When a relative bites your child

Which is so unnecessary and cruel. Just as biting them is.

You can teach a child not to bite and not touch hot things without hurting them.

Whatever's next, ''bumping'' them with a car to show them what happens if you don't hold hands crossing the road?

I was bitten multiple times aged 6/7 by the boy next door who’s father was a police man in the 70’s, despite several months of the parents intervention and reasoning with him, it continued, only stopped when his father told him he’d been warned enough and bit him very hard, he never did it again, went onto to grow up to be a bank manager he was 10 years old at the time
I have never forgotten it

Old school and probably done to teach than punish. Better than biting the wrong person, who'll properly bite back or whack real hard.

We were all "burnt" on the fireplace, hob and candles at an early age to know not to get close. (Shock horror!!!).

No memory of it personally, but know from seeing the younger ones go through it. No abuse otherwise, just a painful lesson.

The post states that the OPs child bit his brother. The relative had no right to interfere and was in my view totally wrong in what they did. Whilst I wouldn't report them I would not leave them with either child until a full apology was received and I felt it was genuine.

You waffle too much sweetheart.

Ah. You are one of the types that cannot read or have an intelligent debate. I shall not waste my energy on you further!

What I find most odd about these kinds of conversations is all the people that pop up to say "I was a child in the 70s and I can say my parents NEVER did that to me"..... how do you all know? Who can remember? Your parents might have bitten you every day between the age of 2 and 3 and you'd have no clue.

How can you not understand the difference between a child doing something and an adult repeating it in retaliation?!

Defending the indefensible sweetheart. 😘

I'd have a firm word with the rellie to say 'not acceptable' and any discipline is your department, not theirs. I'd to do this when FIL smacked my child's hand once. I was furious and left him in no doubt about it.

I would have been furious and would have absolutely told that person in no uncertain terms that they totally overstepped their position, I would have added that in fact in future if your child needs any guidance about their behaviour then it is their parents responsibility to do this.

Some people here are suggesting old school teaching are ok sometimes but that's not the point of discussion here, but what is never ok is to take liberties in the way to teach or correct a child if the child is not yours. Some people smack their children and I still don't think they have the right to be smacking other children. That relative shouldn't have done that without your consent and you still have the right to put that person in their place. Explain that you want to calm down before speaking to he/her and if they don't support that you don't like that and they don't apologise I would say that then they are not trusted anymore and I wouldn't let my child be alone to them. I would personally feel very angry even if the child bite another, at the end of the day you are the parent and it was between two of your children.

I know of two cases where children were taken into care because their parents did this to them and it left a mark picked up by nursery. Thought they were ‘showing them how it felt’ too. It is considered abuse and a child protection matter for those who are proudly declaring that they’ve done this to their own children.

Ah don’t feel bad about it. They might bite you now if you ask them 😆

It’s the weirdest thread ever.
The amount of ‘parents’ that think the only way to teach a child not to bite is to bite them back is truly shocking.
I am in no way a ‘gentle’ parent. My children are raised with manners and to respect all things. I have never (and will never) resorted to any physical violence. Good parents simply don’t need to. Model the behaviour you wish to see.
what an awful thread

They wouldn't see my child again ! Thats disgusting and abuse

What The Mumsnetting-Fuck did I just read? Are people on this thread seriously condoning an adult biting a child?

A relative of mine bit her child when she bit her brother to show her it hurts.

said child went to her dads and he saw the bite and asked about it. “Mummy bit me”

the result? She was charged with assault by battery and it took her 3 years to get her daughter back

My ndn bit her dc 40 years ago to stop him biting. I was appalled then and i’m appalled now.
It’s wrong to say it’s was acceptable in the 80’s.

I would be furious. I would not let said relative around my child on their own ever again. Unless they apologised, I probably would cut them out of our lives indefinitely

Not the point!!!!!

Biting your child is never needed. There's plenty of ways to teach a child not to bite without biting them yourself.

This is totally absurd and disgusting behaviour from an adult ! Yes, let's treat violence with violence . I would be having very stern words with this relative and I'd cut all ties with them. How dare they bite your child ??!! A 2 year old is just a baby and doesn't know Jai to regulate their emotions or control their impulses. The poor little thing would be so confused. How terrifying for them !

I would consider a bite to be assault - which is the law in the U.K, and abuse if directed towards a child. Absolutely unforgivable that someone chose to do this to a small toddler that is not even their child. Shocking.
It would be a cold day in hell before someone did this to my child.

Scary