12mo biting - how to deal with it?

[marzipananimal]

My DS has just turned one but has been biting me for months. I have kept thinking he'll just grow out of it but it's gone on so long...

He doesn't do it when he's cross, he just seems to like biting me and it really hurts!

I have tried ignoring, and more recently tried a firm 'no', putting him down and ignoring him for a short time. I also sometimes shout (can't help it sometimes :( ) Nothing seems to work.

He has recently started shaking his head (usually with a smile on his face) when he's about to do something I've told him not to (including biting), but I'm not sure how much he understands.

Any advice? I'm covered in bruises and my patience is wearing thin!

(by the way - he is in general a gorgeous, funny and happy little chap; describing his biting makes him sound horrible!)

when ds has done this (reading your post made me realise he hasn't done it for a while) i try to calmly explain that we don't bite people cause it hurts.
Then i ask if he'd like something to eat and get him something like apple that offers some resistance. At a push a tooth brush. Something he can legitimatly bite anyway.

sorry, posted too soon!

Meant to say we also do the sign for hurt, which we do to him when he hurts himself too, but even at 18m i don't think he undertands that we too feel pain!

It is worrying when your little angel launches a vicious and unprovoked attack on you, this loving and devoted mother! But i do believe they are just exploring the satisfying feeling of sinking their teeth into something. Untill they get a misterious and unexpected reaction from us...then they start exploring that too! That's why i try with varying degrees of success not to freak, and to find him an acceptable way of exploring biting.

Thanks :)
I do often try giving him something else to bite but he seems to prefer flesh! Oh well, will keep going

My 15m old dd is also doing the same, I'm just persevering with the no and placing her away from me which she hates so we'll see!!