Biting 3 yr old. Have you experienced this?

[hamkin]

One of the staff at DS nursery has told me on 2 occasions that my DS has bitten another child.

Apparently the incidents followed a fight between the child and DS. I asked DS about the incidents and each time he said the child had been hitting him. (It was a different child each time)

The staff member said that it should be nothing to worry about and that if it was going to be a big problem, she was sure he would have done it more than twice? She also said he was very sorry and cried after he had done it . Both him and the other child were put on the 'naughty step'

I am really upset about this as he does not do this at home,although he is VERY lively (he IS 3)

Just wondered if anyone else had been through this and if you had any tips? I have explained to him that it is wrong to bite people etc,but I am concerned that he is not happy at nursery, though he says he is?

Hi hamkin, having worked in a nursery i can understand your concerns. Im sure your son enjoys his time at nursery, if he didnt in sure he would kick up a fuss when you drop him off.
You have to ask yourself 'what are the other children lik'? It may be that your DS is copying other & naughter children and think that is all a bit of a game, especially if other children are being naughty or hittig/biting other children etc..

My DS is 2 and although he can be very good he also has his moments of frustration and outrage. He has pinched, scratched, kicked and smacked me in the face before all because he cant have what he wants. I have now learnt to ignore this and sit him on the chill out step until he calms down.

I really hope you can reslove the concerns you have a his nursery, im sure the Nursery Nurses have every faith that this will not continue. Good luck

Hi Hamkin. Our DD 2.5yrs was only biting one of her best friend who is the same age. Her friend did bite her for the 1st time when they were both 2 yrs old. Her parents (which are very good friends of ours) didn't say anything to her and by mistake all our attention when to the biter and not our DD. Since that when our DD was upset with her little friend she would bite her.... until the last time, I gave a cuddle to her screaming friend, then took our DD appart, explain how painful it must have been for her friend and told her to come back to us when she is ready to say sorry. She came back upset, said sorry and gave a cuddle to her friend, which was nice.... she hasn't biten her for a while but everytime we see them I am now always expecting her to do it!!! her little friend has biten over ones at her nursery but bizarelly our nursery were so surprised when I was telling them that DD was biting her best friend!!! I am sure that your DS is happy at his nursery and he might only be doing what other kids are doing... I was told that it is not a problem when they bite few times...

Thanks very much for your stories. DS went back t0 nursery today for the first time since easter. Spent a lot of time over the hols explaining to him that biting, etc, is not nice. I just hope I have got through to him. He has been fine all holiday with no biting, so it must just be confined to nursery and what goes on there.

Still, I am not as worried about it now. He has been ok today at least!