Biting is quite common in children and is worrisome to some adults. The child may bite a family member, children at daycare or a classmate. Biting can be painful and result in fighting .It often upsets other children and  angers teachers and other adults.

Why Children Bite

Biting may be the result of one of the following factors.

These include the following :

• Experimental biting : This is done by children who want to explore  the world.  They put everything in their mouth at this stage and as a result bites in the process. You can decrease biting by telling the child that biting hurts and being firm about it. You can also offer the child  things that they can bite on such as teething rings.
• Frustration biting :  This occurs when children become frustrated and unable to deal with a situation. Until  children learn to cooperate, they respond to the demands of other kids by hitting or biting. Some tips on how to reduce this type of bitting in children include the following :
  • Keep playtime short and groups small.
  • Closely supervise young children’s play.
  • If your child bites, say  ” No,  biting hurts , you should not bite ” and remove the child from the situation right away. Stay with the child and help him calm down . Explore ways to help your child  handle emotions differently next time.
• Powerless biting : This is done when the child  is in need of feeling powerful. Most of the time the youngest  child or the child who is picked on resort this type of biting . To prevent this type of biting ,
  • Make sure  your child is not always picked on by others and feels protected .
  • Explain the situation to bigger or older children  and get their help to make things more equally.
  • If your child bites, say  ” No,  biting hurts , you should not bite ” and remove the child from the situation right away. Stay with the child and help him calm down . Explore ways to help your child  handle emotions differently next time.
• Stressful biting : This is done when the child is under a lot of emotional stress.  It is a sign of distress or pain when the child is upset or angry. When this occur,
  • You need to find out what is bothering the child . Watch for what happens before the biting occurs.
  • If your child bites, say  ” No,  biting hurts , you should not bite ” and remove the child from the situation right away. Stay with the child and help him calm down . Explore ways to help your child  handle emotions differently next time.

If your child bites, you need to respond firmly but calmly to the biting . Let the child know that you disapprove and remove the child from the situation. If the behavior doesn’t stop and your child  bites repeatedly, consult your health care professional.