Could use some advice from the wise mums and dads on here. I've changed the kids' names BTW.
DD has been going to nursery since she was tiny and has always loved it. Very outgoing, makes friends with everyone, very gentle with other children. She's almost 3.
We had a few biting incidents from a younger toddler, Anna, last year. Never left much of a mark, if any. DD is quite vocal so we could chat about it and she always took it in her stride. Nursery did their best, I did get a bit frustrated at the repeated incidents but DD wasn't badly hurt and seemed fine about it, she would say things like "Anna bite me but she only little, Mummy". It stopped as they were watching Anna like a hawk and I guess she grew out of it.
Fast forward to this year, DD has just moved rooms last week. She's one of the youngest in this one, most of the kids are 3+. She was bitten badly by a child on Monday. It was through her top, it tore the skin almost enough to draw blood (I'm certain it would have done if her sleeves had been rolled up) and most of her forearm is black and blue. The bite marks are also distorted and dragged out as if the child clamped down hard and she struggled if that makes sense.
She's been waking up screaming at night the last few nights. She came home today and only wanted to be rocked while crying in my arms (nothing happened I rang them to check). Very out of character, she is not a cuddly child. She has also been resisting going into nursery in the morning when she normally skips in. She tells me "Jack hurt me. Jack always pushing and biting". Nursery obviously can't confirm this, I only know the child's name from DD. So I don't know if he is always at this and I can only say with certainty that he has bitten her once, albeit badly. She also started talking about Anna again " Anna bite me too Mummy, always biting me". I feel awful now, Anna hasn't been mentioned for months and yet she clearly remembers so it must have affected her worse than I thought 😔. I don't know how to help her. She is getting lots of cuddles and reassurance (while trying not to feed into making a big fuss about her arm as I know that would lead to its own problems).
Any advice for how to help DD? It isn't an option to move her. There's only one other local nursery with a crap reputation. Her nursery is fantastic in every other way. She has additional requirements (medical not SEN) that nowhere else would manage. And she loves it there and the staff are amazing. I know their hands are tied though with how much they can do. They've promised to watch the kids closely but I do NOT want my child getting another bite like that one, its truely awful and I've no doubt her arm was very sore after. I'm not a precious parent by any means I promise but was I unreasonable to ask the minders to keep the kids apart? They said they would do their best but can't guarentee which is just making me feel like a shit mum that I'm putting her in this situation. Her behaviour since has just been so out of character, I feel I've let her down.