A mother and her baby share a very special bond and she plays an important role in the development of her child’s habits. Your child is in a stage of constant growth and development and tends to learn a habit very quickly. Few habits are deleterious for your child and shall be corrected. Biting is also one of the habits of a child which should be properly dealt with.
For teaching the child not to bite, it is very important to understand the underlying reason behind his biting. A child bites when he/she is angry or frustrated or wants attention or wants to fulfill a need. They think it’s a way to convey their message. It’s very common among the toddlers. Hence, this habit should be patiently dealt with.
There are certain ways which you can try when your child bites which you can repeat every time until the toddler stops it
- Say ‘no’ to biting: Whenever a child bites, you have to say no to it. You have to say, ‘no-biting’ and repeat it whenever the child does. It’s important for you to make a child understand that’s it wrong and biting hurts. You have to be firm, but also calm. Be consistent in reinforcing the “No biting’ rules.
- Comfort the victim: When a child bites, you can comfort the victim, so that they realize that biting hurts.
- Talk to the Child: Try and identify the reason for biting. It might be something which is disturbing the kid. Talk to the child and try to understand the problem. They might be trying to say something through their bites. You need to understand what your child wants.
- Offer Alternatives for their expression: It’s important for you to make a child suggest alternatives rather than biting if they want something or they are angry. You may offer some alternatives to their biting, you can also ask them to say it or even point it out or communicate in a different manner rather than biting.
- Distract the Child: Redirect the child to do something else. Distraction works best for the kid. If you see your child getting frustrated or angry or high in energy, just redirect its attention to something else, like music, rhymes, dancing or toys.
As most of the kids don’t realize that biting is hurtful, never hit or beat a child who has bitten, as this action will make them think that biting is okay. Try some positive reinforcement to biting and deal with them patiently and firmly.
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