10 month old biting me on shoulder/arm etc, what do I do??

[Millie3030]

Hi, my little guy has just turned 10 months old, and has 5 teeth. When playing on the floor sometimes he crawls over for a cuddle and has bitten me. First time it was on the shoulder, it really hurt, but because it was the first time I just "No, we don't bite".
Then today he did it again and I sat him down and slightly louder said "No, we don't bite, that hurts Mummy." I must have had a stern tone/face because his little bottom lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears, it broke my heart so I cuddled him and he bit me again!! Followed by me telling him off again and then him crying!

Any idea the best way to deal with this??

I had this, I'm sure whatever you do it'll just be one of those little phases that goes away on its own after a few weeks, but I recon a calm, 'no' then ignore is the way forward. And try and avoid it happening in the first place. You might find its a sign for something, eg he does it when he's tired or hungry.

Hand him something else to bite! What you said/did sounds perfect.

Oh dear, 8mo old DD has started doing this - she only has two teeth so far, but what a few weeks ago was a hilarious game of her biting my face when I pick her up to cuddle her, has now clearly started to become a bit risky...

Say no and ignore - even if he is breaking your heart with his little tears.

The first time he did it he got a lovely cuddle from you - so obviously it was a great idea to do it again, more cuddles!

It will pass, the streets are not full of adults biting each other.

My ds1 did this 2 times, at roughly the same age as yours. Both times I immediately put him down and walked a few steps away, turning my back on him, alpha mummy/horse whisperer style. He didn't like it but he didn't do it again.
I'd read something about biting before it happened so I was prepared, tho still pretty shocked the first time!

I don't know, my 19mo still bites. To show his displeasure when he is being cuddled and he'd rather be going somewhere else and to show his affection when he is feeling loving! Telling him "no" however firmly, putting him down and walking away made no difference to him, apart from making him cry that is. If anyone has any other ideas i would live to hear them at the moment I'm big on prevention...

Love I meant

I did the firm no, then put down and briefly ignore approach. Worked for us.

My dd does this when overtired manic when first home fm childminder or teething...obviously still not appropriate but just thought if mention as worth checking it's not these?

I also had this. I believe it is to do with frustration of not being able to communicate and I did notice that as my son's language developed further the biting stopped and is incredibly infrequent/practically non-existent now. But at the time it felt like it would never end and I worried constantly that it would spread to childminder or others in her care...he'd pretty much limited the whole thing to me, didn't really even bite daddy. Sounds like you dealt with it perfectly and better than I ever did. But I wanted to post just to assure you that it does go away!

I squealed, "Ow!" and then cried in an imitation of how he cries when he's hurt, turning away and not looking at him. He then would sit on the floor and cry 'cos he'd hurt Mummy and I wasn't talking to him. After a minute or so, I'd ask for a cuddle to make Mummy better, and he'd give me one, then all would be ok. He didn't bite too many times, and the later ones he cried as soon as he'd done it - he knew he shouldn't. I do the same if he throws something at me now.

The first time he did it he got a lovely cuddle from you - so obviously it was a great idea to do it again, more cuddles!

This ^^

Thanks ladies, as usual you are very helpful. I think your general consensus is say no then ignore. Which I will do, he hasn't done it since I wrote on here but I'm sure it's not the last.

Kundry- the streets are not full of adults biting each other! Ha ha! True. :-)

I shouldn't have cuddled him after the first time, but he honestly looked scared of me, must have been from my tone, full bottom lip quiver, but no sound and eyes filled with tears. It was soooo horrible! I tell him no for various things and he is fine, and his cry because he can't get this or that as it's not appropriate etc doesn't bother me. But this was a whole new look I have never seen, so I just melted and cuddled him. But I will look away next time.

Hey OP did your little one grow out of this? Thank you x

My middle or youngest did this, always bit my shoulder as I as carrying him round at that age and it did hurt. I always said no, tried to give him something else to bite, but it was just a phase and he never bit anyone else, just me.