Son 20 months, keeps biting!

[nomorequotes]

He has bitten the same girl at the nursery 3 times today leaving bruising on her arm. I feel absolutely dreadful, I don't know what to do. I have told the nursery to allow him his dummy for the next couple of days incase he is teething and that is why.

Anyone got any good ideas?

BUMP

My mum bit my sister when she kept doing this to all the children at school aged 5....it had got to a serious and embarrassing level with most children bearing my sister's teeth marks on their bottoms...not recommending it but it worked (she's late 30s now)! My DD (21 months) has just started biting and hitting, mainly my 10 month old and her cousins, but as I'm a SAHM I can catch it and put her straight on time out with a firm telling off. I don't think she intends malice with it, she's just trying out her new found power as the older or bigger child. The problem with little ones is they just go with their impulse, whatever it happens to be at that moment in time, and whether it's biting or hitting or kissing or cuddling, or snatching or throwing, they just go with it.

I'd have a firm word but other than that, it's just an unpleasant stage which will pass. My youngest niece used to be a biter but she grew out of it after a few telling offs.

DS was getting reguarly bitten by a boy at nursery. The boy is son of NCT friend and the two boys are inseperable. It lastest a few months round the age of 18mo but it's stopped now and they're still best friends. The nursery nurses said it's totally normal - distressing, but normal. They would tell him a firm "we don't bite our friends" and separate them. I think he's just grown out of it. Then again, he may still be biting others, just not my DS any more...!

in the mean time DS is a bit of a hitter and shover. Again, totally normal and we just keep saying firmly "we don't hit" and move him away/distract him from the situation. Easier said than done though as sometimes it's so frustrating, and especially when he gets you plain on the cheek, you just want to shout in his face with anger, but that's probably not the best idea...

I think the key thing is that it is all normal - it's how we react/deal with it that's the important thing. i.e. consistently and calmly. Again, easier said than done!