Toddler twin biting her sister! Can I ask your advice?

[glamourbadger]

Hi all, I wondered if I could ask the advice of you mums with older twins?

DT1 has started biting DT2 - it's happening at least once a day. She has discovered if she bites her she gives up the toy, moves out the way, etc with the added advantage of getting my attention.

It's difficult to know what to do. They are 16 months (14 corrected) so too young to understand the concept of a "naughty step" or similar. At the moment I am telling her very sternly that it is unacceptable, giving DT2 lots of cuddles then separating them. Everything is a game at this age and DT1 just laughs when I tell her off - it's very frustrating!

Any advice? I know this is just "another phase" but I feel dreadful for poor DT2 - her hands and arms are full of chomp marks and she is becoming very wary of playing with her sister.

I had similar glamourbadger! For me it didn't last too long but I had one DT with a few sore bits and a nasty bruise on my bum (I was bitten whilst I was cooking, nice )

I lifted my DT2 straightaway and said "we don't bite, you hurt arm/leg, thats very sore" in a stern voice. Then I put my DT2 in the cot each and every time it happened, door shut, no cuddly toys/comfort blankets etc. I didn't go back in even if he screamed and cried and I didn't shout or talk/explain anymore.

When he was calm (or a few mins were up, whichever came first) I would lift him out, say "we don't bite, you hurt arm/leg, that was very sore for

Then carry on as normal, don't mention it again. Repeat every time. Consistency brings quicker results.

Its horrible. Good luck.

And, although they are very young, IMHO its never too early to begin to teach the rule that says antisocial behaviour gets no attention.

As Frumpy said, a stern "no biting, it hurts" then time out in the playpen or cot and being ignored for a few minutes works well. When mine were a little older around 3, and they bit, I would actually put a couple of drops of vinegar on their tongue. That worked brilliantly. Oh, and ignore anyone who tells you to bite them back, that's just wrong.

Sigh..........................

ditto the helpful advice.

Now DT1 just screams, high pitched at the top of her voice.

Sigh............................

Ha ha ha - thanks everyone for cheering me up (or maybe it was the wine ). FG, I can't believe you got bitten on the bum!

Will try putting DT1 in her cot and lavishing my attention on poor DT2. Hope this is just a phase that will pass, I'm dreading her biting another kid at a playgroup .

Funny how ID twins can be so different in personality, I have one sweet little soul and one excitable stroppy diva.

We're having the same problem and have been trying much the same thing as you.

i think frumpygrumpy is onto something though, as our biting stage has been going on for months now!

mine bite too !
twin 2 always bites twin 1 and nearly draws blood...it always leaves a bruise which looks nasty and sore.

sometimes twin 1 will bite him back and then i have 2 screaming babies.

i dont know what to do apart from the obvious telling off and i do smack them sometimes - so i might try the vinegar thing, thats got to better than smacking...i do feel guilty when i do that.

any other suggestions?

thanks.