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“My son turning 3 this month is biting. He only bites me his mum tho. He leaves bruises. I’m not sure how to get him to stop.”

Posted by Kim, 17/5/2013


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  • By the way, my now 7yr old daughter has Down Syndrome. She has a severe expressive speech delay, global developmental delay and sensory issues. Yesterday she bit my 15yr old son when she didn’t want to leave the play ground, she scratches my husband when he then wanted to give her a piggy back, she kicked my daughter when she was placed in the car and she kicked me when I got her out of the garden when it was dinner time. In all these incidents it shows she struggles big time with transitioning and independence.
    In general I think it’s important to help your child to give words to their feelings.
    It’s not always practical but in regards to transitioning it really helps to use a time-timer with our daughter and visuals all day through.
    In regards to independence it really helps to acknowledge her feelings and give choice where possible


  • In most cases, toddlers bite because their language skills are still developing and it’s simply another way to express how they are feeling. Unable to quickly form the words they need to convey their thoughts, very young children may resort to biting as a way of saying, “Stop that!” or “I need some attention!”
    What do you do if your toddler bites?

    As soon as a bite occurs, parents or caregivers should take the following steps:
    Attend to the victim. Parents should first direct their attention to the person who has been bitten. Toddlers often bite to receive attention. By comforting the victim first, parents will be taking the first step in curbing the negative behavior. Parents or caregivers should also wash the affected area with soap and water.
    Be firm and calm. Parents should respond to the behavior with a firm, “No biting!” Keep it very simple and easy to understand. By staying as calm as possible, parents will be able to resolve the situation more quickly.
    Redirect. Bites often occur when emotions and energy levels are running high, or if boredom has set in. When this happens, parents should intervene and help toddles re-focus their attention on a positive activity.
    Most certainly do not bite your child back, it would be a very bad example what NOT to do !

    Over time, parents can reinforce the no biting rule by following these steps:
    Check for patterns. The best way to get to the root of a biting habit is to look for patterns or clues as to how, when, and why a child bites. For example, toddlers who only bite at day care may be reacting to the discomfort they feel in a chaotic classroom. Once triggers are identified, parents can take steps to make their child more comfortable so they don’t feel the urge to bite.
    Use positive reinforcement. By praising children for good behavior, they may not feel the need to seek negative attention and bite.
    Look ahead. Anxiety can cause children to act out. As a result, toddlers may be less likely to bite if they know what their day will be like and what to expect in new or high-energy situations.
    Use sign language. As a child’s language skills develop, parents and caregivers can teach their children a few simple signs to help them communicate. Offering toddlers alternative ways to express themselves can help reduce their frustration and urge to bite.

    Keep in mind it’s common for toddlers ages 1–3 years old to bite or go through a biting phase. But if you notice excessive biting and other aggressive behaviors, these may be signs of a more serious developmental issue (such as expressive speech delay, sensory processing disorder, ASD)


  • How is the childs communication? a lot of the time its out of frustration and not being able to say what they want. Work on speech with the child. Yes there needs to be an immediate punishment – ie time out. But there is generally an underlying issue.


  • at three years old, they are aware that their behaviour is wrong so talk to the child


  • maybe a naughty cahir . there isn’t really much else .


  • how did you go? :)


  • My daughter has been slapping lately and I’ve gotten down to her level and told her that isn’t nice. She kept doing it so I gave her a quick gentle slap back and she was so shocked and surprised. I got back down and said that wasn’t nice was it so don’t do that to mummy and she has calmed down. Might work with the biting – explain that it isn’t a nice thing to do and if he keeps it up do it back to demonstrate how unpleasant it is.


  • Have you manged to stop the biting?


  • Hope he has stopped biting you by now.


  • Bite him back. Not to hard. Gives them a shock!


  • Try biting him back-not too hard though.


  • Had any lucky now with stopping it?


  • bite back! he will figure it out really fast that it hurts


  • Most kids go threw this, firm voice and sit on 1 spot for a minute.


  • Bite him back and hard show him how it feels they learn fast and if that does not work out a hot sauce in his mouth thats what i did and it worked and i only had to do it once


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