A biting child can make you and your child the scourge of your playgroup. An embarrassing behavior to have to deal with, it's important to remember that biting and aggression is fairly normal in small children. Biting feels good on their gums, and they enjoy a reaction from other children and adults alike. To curb your child's biting, it's best to watch for signs of aggression and stay firm in your discipline. Your child will likely grow out of biting and you'll be back to successful play dates once again.
Step 1
Watch for signs that your child is thinking about biting. Since biting often is a display of aggression toward another child or an adult, watch for an outburst or a scuffle with another child. If you see your child start to get angry, remove him for the situation immediately and take him away until he calms down. Explain to him that he was getting too angry, and needs a little time out.
Step 2
Give the child who was bitten more attention than to your child, the biter, advises Heidi Murkoff, co-author of "What to Expect--The Toddler Years". This shows your child that biting will not get your attention and may even bring about the opposite; your giving attention to another child completely. Make a fuss over the child who was bitten and have your child apologize.
Step 3
Discipline your child in a punishment that suits the crime. For a child that bites when playing with friends, remove him from the situation and disallow his going to a friend's house or playing with other children. If you are the one your child has bitten, put him in time out and remove the security of your company for as many minutes as he is old.
Step 4
Teach your child other ways to show her displeasure, suggests BabyCenter.com. Talk about asking nicely to share, saying "no" or finding an adult who can help to mediate the situation. Tell your child that biting is unacceptable, and let her know you won't tolerate it. Even a very small toddler will know that biting is wrong when she is swiftly punished for it.
Step 5
Be consistent and firm about your no biting rule. Even if a bite doesn't seem to hurt the other child, you should adopt a no-tolerance policy when it comes to biting. Make sure that your child is constantly disciplined for the biting until she understands that it is unacceptable behavior, KidsGrowth.com advises.
