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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

My DD has bitten other children at nursery today - how to deal with it?

12 replies

Orchide · 28/05/2008 19:32

DD is 1 - has lots of teeth and has enjoyed biting things for a while now. on a few ocassions she has bitten members of the family, mainly fingers but last week my nipple and bloody hard! {owww emoticon}
Today at nursery she has bitten 2 children, one on the face. im really concerned.
how best to deal with it?
At the moment any bites get a sharp 'no' and after a short pause somethign to distract so she doesnt repeat it. If shes in a biting mood i have noticed that she will try more than once - hence the distraction.

What else can i do?
Is it a phase? Do they just grow out of it in time?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RubySlippers · 28/05/2008 19:35

they all do it

My ds was bitten a fair amount at nursery, and then he started biting

you are dealing with it in absolutely the right way

it is a phase and it will pass

bubblagirl · 28/05/2008 19:36

how old is your dd as they dont tend to understand till a bit later a no and stroke face and say nicely aaawwww

then if copies good girl if biting you remove her from you and put on her own on the floor and say no biting

then pick back up if does it again back on floor

eventually realises gets more attention from no biting

mummyloveslucy · 28/05/2008 19:36

What about some sort of teathing ring or somthing that she can keep with her at all times, in case she feels like biting. What you're doing sounds just right. I'd talk to the nursery about it and also your H.V. There may be other things to try.

KristinaM · 28/05/2008 19:37

you are doing all you can

yes its a phase, they all do it and they grow out of it

PerkinWarbeck · 28/05/2008 19:40

my DD is just a little older and loves biting . but luckily we seem to have weaned her from biting our legs, fingers etc., to chowing down on a soft toy. It does make her look a bit like a jack russell with a chew toy, but so far she's not bitten anyone at nursery (touch wood, cross fingers etc).

Nursejo · 28/05/2008 19:46

Yessss! Dont despair.My DS did this a few times,at playgroup and once at an after school club when he was 5. I was horrified and felt I'd "done" something to make him this aggressive,but he is testing his boundaries its a new technique to "rule" over the other child,but once he is firmly told this is not acceptable,and made to apologise,he will start to realise,maybe not immediately,but provided you are consistent he will soon drop it.I was even more horrified when my son "reoffended" after 2 years of not doing it,but this time I sat him down and he wrote letters to the other child,the supervisor and the parents to apologise,and had to give them to them face to face,he never did it again(he's 12 now btw)

mummyloveslucy · 28/05/2008 19:46

My daughter never had any problems with biting. She did it once when she was a baby {with teeth) and I was shocked and said aaawwww!! pulling my finger away quickly. This shocked her and made her cry but she never did it again. She is very sensitive though.

bubblagirl · 28/05/2008 19:51

sorry didnt see the age thought it said dd1 lol

well yes far too young to understand yet just keep doing what your doing she will grow out of it best to say no so other parents can see you actively telling her as some parents do watch out for the parents who say nothing

regardless of childs age

but yousound like your doing right thing say no and distract

Nursejo · 28/05/2008 19:55

Sorry make that she and just go through the motions of "saying" sorry as she is so young.Sorry also didnt see her age.

Original poster

Orchide · 28/05/2008 20:27

Thanks everyone for replies.

Picking her up at nursery i felt so guilty, if my DD had come home havign been bitten i know i would react like the 'slightly overprotective first time mother that i am. But its my DD doing the biting!!

Postive responses certainly helped

erkinwarbeck - May try the toy to bite...she loves crawling round carrying things in her mouth so jack russel comparisons are spot on!!

OP posts:

cmotdibbler · 28/05/2008 20:35

My DS (2) is a bit of a biter - what we/nursery started off with was saying 'no biting' and putting him down on the floor away from the other children for a minute or two. We've just added in signing 'sad' and that it hurts. This seems to have reinforced the message that its unpleasant for the bitee.

If I think he's thinking about biting me, I say 'no biting, only kissing' and that seems to be distracting him nicely.

I think I'd be reticent to encourage biting anything, as you're maybe blurring the boundaries of what can be bitten.

Nursery say that children tend to be biters or tantrum throwers, and that all biters normally grow out of it once they can talk properly.

Am hoping that this is true !

minkersmum · 28/05/2008 21:36

My ds (now almost 4) went thru a biting phase a couple of years ago, it was awful at toddler groups and i felt i couldn't take my eyes off him. It always happened if he got into a 'fighting over a toy' situation and he would almost kind of shake with frustration and then launch forward with his teeth! I felt awful and sadly some parents will make you feel like your child is the only child who has ever done such a terrible thing but they're not and they will grow out of it. Hang in there it'll pass.

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