Child bit at school

[Dbrea]

Hi all.. I am a mess right now.. my little girl who turned 4 at the end of August, started school early this month.. everything has been going fine.. I was worrying as she has a slight speech delay but has been getting on fine with positive feedback from her teacher.. but today was a different story. She bit another child!. They were fighting over a toy! I feel absolutely sick and so anxious about this.. she hasn't bitten since she was a toddler. She's full of cold and didn't sleep too well last night between coughing and sneezing so I take full responsibility for sending her as she was a little grumpy this morning. Can some give me some similar stories because I am feeling like a real crappy mum right now 😭😭😭

Oh bless you. I’m a Year 1 teacher and every single year there are always a couple of biting incidents. It happens!

Obviously talk to your daughter and make sure she understands it’s not ok but please please don’t feel you’ve done something wrong here.

Ds1 bit in reception. First time ever. Never been aggressive or a fighter. He's 21 now and never bitten anyone since to the best of my knowledge...

She's 4, she's over tired, feeling a bit rough and is in a new environment added to that she has a speech delay, it happens. Kids bite sometimes out of frustration/anger etc. Mine used to bite sometimes too when he couldn't communicate his emotions, he quickly outgrew it, he's now in his 30s and is a complete gentle giant who was never in trouble as a child (or adult) for any form of violence towards others. Talk to her, reinforce the no biting message and don't blame yourself (or her).

Thank you so much.. my son who is older has never had any issues.. if anything he's been on the other end of the incidents. Im just a mess.. I was so anxious about her starting school because of her speech delay.. she's been getting so well but now all of these negative and anxious feelings have come flooding back.

I'm just so horrified.. I was so anxious about her starting school because of her speech delay and over the last few weeks it had faded as she was getting on so well but after today I'm back to square one.

Thank you so much. I'm guessing you were just as horrified as I was. I was completely shocked when the teacher was telling me

Agree with all of the others, she's likely got a headache, feels rough and has a new place and people to cope with. Give her a nice bath, an early night and an extra cuddle.

If she does have a slight speech delay,, is she under SLT already? If not, have a look at this progress checker. I would wait until she's well though before completing it. Let us know how you get on

My dd came home from school very confused after she bit a child. The other child happened to be black. She said to me “I bit her because she took the toy I wanted, not because she’s black”. So she had clearly been accused of racism.
As others have said I don’t think it’s happened since.

My DS bit another child once during reception when another child took something of his and wouldn’t give it back. He hadn’t done anything like that since being in nursery where he did it once and I did feel mortified. I totally understand you being horrified but tiredness and lots of emotions can lead to this so I would really try not to dwell on it or read too much into it. My DS went on to become firm friends with the child he bit just a few weeks later and they are still firm friends now!

My niece got bitten 3 times in reception by the same child. The last time it broke her skin and my sister took her to A&E as worried about infection. Nothing seemed to happen to the child who was doing the biting. Twice it happened in the classroom and once in the playground. She had bit 2 other children too, but only once each. Not much you can do really. It happens very quickly. The teacher has lots of DC to watch.