One out of every 10 children between 12 and 36 months old bite, says the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Your child may be biting for multiple reasons; he may be trying to communicate frustration, may be in need of attention or may be trying to gain control in a given situation. Though biting is common, it is a habit that should be acknowledged and treated. You can help your child nip his biting habit by way of a few simple techniques.
Promote Language
Since biting can be caused by the inability to commute fully, a way to counteract biting is to promote the learning of expressive language. This way, your child can learn how to express the frustration in words instead of relaying the frustration in a hurtful way. For instance, try telling her, "It hurts when you bite others." Also tell her to tell other children "no" or "stop" when she feels angry. In addition, use positive language--instead of saying, "Don't bite," try, "Be gentle," says the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting, or CEEP. If she looks frustrated, encourage her to express her feelings by saying, "You look angry. Why don't you tell your friend you don't like what he's doing?" Such expressions help her to release frustration in more healthy, productive ways.
Take the Child Out of Play
While it may be natural to discipline the biter, punishment is not advised. This is because biting is seen as a natural developmental phase. Instead, after you have checked on the victim, remove the biter from other children until he has calmed down. Next, instead of using negative reinforcement, such as biting back or yelling, the CEEP suggests you tell him, "No," or "Biting is not OK." By taking him out of play every time he bites, he will begin to understand that he needs to stop the behavior to play with his friends.
Reassure Safety
A child may bite in order to gain control over a certain situation. This may be caused by her being overwhelmed or over-stimulated in her environment. She may also feel unsafe in the environment and use biting as a means of defense. As a result, try to reassure her she is safe and redirect her attention if she begins to feel overwhelmed by emotion, says the Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases website.
Promote Good Behavior
While it is necessary to take immediate action when your child bites, it is also necessary to relay to him what kind of behavior you consider "good." For instance, tell your toddler when he is interacting with others nicely and when he is communicating his feelings in an appropriate way. Doing so lets him know the proper way of handling situations with others, and provides him with self-esteem, says the National Network for Child Care website. In addition, since biting can be a way to gain attention, providing a child attention when he is not biting may help limit his need to bite for this reason.
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