WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TODDLER BITES

It can be very upsetting to hear that your toddler is biting other children.  Not only are you shocked by your own child's behavior, but you may also be dealing with some very angry parents as well!

In many instances, biting is considered normal developmental behavior for toddlers.  However, even though your child may not be exhibiting abnormal behavior, biting is still not acceptable behavior to other kids and definitely not to other parents.  It is very important to act quickly and swiftly to keep the problem from getting worse. 

So what can you do if your toddler is biting other children? 

The first thing to do would be to find out WHY your child is biting and under what circumstances is your child is biting? Most children bite due to teething, frustration, anger, jealousy, or being overly tired.  Some children bite simply to see what happens when they bite.  Sometimes children will exhibit biting behavior as a form of acting out as well.  You may ask yourself if anything has changed at home recently?  If your toddler hasn't been socialized with other children of his/her age, this could also be a contributing factor. 

Here are some suggestions:

Stay Calm - Although this can be very difficult, do your very best to stay calm.  Try to model the behavior you wish to have from your toddler.  When you are calm, you are better equipped to handle a biting incident.

Talk About the Dangers of Biting - Although toddlers are just beginning to talk, they are old enough to understand pain.  Depending on the age of your toddler, they may also be old enough to understand cause and effect.  Explain to your child (calmly but firmly) that biting hurts and so he/she should not do it.

Administering Appropriate Punishment - If you child does bite, firmly say "No bite"! and remove your child from the situation.  Administer an appropriate punishment such as taking away a favorite toy or a time out (depending on how old your toddler is as some may be too young).

Give your Toddler Other Options - Try to talk to your child about appropriate ways to express his/her anger.  Explain to them that it is okay to have feelings and to feel upset about a particular situation.  But explain that biting is not the answer.  Even though their vocabulary may be very limited, try coming up with other words/phrases (like mad, pain, hurt, etc.) to help your toddler express his/her feelings verbally and not physically.

Set Him/Her Up for Success - If your toddler seems to have trouble socializing in certain situations, try to avoid those situations. 

Praise Your Toddler - Correcting your child when they do something wrong is important.  But remember to praise your toddler when he/she has done well.  Pointing out and rewarding positive behaviors will help your toddler remember the preferred behavior and reaction.