Biting is a common behaviour in babies and toddlers and is, in most instances, nothing to be concerned about. Read on to find out more about possible reasons why your child might be biting, and what you can do to try and guide them away from this behaviour.
Biting Can Provide Sensory Relief
Toddlers may resort to biting to ease some of the discomfort that they feel from teething. Most babies have their first teeth come through at around 6 months of age, however, this can really differ from child to child and is a long process waiting for all teeth to emerge.
Many babies and toddlers will resort to biting and chewing on things to help alleviate the soreness they feel in their mouths. However, this sometimes means that they will bite and chew on objects that are sharp or may splinter, or even other people. For teething tots, the most appropriate course of action would be to redirect their attention to a cool teething toy or raw fruit or vegetables to chew on.
Biting Can Be a Way of Expressing Feelings and Getting Attention
The age of 12 months onwards is when toddlers typically say their first word, despite this, the language they are capable of using is much behind that of the feelings that they have. Toddlers get easily frustrated, jealous, and irritated; their lack of language means that they have limited ways of expressing the feelings that they have in non-physical ways. Their big feelings may present in biting whether it be at home, or at pre-school; the play area may be a big source of frustration for toddlers as they interact with others.
Biting can be an effective way of getting attention for toddlers, and the more attention that they get from it, the more likely they may be to continue.
Guidance on Tackling Biting
Teaching your child not to bite can be quite a mammoth task, especially if they’re experiencing discomfort due to teething. That’s why offering alternatives is such a good idea. Specifically designed teething toys are made to relieve some of the pain and discomfort on the gums and, if put in the fridge, can really help soothe the soreness. If your toddler bites you, or someone else, it may be natural to react in anger but try and take a second to calmly explain why biting is bad and how it can hurt people. This is because if they are seeking attention from it, they may perceive even an angry reaction as a successful result.
Little Acorns Day Nursery
Here at Little Acorns, we are aware of your little ones’ disposition to bite and nibble at things, and people, they shouldn’t. Our childcare professionals are well-trained to deal with these behaviours in an appropriate manner; we have a dedicated biting policy that details the way in which we deal with instances of biting in our nurseries. To find out more about our daycare services for your child and our pricing, contact us today!
