I Need Help with a Biting Problem

I can so relate to you. I have 2 very easy children to raise. I now have another son but not from the same father as my first 2. I do not know if that has anything to do with it or not but even my pregnancy and delivery was completely different. Logan (the biter) does do it out of frustration I think but doesn't make it right. He has 3 sisters and 2 brothers and doesn't need to speak because everyone talks for him. He bit a girl the other day and left a mark for days. I was mortified. I do not know what to do. We have tried EVERYTHING. I have even told my babysitter (who he is not with everyday) to use hot sauce on him. I do not know if that is right but I am afraid of losing a good babysitter and of losing my sanity with my son. He is truly a joy sometimes but can also be a holy terror. I don't know what to tell you but I do know that I am in the situation and the support I hope, helps you. You can write anytime, I will be around to talk if you need to. Good luck! L.

1 mom found this helpful

Your children sound like mine.LOL. i have done everything as well. what worked for me and some people dont think it is right is to bite them back. not hard enough to leave marks but enough that they know that it hurts and after a few times of that they should stop bitting.

1 mom found this helpful

I personally have not had this problem with my children (yet) but we had a biter in our playgroup. After discussing w/my pediatrician and our Parents As Teachers rep,(due to our concerns that our daughter would start doing it after being bitten one too many times) -- both suggested bite toys. Yes, even at 2-3-4 years old. She suggested the "lovey" blankie with the teether parts on the corners and enforce the use of them when the child bites. Plus, there is the added security of the blankie.

Not sure if this helps or not, but thought it may work. I don't know if our biter ever did this. We gave the suggestion when the mom asked for some advice.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
I had the same problem with my daughter when she was between 2 and 3. I tried everything also. I even put her in the corner and it didn't help. I did find something that did work. It may sound weird but when she would bit me. Which by the way hurt she would leave teeth marks. I would bit her back. Not very hard at all just so it would pinch. Couple of times of that she never offered to bit me ever again. That's the only way I could get my daughter not to bite. I hope that helps. S.. Mother of a 6 year old.

When my daughter was in daycare I got a phone call one day saying that my daughter had started biting. I did not know what to do about it, her provider told me to try lemon juice in her mouth if she did it at home. She bit me a few days later and so I put a few drops of lemon juice in her mouth and she hasn't bit since. I don't know if it will work but I know it worked with my daughter and my providers son, it is worth a try.

Ok I have the same problem and heard all these advices, then my mom got me a book called "Positive Discipline the first three years." This is an awesome book. The thing it tells you to do is when they start to bit, cover their mouth and tell them no very firm! It works!!!! It hasn't stop completly,but she doens't do it as much anymore! We down to maybe 1 bit a day or every other day and I have only been doing it for about a week! The book says that all the other things like putting stuff in their mouth and bitting only frustrates more. that is why they bit is because they are frustrated. They also say if another Child is involved do the covering the mouth then have the other child help you confort the child that has been bitten. It helps both of them heal! I am telling you this is what you do to stop bitting and it works!!!

Explain that biting is not a good way to communicate and give her words to express what she is feeling at the moment. Do not give any attention at all when she does it. But if she does it to someone else, comfort them then tell her that she hurt them and put her in the corner. Make sure that most of the effort is put into not giving attention. I had a biter when I babysat, and this worked quickly. I think that she was originally getting too much attention, even though it was negative.

Well I have a long story to tell you about this. My daughter has been a biter for at least 7 months if not longer. We have tried everything from time out, vinegar, vanilla, a little tobasco sauce, comforting the child that has been bitten, reading a book nightly called "Teeth are Not for Biting", and many other things. It has gotten better in the last few weeks. She has been changing from biting to scratching, hitting or pinching. She isn't a bad girl she is just very passionate I guess. Even though she does these things she is also the most loving kid at daycare too just don't make her mad. My story is that you should be carefu who you tell about things you have tried because our "Parents As Teacher" person turned us in for Child Abuse because we when we were asking for help we mentioned some of the things we had tried. It was an awful experience.

So I don't know if I am much help. She has gotten better and hasn't bittne in 3 weeks but now she has turned to other means to express herself like hitting or scratching.

Good luck!

Hello, I am a mom, but I work at a daycare with children 6 yrs old and younger, and of course, some bite. In the course of my work, we have found that children bite for a number of different things. They are scared, hurting about something, frustrated, bored, tired, hungry,is experimenting with her teeth, the list can go on. Examine the situations in which she bites, is she with new people, new situations, threatened, changes in home life, tired, hungry, mad about something? When she bites, make sure the child is ok, let her see you comforting the child and even let her help comfort if the other child is ok with that. Then sit her down and tell her you understand something is bothering her, but it is not ok to bite other people. It hurts. It is also good to have biting toys like blocks and blankets she can go in a corner and use. Punishing with things on her tongue, time outs, and physically retaliating will not help. Your dr. is right, it will take time and it will go away. Have her around children who are older, they will not take it and let her know they do not want to be bitten. Good luck.

SInce you have tried vinegar and biting back, strange advice, but try complimenting her on a good trait. Let her hear you tell someone else how good she is at __________. I found my kids thrived on the positive reinforcement. I also saw a boy in the neighborhood whose mom said he was the evil one of her 2 and he wore shirts that said he was the "terror" etc. He still is, but I see a good side in him. You still have to disipline the bad, but make sure to compliment the good. Just a thought.