Proper interventions can help many kids stop biting, but it’s important not to punish a toddler for biting or bite them back. See the tips below on what to do and what to avoid.
Staff Interventions
Toddlers are almost certainly too young for a lecture or even timeout. Some interventions may actually reinforce biting behavior. Instead, keep it simple and use these tactics:
Try to intervene or distract the toddler and say “No bite” firmly, but calmly, if they are about to bite. This means that someone has to keep an extra close eye on the child or shadow them for a few days, being careful to do it in a way so that they don’t know that they are getting the extra attention. Say “No” or “No bite” firmly, but calmly, if they do bite. After they bite, it can be a good idea to move them away from the other child and ignore them for a few minutes, although this isn’t really a formal timeout like you would use for an older child Remind them not to bite from time to time, including perhaps a short observation that “Biting hurts.” Provide some praise and positive attention when they aren’t biting and are playing nicely. Keep to a good routine all day, including meals, naps, and playtime.
Parental Interventions
It can also be helpful to know why and when the toddler is biting. Are they overtired? Are they teething? Did another child try to take their blanket or toy? Is anything going on at home that has them out of their routine? At home, be sure to stick to a good routine and make sure your toddler gets a good night’s sleep. Toddlers who are overly tired or stressed are more likely to bite at daycare. If they aren’t doing it at home, there isn’t much else you can do at home. Taking them out of daycare for a few days so that you can intervene and get their biting under control might be helpful. But your child might simply start biting again when you aren’t there. You might also consider that persistent biting could mean that this daycare isn’t a good fit for them. Maybe it is too structured or not structured enough. Are there too many kids in the room? Keep in mind that just because the daycare isn’t a good fit doesn’t mean it isn’t a good daycare. They may be doing everything right and it just isn’t working for your child for some reason.
Avoid Overreacting
One of the worst things about having a biter is the way the parents of the kids who got bitten make you feel. Unless their kids also bite, they typically don’t understand that biting is a normal developmental behavior, is rarely dangerous to their child, and that almost any toddler can turn into a biter. Try not to feel embarrassed or pay attention to the dirty looks you might get from the parents of the kids who got bit and just focus on helping your own child stop biting.
What You Need To Know
Biting is a normal behavior or phase for most younger children, which is the most important thing most parents need to know. Other important things to know about biting include:
Younger children often bite when they are teething, overtired, jealous, frustrated, or angry. They can also bite simply to see what happens when they bite, This is especially true of infants and younger toddlers, who may just be experimenting and exploring their world.You should be careful not to overreact when your child bites, which can reinforce the biting because your child gets excited about the reaction it brings about.Don’t bite your child back, physically punish them, or put anything in their mouth when they bite.
