Biting Child: What Can Parents Do To Stop A Biting Child ?

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Posted By: Support October 19, 2010

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Question: Biting Child: What Can Parents Do To Stop A Biting Child ?
A distressed mom recently appealed for help about what to do with a biting child. She said her provider has told her that it is becoming a big problem and the pre-school was considering removing her if it could not be managed. She wrote that she didn’t know how to get her 2-year-old biting child to stop, and that he bit a girl last week on the arm and the parents were understandably very upset.
Answer: Let’s face it; a biting child is simply not fun to be around. And while a young biting child may not be exhibiting abnormal behavior, it’s still not acceptable to other kids and certainly to other parents. Having said that, a biting child is a common concern in pre-school, mom’s day out programs and provider settings, especially in the toddler years. So, what can a parent do to discourage the bad behavior of a biting child?

    1) Firmly say “No bite!” and remove the biting child offender from the situation.

    2) Administer an appropriate consequence such as removal of the toy or a time-out for a biting child.

    3) Lavish positive attention on the bitten toddler.

    4) Use distraction between young kids and watch their interaction closely to avoid placing youngsters–especially one to be known to be a biting child–in a conflict situation.

    5) Resist the temptation to bite a biting child back as a way to “show them” their wrongs. Use a positive approach instead. You don’t want your toddler telling his teacher that he bites because that’s what his parents do!