14 month old biting at nursery

[spud28]

My 14 month old little boy is being shadowed at nursery today due to an on going issue with biting other children. At home he very rarely bites and at nursery we have been told
It happened when he gets over excited or it two of them want one toy. A few weeks ago they told me they were going to do some work with him with some puppets ???!!! It's not a continual problem and can go weeks with out it happening, I'm thinking it also related to teething as he suffers quite badly. It's really stressing me out as he's not doing it at home so I can't really inforce any continued correction at home. They tell me not to worry and its quite normal but I'm worried I will end up with an expelled 1 year old !!!

It's normal. DD did it and grew out of it. DS does it and hasn't grown out of it get. He's 19 months. DD had grown out of it by 19 months but she was an early teether and DS is late with his teeth and suffers more than DD did.

Thanks for the reassurance I just wonder how the puppet thing is helping a baby who doesn't understand and why they don't remove him from the situation as they obviously watch it happen as on every report they are able to tell me exactly what happened

My DD did this. She only did it once with me and I intercepted as she got her jaws round the other kid and took her home straight away. It will be so fast that they see it but can't get there in time- I think I was just lucky that time.

You can't do anything but have a talk with him about it. The nursery are doing the right thing in having a 'spotter'. Just keep talking to them, ask their advice and make sure they are tackling it.

If anyone waved a puppet in DS's face he would probably bite it

I guess they "act out" one puppet buying another, the bitee being hurt and sad, the biter being sorry he hurt his friend? DS wouldn't get that either but I don't suppose it will do any harm.

We've had this with DS, on and off, for several months (he's 19 mo). I too have noticed that it co-incides with teething. I've posted a separate thread about naughty steps as i have doubts about their effectiveness. I really don't think such a young child has much concept of behaviour and consequences, though there are some obvious things you can do to make them aware that it's not acceptable. I think younger toddlers who bite are doing so as a means of communication because they can't speak (or, as you have said, to relieve symptoms of teething). I don't suppose my DS would give a flying fig if someone approached him with puppets - and he's older than yours is. He'd probably laugh at them and think it was a good game.

When mine bites i make him look me in the eyes, tell him no biting, it hurts and remove him from the situation - and make a fuss of the person he has bitten. Then it's over with, no more fuss or 'consequences'. One day he'll get the message.

My 20 month old bites now and again, always his 4 year old brother who usually bites him back. He seems to do it less the older he gets. No idea about puppets! I usually pop him in his cot for 5 mins after telling him off, it's hard when they are so young

Thanks everyone, it just seems like the nursery are treating him like a 2/3 year old who is misbehaving and not a just turned 1 year old who really doesn't understand what they are going on about and sees everything as a game !

Yes, i understand Spud - i hate it when people treat my DS like a reasoning adult. I had a disagreement with my bil recently who stood there for 5 minutes trying to get my DS to say sorry to his 3 yo daughter, despite me telling him he doesn't yet know 'sorry'.