Biting - Nacogdoches,TX

My mother says I was a biter too, mainly my brother! She finally told him to bite me back, and that was the end of it. Good luck!

My little one started doing that, too. She still does it once in a while, but not as often as when she first started doing it. I've noticed that she is less likely to do it again if I don't laugh about it, and I tell her very firmly that biting is not okay. I don't make too much of a big deal out of it, because that just makes it worse. (I think she does it for attention some times).

Bite her back, but not real hard. They all bite at this age.

As harsh as it may sound, and as hard as it was for me to do to my twin boys... bite her back. She will realize how it hurts others and though she may continue a few more times she will eventually stop. We also stressed "no biting", and you can even create a song about it. Also, don't "play bite" with her, you will send a confusing message.

Although it may work, you are never supposed to bite your children, you are in essence showing them that it is alright to bite. That said, some people may think this is cruel or unusual...I have several friends who have tried it and it works!

I took biting as a very serious problem when my little girl started it. She bit a child at pre-school once and almost broke the skin, so I knew I had to take drastic measures. In our house we used Tabasco. After being warned "No BITING" if the child bites, put just the smallest dab on your finger and on the tongue it goes. After much spluttering and crying, my little one never bit again. Sadly my other two don't mind Tabasco in the least so I had to graduate to Wasabi! My neighbor used it for her boys too and had great success...good news is it only takes once or twice. Good Luck

My third child started biting when his teeth were coming in. At that age it could be those dreaded "I teeth" Is she is biting out or anger, I believe it sould be handle the same as if she was hitting another child. Let her know this is not acceptable behavior. At this age then are still prefer to please you. The do not want you disappointed in them. In the "To train up a child" book that suggest you thump then in the mouth. I did do that for my second child and that might have worked. We onlt did it a few times.

Just remember this is normal behavior and don't panic.

Hi J.,

First of all, alittle bit about myself. I am a preschool Director and have been teaching preschoolers for 20 years.
Unfortunatly, biting is a very common thing at that age. Since most 16 mo olds are not talking much yet, there expressions come out in their actions. They bite, because they are territorial, mad, wanting attention, or trying to be,yes, affectionate. Try to decide which of these, or something else, that may be the reason why she's doing it to begin with, then try to redirect her another way. Teach her words to use or actions other than biting. My son was a biter at that age, and once another kid bit him back and he realized that it hurt, he suddenly stopped. Hope that helps. You can also google biting and get some great info.CS

Yes, I agree that it would be good if you could figure out if there is a specific reason she is biting, but regardless of that reason, she should learn that biting is not okay, no matter how angry, frustrated etc. you are. Show her appropriate ways to express these feelings, but if the biting continues, bite her back, using just enough pressure to let her know that it is not fun. Who cares what "professionals" have to say about it???

My daughter did the same thing. What we had to do was to bite her back. Dont bite hard enough to cut through the skin, but just hard enough to get the point across. If my daughter bit me in the leg, i bit her leg, and so on... It wasnt long and she realized it hurt and she quit biting.

That is when my son started biting. I would put him down and walk away. Ignoring him for a little bit was the worse punishment. He quit. I was lucky. That was all it took. He never bit other kids though. And for those that say to bite back, that is like saying when your child hits someone, hit them back. I UTTERLY and TOTALLY disagree. We are the adult here.

bite her back everytime that she bites and she will realize that it hurts and will stop it

Ok it is going to sound mean but bite her back. Let them see just how it feels, they will not do it again. All three of mine have bitten me and I returned the favor never had a problem since.

When my son started biting I asked my mother what she did when my brother and I did that at that age. She told me that she bit us back.Not hard, just enought to let us know what it felt like and we stopped pretty quick.I tried it and it worked like a charm. Also, talking to her and putting her in time out to let her know that there are consequences to her actions.

I am a great grandmother, so I have been around the block so to speak. This may sound a little cruel but when she bites you, you must bite her back just as hard as she bit you. It will probably take a few times for her to get the idea but it will work. When a child starts biting they do not realize that it hurts-this way they know it hurts.

Hello J.,

I have learned in my experience that the only way to get a toddler to stop biting, is to bite her back, not a little bite, but not too hard either. She needs to realize that it hurts, and its not fun to bite other people. I have three children and had to go through this with each of them and one on the way, and Im sure there will be a round four.

I hope this helps, dont worry she will stop crying and biting...

I really don't have any great advice because I tried so many things with my second son that didn't work. I really think he eventually grew out of it. He nearly got kicked out of daycare over it, and it caused us all a lot of distress. What I really wanted to tell you is that it is pretty normal. Be consistent and loving and if you haven't already try to spend some time observing at the daycare to help figure out what the problem is.

My daughter was pretty easy to deal with at that age. Except that she would occasionally bite me so hard it felt like a bear trap. I just had to start watching closely when she was within bite range. Buy more teething toys. It shouldnt last much longer.

When my daughter started pulling hair (and was old enough to realize what was going on) I would tug on her hair a little bit and say "that hurts". Worked like a charm. I wouldnt bite her as that could cause an infection. But a minor pinch or "time out" doesnt sound bad.

I use to be a redheaded girl, now I'm an older redheaded lady. But I never did bite. The only way I ever saw a child quit biting, is when they were made to bite themself. The fatty part of the hand and a slight snudge on the bottom chin seemed to always work.
I think your daughter may be smarter than her age group and doesn't have the tools to communicate. May I suggest, reading. Vocabulary is the only tool a child needs. When she has this, she doesn't need to bite to talk to someone.

J., Biting is a very common occurance for children this age. They are old enough to feel frustrations, but do not yet have the complex language skills to adequately voice their frustrations. When this happens, they "communicate" their feelings by biting. Explain to your daughter that biting hurts and that it is a "No No". When she bites you, pretend to cry and tell her how bad it hurts and how sad you are that she bit you. This will help her understand that her actions impact the other person. Children do not like to see their mom cry. Usually this helps to build empathy and will help her to see that she must not bite.

I know that sometimes when kids act out in such ways, it is because they can not express themselves verbally. Is you little one talking? I know at that age some children may not be talking, although by 24 months, she should have about 50 words. She probably doesn't know how to deal with the situation, only that she is angry, so she acts on it by biting. Why is she biting? When does she bite? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. Alot of times as new mommies we forget that somewhere along the way baby has to learn social rules. Obviously, she can't keep on biting. if you find out the exact situations that she bites in, you will begin to see why she bites and deal with it from there. I'm sure she's not biting because she thinks it is fun. There is always reason. I hope that helps. I know it is a little abstract.

Bite her back to show her it hurts! It really works even though it sounds funny and mean!:)

Hi J.,
You can try crying and saying "Ow, you hurt Mommy", and maybe she will care. OR......
Bite her back. That is not going to be the popular solution, since many think that you don't teach a child what's right by doing something that's wrong. But what she needs to learn is that biting hurts. To her, all she knows so far is that biting causes a lot of commotion and she's in the middle of it. You have to catch her when she does it, and bite her back so she can see that it hurts. Most of time you will only have to do it once. I have raised 5 boys and none of them ever bit more than twice.
Good luck!

My son had this problem right around the same age as your daughter. He would bite when others infringed on his personal space or took something away from him. It started at home with his older sisters, and then he began doing it at school, too. Even after he stopped biting at home, he continued to bite at school, and it got worse. To the point that the school sent him home one day. The thing that worked the best at home was, every time he would bite, I would touch (firmly, but not hit) his mouth and say firmly, "NO BITE". Then I would put him in the corner all alone for a minute. He hated that..... This may not work with every kid, but they at least get the message that their behavior is not accepted by the group. BE CAREFUL, THOUGH.... go with your motherly instincts. I ignored a nagging feeling that there was something at school triggering my son's biting, and it turns out that his care was not up to par. There was not close supervision, there were not enough toys or activities to go around for all the kids, and his space was being infringed upon by other kids. (doesn't excuse his behavior, but could be proactive in preventing biting if it were addressed) We changed schools, and have never had a SINGLE incident of biting again. Pay attention to situations that trigger that biting instinct and see if you can prevent those situations. My son is 20 months old now, and he is over that stage, so hang in there mom. :) (I WOULD NEVER BITE BACK... THAT IS JUST CONFUSING AND WRONG.) M.

I had a girlfriend who bit her daughter back without breaking the skin. She explained that this is how everyone else feels when you bite them. She never tried it again. I am not sure what a professional would say about this advice.

Biting at 16 months is usually out of frustration - lack of verbal skills, seeking independence. Give your child a washrag (you can attach it to her clothing with safety pin even) and tell her this is what she can bite when she gets mad, feels the urge to bite etc.. This is a biting rag, because it is not OK to bite people, but she may bite the rag. If that doesn't help, isolate her from others when she bites them - a time out in a way - but inform her others will not want to play with her or cuddle with her if she bites. Hopefully this phase will pass with help of a biting rag. Use a stern voice so she sees and hears the seriousness of biting.