How to stop DS (17mths) from biting me???!!

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

He's biting me when he has a tantrum or is cross with something. I tell him NO very firmly and place him off to one side and then when he comes back, I ask him to say sorry, which he does, but he still keeps trying to bite. I'm really worried he's going to bite a child in nursery at some point!

Help!!

[ArmadilloDaMan]

Ignore him.

Try not to react when he bites (I know it's difficult if it hurts) but walk out of the room and ignore him completely. DOn't make him say sorry or anything like that, just don't give him any attention for it at all.

[BoysAreLikeDogs]

I wouldn't bother with getting him to say sorry, switching off the attention should get the message over.

If you are spending 5 minutes saying over and over 'say sorry' then that rather negates what you are doing.

Don't worry too much, this is a stage that they all go through.

HTH

[LadyOfWaffle]

Oh my lord - your 17 month old says sorry??

My 19 month old used to bite, still does sometimes, I tell him "No" to which he screws up his face and buries his head, but it works. If I ignore he will really bite me and it bloomin' hurts!

[Wisteria]

I know I fly in the face of public opinion but I am a firm believer in showing them what they have done to you with biting and biting back does work IMVVVVVHO.... My friend had this problem and her dd eventually bit another child's ear, drawing blood - she finally bit her back and she never did it again.

[ArmadilloDaMan]

But you have to be able to empathise usually for that to work, to understand that if it hurts you, it will hurt someone else. At 17 months the overwhelming majority of children can't.

[Wisteria]

I see where you're coming from and am not an expert on child psychology or empathic age requirements so don't know - all I do know is, my dd2 bit me on the breast once - I bit her back on her finger and she never did it again and my friend's dd had had every discipline method invented without success previously but the ear episode, as we now refer to it, forced her into drastic action and that worked too!

[CrookshanksinJimmyChoos]

I can see the logic but just couldn't bring myself to bite him back! Most I've managed to do is a very light tap on the back of his hand! Will try the total cut off of attention and leave the room....I'm positive its an attention thing but its still bloody 'orrible!

Still love him to bits though