As parents, we are faced with different
challenges in child rearing. The toddler stage appears to be the most
troublesome years, as the toddlers seem to be out of control and worst of all,
they cannot be held to account for their actions. One of the bothersome
behavioural patterns of toddlers is that of biting. Yes, biting. Toddlers do
bite not because they are inherently naughty, but mainly as a way of expressing
themselves; it could be as a result of teething, experimenting with what they
think is alien to them. It could also be a way of showing their frustration,
anger and fear, giving the fact that they can’t express themselves very well
otherwise. The following tips are targeted on limiting the behavior
- Stop the act of biting immediately if you are within range of your child when he bites someone
- Comfort the victim, and make it very obvious to your child that his behaviour is unacceptable
- If the act happened during play, gently punish your child by giving him time out from such group play; it will sink in his sub-conscious that he is being punished for unacceptable behaviour – keep the time out to one minute per year. For instance, if the child is one year, give him a one minute time out. Always explain why the timeout
- During the time out; admonish him with words to the effect that biting is wrong
- Teach him to be gentle and expressive in other ways
- Praise him when he refrains from biting
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