5 Tips To Stop Your Child From Biting

It’s that phase of growth that every parent dreads along with your baby cutting teeth – biting. With these 5 helpful tips you can teach your child to stop biting and start hugging!

1. Take the Attention Away from the Biter - Comfort the victim of the bite especially if it is another child. This will turn the attention away from the “wrong-doer” who may be biting for negative attention. If you are the one who is bitten, rub the spot where your child has bitten you and say that it hurts.
2. Be Firm & Direct – Children don’t understand long explanations. Firmly and directly say, “Biting hurts!” or “No Biting!” Be calm, firm and direct when saying this.
3. Teach Alternatives – Tell your child that we don’t bite, we can express ourselves in other ways like saying, “That’s mine.” Or teach them nice touches. After your child bites say, “We don’t bite, we HUG.” And hug your child.
4. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat – Your child learns through repetition. Be sure to be consistent in your message of no biting and repeat it every time your child bites. Make sure other caregivers do the same.
5. Pay Attention to Patterns – Try to see why your child is biting. Is she overtired? Is she hungry? Finding a pattern can help you deter that behavior in the future.

What tips do you have to stop children from biting?