11 mo bit a 2 yo today. Help!

[cosmicdust]

My ds is 11mo and loves to be around other kids. He's an only child so I'm trying hard to let him get to know other children. Trouble is he's extremely rough. I've basically decided I have to keep him more than arms reach away from other babies because he will grab, scratch or hit their faces, but today he was playing with a 2 year old and they seemed to be having a good time chasing each other, then suddenly the 2 yo screamed and when I go close there were bite marks on his cheek from my ds. I felt TERRIBLE! It broke the skin. I apologised a lot and told my ds NO! and took him out of the room and got an antiseptic wipe for the other mum to use. She was cool about it, but I feel terrible! I don't know how to stop it. My ds bit me a few times but now I know when it's coming and can stop it. He quite often does it when he wants to bf. I no he's teething & when it happened it was also past nap time, but right now I feel like I can never take him around another child again! I will call the other mum in the morning and make sure her little one's okay, but how can I stop this biting?
Seems like all the "experts" I read say don't bite back and all the mums I read say bite back...but inflicting pain on an 11mo surely isn't right?
Sorry for such a long post!

Some children do go through a biting phase. It's pretty common so don't panic.

It sounds as though you were suitably sympathetic and appologetic to the other mother.

Definitely don't bit him back! Biting your own child to teach them a lesson is a loathsome notion. Think of it this way - if your little boy was a bit older and was bitten by another child and so bit the child back, you would be cross with both of them. We don't bite under any circumstances, even if someone bites us.

Carry on being vigilant (so perhaps hover when your little boy is playing with someone and you think biting might happen). Try and prevent it happening. When it does happen you can say 'no' or remove him from the game maybe, but to be honest 11 months old is far too young to learn any sort of discipline.