biting...yikes!

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by keejaylove, Sep 25, 2008.

  1. keejaylove

    keejaylove Well-Known Member

    does anyone have any suggestions to stop the biting?... both boys are guilty, and only some of the time do i catch them in the act, tell them no, and put them in timeout...sometimes i may tap them on the nose when i say "no"...and of course they cry for a bit, but it doesn't stop them from doing it again... especially when one has a toy or binky or anything that the other wants... now, I have caught them looking around to see if i was watching, so they know it's bad and that they will get in trouble, yet they do it anyway... and it's bad when one has up to 5 or 6 bite marks at a time... it's not always that severe, but it has happened... also, they just started going to a babysitter and she's caught them doing it a couple times to OTHER kids!! i was horrified!! i used to think it was a parenting issue, or that something must be wrong with a child that would do such a thing... and now I'M the parent and those are MY children...i honestly just don't know how to stop it...
     
  2. JDMummy

    JDMummy Well-Known Member

    We were just consistent in putting them to time out and then they had to say sorry and kiss the victim better. It eventually worked. It took a year almost. But now they are finally stopping.
     
  3. katnpat

    katnpat Well-Known Member

    Oh I am SO there!!
    Mine have been biting each other for a while now, but it seems to have intensified recently...at this moment Elizabeth has teeth marks on her cheek and on her chin and Isabel has 2 on her back. We've been doing time outs and then they apologize. We tell them that "biting hurts!" Buuuut, it's not really working. Sorry, no real advice, but I'm right there with you!
     
  4. CHJH

    CHJH Well-Known Member

    We went through a biting phase. I was very consistent with a firm and immediate "NO BITING" response and I showered all my positive attention on the victim, not the biter. I made the boys apologize and kiss each other better and I taught them more appropriate, gentle ways to be physical with each other (gentle touch, gimme five, hug, snuggle, hold hands, etc.) because they really do want to touch and physically interact - they just don't always know how.
     
  5. snoopytwins

    snoopytwins Well-Known Member

    My biters have calmed a bit recently(big increase in biting when the one year molars came in). Don't know if it's just coicidence or if telling them "no bite" worked but it's better.

    We always said "no bite" firmly, place the biter in a short time out (1 minute) and gave attention to the bitee. Sometimes, when mine are wrestling nowadays, they'll bite, and I have to do a quick pat on the bottom with the "no bite" to get his attention and then time out. Then I explain very basically that biting hurts and we move on.

    Biting happens...it's so not a parenting issue (unless, of course, you let it go without addressing it) so don't feel bad...many of us have been there and are going through it with you.
     

Share This Page