Biting an nipping

[tweenies]

Hi my son is 22 months old and we seem to be getting the terrible two's early. He is forever biting and nipping other children. He spends alot of time with his cousins who seem to be nice to him so I don't know where he is getting it from.

We where at mother and toddlers last week and he bit a girl, I was so embarrassed and have tried every form of discipline, (naughty step, doing it back slightly, turning it into cuddles and kisses when i see him going do it, getting him to say sorry) I some times think he thinks it's a game.

He has also went up to complete strangers children in the street and hit them.

Running out of options please help.

what seemed to work for us was being right on top of the child; you don't get to sit down and have a nice cuppa and a chat at mum+tots group, you are on top of your child constantly. Hover over him. The moment he looks likely to get aggressive you physically stop/prevent with a gentle "No". If he does bite/hit before you can stop it, make a point of making sure that the victim "wins" -- gets the toy they were fighting over, gets a biscuit first, whatever. The point is, the aggressor never gets what they want for biting, the very reverse, in fact. It's good (if not always realistic) if you can go thru the motions of him saying sorry to the other child, too.

Not sure about the hitting another child on the street, he's probably just trying his luck, seeing what reaction he gets, see if it wins him any advantage. Again, I would have thought that hovering & being ready to grab his arms if he seems poised to strike could prevent it.