My 6 Yr. Old Niece Was Bitten by Another Student at Recess.

Updated on September 26, 2011
E.M. asks from Chicago, IL
10 answers

My niece, who is in first grade, was bitten by a little boy at recess today...hard enough to leave a bruise. My SIL is very upset and is talking to the school about it. I'm curious -- how unusual is this for 6 yr. olds? My brother thinks this is typical playground behavior, but I think it seems pretty aggressive. What do you all think?

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M.P.

answers from Peoria on

I have a six year old and I cannot imagine him biting. I tend to agree with you that by age six, they should know this is not acceptable behavior. What is the history of the child? Does he have a history of aggression? Is he developmentally behind? Or is it possible that this was a younger child on the playground? She should ask lots of questions before making a conclusion and then take it from there.

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

Biting isn't funny at any age.
Much younger kids try it out as a means of expression, frustration or anger, but usually, (hopefully) they've outgrown it by 1st grade.

That's just my opinion.
You don't say what the situation was or if the boy has a history of biting.
Maybe he heard girls are made of sugar and spice and wanted to check it out.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.
I hope your niece will be okay.

Best wishes.

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A.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Biting usually happens in young children with limited verbal skills who get frustrated. It's not typical for 6 year olds.

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K..

answers from Phoenix on

Kind of weird for a 6 year old, but it probably depends on the 6 year old. Maybe the biter has aggression or communication issues. Maybe he/she was having a bad day. Kids can be a bit unpredictable at times. Is it possible that he was provoked by your niece? They can mess up & do things they shouldn't be doing. My DD got bitten multiple times in daycare & they almost ALWAYS bruised, and those bites were by 1 or 2 year olds.

If it was the first time the kid had bitten someone & it was a fluke, I wouldn't make a huge deal about it, honestly. They're kids, and stuff happens. The problem with biting is that it's done on impulse, and with no warning, so it's hard to prevent. The school most likely doesn't have the resources to shadow the boy to make sure he doesn't bite again - it's a waste of the staff's time.

I'm not sure what your SIL thinks she going to gain by talking to the school. Is she going to complain every single time her kid gets hurt? I think she needs to learn how to pick her battles, personally, and teach her child how to deal with difficult kids/situations (including staying away from this kid). A one time bite? I'd let it go. Now if it became a habit, then I'd have an issue, and that would be reason to be upset.

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D.R.

answers from New York on

its somewhat aggressive, but really doenst mean too much at this age for the biter. from my experience.... and it is sort of typical. lots of years there is "a biter" in a kindergarten class, so first isnt far off, especially now in sept. plus i feel like its been a full moon or something since school started. theyre nuts. but really, they usually outgrow it pretty quick, depends how you handle it. you just have to be careful and if the skin is broken they should both see the doc. regardless, if the school didnt call me, or maybe even if they did, i would be down at the school pretty upset also.

A.H.

answers from Tulsa on

I got bit in 4th grade by a girl in my class. She was mad and wanted attention. What was the situation? If he just came up and bit her for no reason, there is definitely a problem. If they were roughhousing, there is more of a reason for it. The teacher should definitely be notified and I'd keep the two of them apart.

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C.F.

answers from Chicago on

At the age of 6 children should know that biting is not appropriate behavior. Unless the child is a special needs child and doesn't understand that his behavior is inappropriate.
Where did you brother play? 6 year olds will hit but know that biting is off limits.

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M.2.

answers from Chicago on

I have a 6 year old daughter and biting (especially to the point of leaving a bruise) is not normal 6 year old behavior. Was the teacher informed of the incident? If not I would definately be sure to let her know what happened first thing Monday morning. I would be extremely upset if this happened to my daughter!

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

It does seem a little odd...but then my almost 6 year old has bitten her brother a time or two as of late.

Reminded me of when a boy threw a rock at my best friends head at recess (P.E.).
She was in the 6th or 7th grade at the time. :(

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S.P.

answers from Chicago on

Biting is unacceptable and very uncommon in 6 year olds.

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