Tips for Biting Problem in Toddlers
Biting is a problem that a lot of toddlers have. Biting can be caused by a lot of things including frustration, pain, and a need for attention. Before you can address your toddlers biting problem you really need to understand what is causing the biting.
1. Finding the Causes
The first tip for addressing biting problems in toddlers is to figure out what is causing your toddler to bit. As mentioned above there are a lot of different reasons why toddlers bit. Many bite because of a teething reflex. Others bite because they are feeling neglected and want attention. Others do it as a display of aggression. To figure out why your toddler is biting watch them when they are playing. See what is happening right before they bite. This will help you to determine the cause.
2. Is it due to teething?
If your toddler is biting as a teething reflex then you can solve this problem in a couple of ways. First of all provide them with something appropriate to bite on. This may be a teething ring or a frozen gel teething pack. Secondly treat the toddlers gums with a pain reliever. This will help to reduce the toddlers impulse to bite. Fortunately this cause of biting will solve itself with time. Your job, in the meantime, is to intercept the biting before it happens.
3. Attention seeking
If your toddler is biting out of aggression or out of a need for more attention then you need to address the problem immediately before it develops into a social behavior. When you first notice your toddler biting correct them. Explain to them that biting hurts and that you do not approve of that behavior. If they bite another child comfort the victim first and apologize to the bite victim in front of the biter. This will teach the child who bit that their behavior is not going to get them more attention, and it will also teach the child that their actions are inappropriate.
4. Never bite back
Never bite your child as a way to show them that biting is not appropriate. This will actually reinforce that biting is a way to prove something, get attention, or get your way. Instead, you will want to correct negative behavior and reinforce good behavior.
5. Don’t ignore the problem
Another thing that you dont want to do is to ignore the problem. By ignoring the problem you are allowing it to develop from a once in a while activity to a social habit. This will make dealing with this problem much more difficult in the future. The best time to address biting is when it first develops, especially if the toddler develops early.
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