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Pregnancy &
Parenting > Parenting Toddlers
Tips for Biting Problem in Toddlers
Biting is a problem that a lot of toddlers have.
Biting can be caused by a lot of things including frustration,
pain, and a need for attention. Before you can address your
toddler’s biting problem you really need to understand what is
causing the biting.
1. Finding the Causes
The first tip for addressing biting problems in
toddlers is to figure out what is causing your toddler to bit. As
mentioned above there are a lot of different reasons why toddlers
bit. Many bite because of a teething reflex. Others bite because
they are feeling neglected and want attention. Others do it as a
display of aggression. To figure out why your toddler is biting
watch them when they are playing. See what is happening right
before they bite. This will help you to determine the cause.
2. Is it due to teething?
If your toddler is biting as a teething reflex
then you can solve this problem in a couple of ways. First of all
provide them with something appropriate to bite on. This may be a
teething ring or a frozen gel teething pack. Secondly treat the
toddler’s gums with a pain reliever. This will help to reduce the
toddler’s impulse to bite. Fortunately this cause of biting will
solve itself with time. Your job, in the meantime, is to intercept
the biting before it happens.
3. Attention seeking
If your toddler is biting out of aggression or out
of a need for more attention then you need to address the problem
immediately before it develops into a social behavior. When you
first notice your toddler biting correct them. Explain to them
that biting hurts and that you do not approve of that behavior. If
they bite another child comfort the victim first and apologize to
the bite victim in front of the biter. This will teach the child
who bit that their behavior is not going to get them more
attention, and it will also teach the child that their actions are
inappropriate.
4. Never bite back
Never bite your child as a way to show them that
biting is not appropriate. This will actually reinforce that
biting is a way to prove something, get attention, or get your
way. Instead, you will want to correct negative behavior and
reinforce good behavior.
5. Don't ignore the problem
Another thing that you don’t want to do is to
ignore the problem. By ignoring the problem you are allowing it to
develop from a once in a while activity to a social habit. This
will make dealing with this problem much more difficult in the
future. The best time to address biting is when it first develops,
especially if the toddler develops early.
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