Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

18 month old biter

12 replies

Welshmum · 15/10/2003 17:54

My dd has nipped me 3 times in the last hour. It's a first for her. What's the best way to deter her from doing it anymore? My initial response has been to squeal 'NO' and then say no biting mummy a few times but it's left her a bit confused. She's currently standing on the other side of the room kind of idly playing and looking bewildered. I feel awful for shouting. Did I do the wrong thing? any advice greatly appreciated.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Jenie · 15/10/2003 20:36

Ds bites me occasionaly, he does do it in a kind of loving way, I put my fingers over his lips gently and say in my teacher voice no we don't bite people. And leave it at that until the next time when I repeat the process.

Goodluck with it though. 18 months is agreat age isn't it.

Freddiecat · 16/10/2003 12:42

DS is also 18 months and bites DP quite a lot. He has left some nasty red wounds. It says in the Toddler Taming book to put them down and walk off without saying anything (though we feel that saying "no biting" is a good idea). However DS has started to then run over to DP and deliberately bite him again.

singingmum · 16/10/2003 13:00

my youngest brother did this and so did both my children.My mum was told to bite him back(only so that he could feel it) and ask him how it felt.I did this with my two and they stopped.Walking away doesn't help I tried that first.I am afraid it's don't touch the oven syndrome the more you say no the more they try to do it.It was a health visitor who told my mum to do this.Shocking but successful

Original poster

Welshmum · 16/10/2003 13:38

Don't think I could possibly bite her that's too barbaric for me - I felt awful enough all night for shouting. I think I'll try the 'no biting, biting hurts' in a very firm voice and hope for the best.

OP posts:

florenceuk · 16/10/2003 16:48

No don't bite! Babies of this age can't empathise, so they don't translate their pain into yours - it just hurts them. Yes, aversion therapy works, but you don't need to go this far. We put DS in the corner and repeat, no biting, no biting. And try not to look at him but get busy doing something else. Usually DS bursts into tears, making me feel terrible, but slowly it seems to be sinking in, he hasn't bitten for ages (pushing is another story). Other suggestions include just walking off, saying no biting - but DH found it hard to do, he'd rather be doing something if you know what i mean, so we resort to the naughty corner solution.

Northerner · 16/10/2003 16:51

my ds is 18 months also and he does this too, but not in anger. He does it when he is excited or if we are having a loving rough and tumble. Or sometimes he cathes me unawares and just sinks in his teeth. It bloody hurts!

FairyMum · 17/10/2003 07:22

I also have friends who have bitten their little biters back and it has worked for them. I could never do it myself though, and agree with the reasons florenceuk is giving for why she wouldn't do it.
My ds has also been a biter. I have done what the others have suggested, said a firm"no" and walked away. He now seems to be more or less over the aggressive biting stage (he is 2), but he sometimes seems to want to take a bite of mummy. Not sure how I can explain it, but he gets this "possessed" look in his eyes and runs after me to bite me. I think it's because he wants to eat me because he loves me so much. Does it sound crazy?

Jenie · 17/10/2003 12:15

Not atall Fairymum that's what I was trying to say about my ds, he doesn't understand that he's hurting me just that he want's a piece of me to chew on whilst I'm not right next to him lol.

aloha · 17/10/2003 17:59

At two my ds has, I think grown out of it. Biting them 'back' might work but in the same way as hitting hard might work - it doesn't teach them how it feels because they don't and can't understand that concept. I did find that putting him outside the room briefly when he bit worked (He hated it) - and trying not to respond in an 'entertaining' way (eg leaping up and yelping). I also said 'no biting'. I think it is just a stage some chidren go through, no indicator of a vicious personality or anything and they grow out of it. I also agree that sometimes it does seem that they want to be so close to you and get so excited by being with you they actually want a bite of you.

Blu · 17/10/2003 18:12

DS did this, and at exactly that age. Unfortunately the first time was on my toe when I was in bed and my surprised shriek encouraged him to think of it as 1st class entertainment. After that, we just put him down, straight away, each time he tried it, and ignored him for a few moments. He stopped v quickly. Then a couple of months later he bit my thumb as a 'joke'. It really hurt and I shrieked. He tried it again, and I said 'No'and put him a short distance away from me. Thinking it was all over, I dropped my guard, and the little horror crept back up and bit again right in the middle of my thumb nail. It REALLY hurt, and I am ashamed to say that I slapped him. Not all that hard, and it felt like a self-defence sort of reaction. It's the only time I've done it, and we had planned to bring him up without hitting him. Have to say, he has never tried biting me or anyone else since......

tinyfeet · 20/10/2003 15:13

The first time my DD bit me, I screamed really loud and scared poor DD to death. She never did it again. I didn't intend for it to be so loud, but it really hurt- whilst breastfeeding. She immediately started crying, seeming to acknowledge that she had caused me great pain.

shanners · 08/01/2008 22:01

Our baby bites us and other children mainly when he is excited or tired. We have tried biting him back, putting in a different room, telling him off, smacking him, sending him to bed, and giving lots of attention to the bitee but all the above doesn't seems not to be having any effect. Impossible to leave alone with other children and very out of character as he is usually a loving and affectionate baby. Help needed!

Flip