DD being bitten at nursery

[Lifeonthecanal]

DD is 2.5 and goes to nursery 3 mornings a week. When I collected her last week I was told there had been an 'incident' and she'd been wrestled to the ground (their words) and banged her head. Fair enough, these things happen. When I collected her on Sunday she'd been bitten twice on the upper arm - the nurse had put arnica on and all was fine. I was told they would watch the child. I just picked her up and she's been bitten again, this time on her lower arm. It is the same child who has done this.

Nursery has told me that the boy doesn't bite anyone else, only my DD. They have told me when she goes on Thursday they will have a TA watch him at all times. Is this enough? I realise some children bite and my next child might well be a bite-er (is that a word?!), it's just awful when it is your child. DD currently loves going and I don't want that to change. We have played it down to her, kiss better and no mention again, but I am quite upset.

If it happens again should I ask for him (or her) to move classes or is that being too PFB?

Hmmm.... difficult. As the mother of a 22 mo 'biter' it's equally frustrating and upsetting, not to mention extremely embarrasing. He was back at the CM a matter of minutes yesterday before he bit someone. I was mortified and am beginning to worry that i have a bully on my hands. I feel utterly powerless atm.

Anyway. You have to do whatever you can for your child. Having said that, i think that moving class is probably taking it too far for no other reason than it would probably be far more unsettling for your DD. With children's bites, often prevention is the only thing you can do so i would focus on ensuring the nursery are really on top of the situation and monitoring your DD's and this other child's every move and intervening where necessary. Also ask them about their strategy for dealing with biters. I'm at a loss to know how to handle my DS, but i hope your nursery have a proven track record of successfully dealing with similar situations. Probably something like telling the other child in no uncertain terms that biting is wrong and it hurts, but focusing the attention in the aftermath more on your DD.

Good luck.

Oh sorry, just re-read and think you mean move the other child. I still think that's taking it too far and in all likelihood moving the problem elsewhere onto some other poor unsuspecting child!

is there some understanding by you and the nursery, of the context of the biting? i.e. has said child just walked over to your DD and bitten her for seemingly no apparent reason or is it the end result of some altercation between the children e.g. squabbling over a toy or something that has resulted in frustration and then a bite?
If they understand the situations in which this is happening it will make it easier to prevent i think.
My 2 DC who are at school now, but who both went to nursery full time, were both the biters and bitees on ocassions. Most children do bite at least once or twice and this phase does usually pass quite quickly.
I think you are right not to make too much of a fuss about it with your DD but make sure the nursery are monitoring and taking appropriate action (which sounds like they are) Is it even possible to move the boy elsewhere - do they have classes and ratios etc that would allow it.? I would wait to see how she gets on over the next few weeks and whether there are further incidents.