such an act? Do not fret fellow parents! Toddlers and their biting behavior is nothing new.

First, forgive the little one. No matter how vicious the biting behavior of a toddler may seem, there is not a malicious bone in their body. Biting behavior needs to be dealt with just like all other aggressive behaviors that toddlers often display. It is a matter of discipline. It's not an issue of whether or not the child is bad. It is not due to bad parenting. Children bite due to a number of reasons. They might bite to gain attention, release emotions of frustration or fear, to soothe gums during teething, to experiment, or to taste something or someone!

Children use their mouths as a major way to explore the world. They put their mouths on anything they can touch. Sometimes a child wants to know what will happen if they bite someone. They might wonder to themselves, "Will this hurt daddy?" If the child is exploring, it will usually only take one incident for them to learn from a person's reaction that, "Yes! It does hurt!" If this is the case, then you may only need to confirm to the child that they hurt the person, that it was wrong, and should not be done again. Let them know that there will be consequences if it happens again. Supervise your child for a time after the incident, to make sure that they do not repeat their actions.

If it happens again, or if your child bites someone for reasons other than first time curiosity, further discipline is needed. Discipline your toddler using the same methods that you would use to discipline them for any other aggressive behavior that is not tolerated.

Sometime as parents, we tend to panic and draw a blank, when our child does something unexpected. Especially, if it is something that hurts another person's child or anyone else. Keep these things in mind if your toddler displays biting behavior:
- First of all, make sure that the victim of the bite is OK. If you need to seek assistance for that person, then do so immediately.
- Next, quickly assess the situation and try to find out why your child decided to bite someone and then discipline them appropriately.

A few side tips:
-Don't ever laugh if your child playfully bites. This will reinforce their behavior.
-Don't bite them back. This will also reinforce their behavior or cause confusion for them.
-When you play with your toddler, eliminate the use of playful and fake biting. This is another thing that reinforces their biting behavior and causes confusion.
-Pack plenty of snacks when your toddler is out and about. Sometimes they might be trying to satisfy an urge of hunger.

If your toddlers biting behavior is occurring while you are not present, you may want to talk to your childcare provider about taking some disciplinary actions and implementing some of these tips.

by Zabrina Leon

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