Babies biting can be a nightmare, as it can be really painful, particularly if they have a few teeth, and they don’t know that it hurts.

 

However, rather than simply allowing them to keep doing it, there are a few things that you can do to get them to stop.

 

1. Why does your baby bite?

Babies usually bite out of frustration, lack of language skills, curiosity, are over-tired or they are teething, so it is important you approach the subject with caution.

 

2. How to stop them biting

One of the most effective ways to stop your baby biting is to catch it before it gets to the biting stage. Look out for common occurrences and ask yourself the following questions to try to establish any particular situations of where and why it happens:

  • What was your child doing?
  • Were they angry, sad, happy or frightened?
  • Are they teething?
  • Where did they bite?

This way you can anticipate when it is going to happen and prevent it by distracting your child’s attention with a chew toy or something similar.

 

 

3. How should you react?

  • It is important you keep your emotions in check and avoid responding to the bite with frustration, annoyance or even fear. Instead breathe in slowly, count to ten and remain calm before doing or saying anything.
  • In a firm voice, tell your baby “no biting” or “biting hurts”. If they bit another child point out to your baby that they are now crying because the bite was painful.
  • Give them another way to express themselves. If the bite was down to frustration or an inability to express themselves, tell your youngster that they can hug their teddy tight or come and find you if something has gone wrong.
  • Place all your attention on the person who was bitten. A child who is biting can often find themselves showered in attention, even if it is negative attention – making them want to bite more. Instead, console the person who was bitten or, if it was you, move away from the child. This will show them that biting is not a way to get your attention and will teach them empathy as you console the injured person. 
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