Caring For What You Love

Between their first and third birthdays, most toddlers engage in some form of biting. Typically, this behavior develops because it is one of the few means of communication available to a toddler. But not all children have the biting habit. Some of them shove, hit, pinch or grab. This might be just as bad!

Also, toddlers sometimes start biting because their motor skills and ability to communicate are so restricted, that they have to express themselves somehow.

It can seem funny for a young toddler to see his mommy suddenly bolt upright or for one of her playmates to begin crying. Another possible cause of biting behavior is related to teething; if they can put a teething ring in their mouth, why not someone’s ear? The problem could even be as simple as being hungry.

How do you teach your child not to bite? It has to be completely understood that biting is bad behaviour and can hurt others. Point out how much pain it causes other children when your toddler bites them. Make sure you tell your toddler that biting is unacceptable and wrong and that mommy and daddy do not appreciate it.

If you find that your child is biting due to frustration, give your toddler an alternative way to express to people they are having a difficult time. Although it seems a gargantuan effort for your toddler to communicate with words, this is a great time to start teaching them the right words for a situation.

As an example, “When you need to tell mommy that you need some help, you can’t bite.” Or “Show mommy what you need, but don’t bite. You’ll hurt her if you bite, and I know you would never want to hurt mommy.” This might induce a sense of shame for their actions, and they may think twice the next time before biting someone.

Parents should not let biting become the center of attention. This is true of all behavior that you do not want to see repeated. Let your toddler know, firmly yet gently, that biting is not permitted, that it’s wrong and that it hurts everyone, grownup or child.