Toddlers Who Bite

Did you know that toddlers who attend an early care facility five days a week all year can expect to be bitten by another toddler about seven times? While no one wants a child to bite other children or be bitten, at least we know it’s a common behavior.

But why is it so common, and what can you do about it?

Why Toddlers Bite

• They lack the language skills to ask for what they want or express how they feel.
• They’re experimenting to see what
• They don’t want to share with another child.
• They’re teething.
• They’re over-tired.
• They’re bored.

How to Prevent Biting

• Anticipate when bites might happen by paying attention to what’s going on with the child right before the bite.
• Distract the child with another
• Suggest another way to handle the situation instead of biting .
• Give the child something else he or she can bite or
• Suggest ways to share popular
• Be clear that biting is not

What not to do

• Don’t get angry.
• Don’t shame the child.
• Don’t bite back. Biting is normal and common, but it is important to teach children that biting is not a good way to get what they want.

The good news is that most toddlers stop biting by the time they are about three years old, and in the meantime, you can always ask for help if your efforts to teach your child to stop biting don’t seem to be working.

Resources

Judith Garrard, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, in Teaching Your Child Not to Bite, www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/improper-behavior/ teaching-your-child-not-to-bite/

 Look for more ideas in the article, Toddlers and Biting: Finding the Right Response, at www.zerotothree.org.

Contact

Programs and families can contact the program leadership directly at PAIECMH@pakeys.org with questions or concerns.

Additional Considerations

This project is supported by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.