Why Is My Baby/Toddler Biting?

Babies and toddlers bite for a multitude of reasons. Whether they are teething, seeking oral input, or in need of attention, biting is common. Babies and toddlers lack the verbal communication skills required to effectively communicate their frustrations, anger, and fears. Biting is often a way of expressing these feelings.

How to prevent biting?

Pay attention to your child during play. Consider the following: What happened before the biting occurred? Who did your child bite? Where was your child?

If you see signs of behavior that may lead to biting:

Distract your child with a toy (perhaps something they haven’t played with in a while). Take time to talk to your child about how to resolve the issue. Engage your child in reading a book. Books about sharing, feelings, or biting can be helpful.

Discipline

Remove the child from the situation and take them to a “calm down” area.

Talk to the child about how they are feeling.

Talk to the child about effective ways to express their frustrations.

Talk to the child about appropriate things to bite.

Talk to the child about different feelings and situations that may result in biting.

DO NOT hit or bite your child. This is contradictory to what you are trying to accomplish. You are trying to stop the biting. If you bite or hit, you are showing your child that this behavior is acceptable and is a constructive way to showcase frustrations.

Reading to your child about biting can be an effective strategy to redirect this behavior. There’s a really cute book, written by yours truly, that speaks to how biting makes others feel. The book not only addresses biting and provides children with an emotional connection, but includes resources for parents as well. Get your copy today and initiate a conversation about biting in a fun, effective way https://a.co/d/0JDdKHz All children can benefit from this book (with the target audience being birth to 5 years), whether they have or are engaging in biting or not.

Please share any tips that you may have, regarding biting. The community would appreciate it. We’re better when we journey together xoxo.