Help - how do I stop my otherwise gorgeous 16mo DS from biting?

[dublindee]

He's been at this for a while now, although tends to just pick on me and DP (me moreso though RAH!) and we've tried a few things.

A) Ignore it so he doesn't get attention
B) Distract him and do another activity (again to avoid it being a big deal)
C) Saying no firmly and taking him off lap and sitting him on floor to avoid contact with us
and most recently
D) Putting him in his playpen for 2mins as a time-out and leaving the room.

None of this has worked (obviously) as when DP went to collect him from creche this evening, we were told he had bitten another child in an unprovoked incident this afternoon. Apparently it was a fairly nasty one as well.

He's such a well behaved and happy toddler in all other areas and this is quite a recent development (2-3 weeks).
I want to stop it before it escalates out of control but have no idea how as he is our first child.
There's been no major upset at home or anything, although I am pg with no 2 at moment.

Any of the wise ones floating about willing to help out a first timer who has no clue what to do?
PLEEEEEEEEEEASE?


(sorry for long post)

[dublindee]

Please? I'm desperate!

[dublindee]

Anyone?

[southeastastra]

your methods seem to be the ones people advise to use. i think you just have to persevere with it.

Im sorry i can't be more helpful, my ds (4) has always been a bit of a biter (on and off) so can relate!

[tegan]

DD2 is 2.2 and we are having the same problems especially biting and scramming, even nursery complained to me last week. I have tried all the things you have and am also not dealing well with it. The main problem is her doing it to her 8 yr old sister.

[oldhippymum]

My small 17 month old has been biting us- mainly parents and siblings rather than other babies thank heavens so far!!

I find that 9 times out of ten if I screech "kiss" "kiss" as his jaws are approaching
I can divert him.

We do have a current joke "whats the difference between H and a Rottweiler? Its easier to getyour arm back from a Rottveiler!!"

seriously, we are a family of 6 and I tend to find that he bites when he's over excited so try to keep him calm as possible.

My main advice is try and identify the triggers

[Jimjamskeepingoffvaxthreads]

The only thing you are doing wrong is expecting it to stop quickly. Sometimes it doesn't despite doing all the right things. He's still little, it'll take time but he'll get there.

Is he teething? DS3 always bites a lot when teething.

[chubbleigh]

Agree with jimjams, my ds bites a lot when he is teething, it was a habit that had gone away but started up again a little while ago when he got his back molars. Have a good look in his mouth and don't run out of Ambesol and Calpol. Thinking back 16 months seemed to be about the age when he started to do naughty things to get a reaction and was roughly his biting peak. All your punishments seem about right to me.

[koalabear]

my DS did this also at around same age - i would say "no biting", put him straight on the floor wherever we were, and then walk away from him

it does sound like you have tried this technique though, so all i can offer is "perseverance" - good luck

[MaryP0p1]

Does he speak, because often biting is the childs way of communicating?

[dublindee]

He has loads of teeth but do think he has started to get more as he's kinda off food at the moment and a lot sleepier than normal.
These are his classic "I'm teething!" traits.
But that would only have been in the past few days - and he's been at this about 3 weeks(ish).
He can't speak properly yet but gabbles away in babyspeak which I can translate most of the time as he's great at pointing and stuff
Thansk for the advice though guys - much appreciated!