Biting, pinching, and pulling hair are part of a child’s normal development. Although it might be a surprise for parents to have a baby who bites, it’s important to know how to handle it. By reacting in a calm and constructive way, you can teach your child more appropriate ways to behave.
Why Do Babies and Small Children Do This?
For babies, biting can be a result of the beginning of teething. At this stage, itchy gums lead to bites for relief. Other times, the baby who is biting is not even aware of what they are doing. It usually happens around 4 to 12 months1. Older children bite to experiment and explore their environment. In this way, biting helps satisfy developmental curiosity. For example, a child bites and then watches to see what their mother will do. If the mother laughs or turns it into a game, the child might try again to see if they get the same reaction. If the mother gets upset, the child might be fascinated by the extreme response, which can also encourage them to try again. Also, a baby who is biting may be irritated, upset, or in pain. Sometimes it’s easier for them to do this than to use words to express what’s bothering them. Some babies may bite because they are imitating something they saw other children do, or because other children did it to them. 
How to Deal With a Baby Who Bites?
It’s normal to feel upset when your baby hurts you, but your reaction to a baby who bites can influence your child’s future attitudes. When the mother remains calm and develops a constructive way to deal with the situation, it helps the baby learn appropriate behavior. A calm reaction from the mother is the first step to promoting positive behavior in the future.
How to Control Baby Biting?
How a mother handles a baby who is biting will depend on the age of the child. For babies from 1 to 12 months Biting at the end of a feed: biting often happens at the end of a feed, when the baby is getting bored and is no longer hungry. If the mother starts having problems with the baby biting, it’s important to watch for signs of boredom, so she can remove the baby from the breast before the biting begins. Also, watch for jaw tension in the baby before they start to bite2. During the start of teething: Problems with baby biting can also be caused by teething. If the baby seems to want to bite instead of feeding, ideally offer a teething toy or something cold to bite. Offer a teething toy after a bite or keep it close by. Biting at the start of a feed: if the baby is biting at the beginning of a feed, ensure the latch is correct. If the baby already has teeth and is biting at the beginning of a feed, try giving them a teething toy or something cold to bite before breastfeeding. Praise them when they latch correctly without biting. Distracted baby: when the baby is distracted, don’t force a feed. If they are fidgeting or pushing against you, they might not be hungry or interested in nursing. Try lying with them in a quiet room, walking, or rocking them. Biting for attention: focus your attention on the baby during feeding if you’re having problems with biting. Some older babies will bite to get attention. Watching the baby who bites will also help you be aware of when they’re about to bite again.
What to Do When Baby Bites?
If your baby bites, it’s not a good idea to scream or shout on purpose as a method to stop the biting; there are better ways to teach your baby not to bite. Sometimes, of course, it’s impossible not to shout from pain if your baby catches you by surprise or if the baby biting causes intense pain. Sometimes, shouting prevents the baby from biting again; however, some find it so funny that they continue biting just to see your reaction. Others may be so startled that they don’t want to nurse anymore. The chance of this method stopping your baby from biting just isn’t worth the problems it might cause. For babies over 12 months The baby is developing an understanding of action and reaction; the baby who bites is probably just experimenting with what the environment allows at the time. If the mother gives the child a verbal response, she is clearly telling them that she doesn’t like what they’re doing. This response, for example, could be: ‘No.’ The next step is to remove their mouth and move away. When the mother does this, she takes attention away from the behavior. The baby will repeat behaviors that get a reaction. So as soon as the child shows positive behavior, for example, hugging or being affectionate, it’s important to reward them with plenty of attention and enthusiasm.
Managing Biting in Toddlers
If the child bites other people, finding out the reason behind their behavior is the first step. This means thinking about the possible causes of the baby biting3. Analyzing this behavior and the way parents respond to the situation may be making it worse. For example, if the child is biting because they can’t find words to express their feelings, yelling at them won’t help. Instead, you need to stay calm on the outside, even if you don’t feel calm inside. This will teach the baby who bites how to deal with frustration. Many times, this type of child behavior is to get attention. So, redirecting the child’s attention sends a very powerful message about how they are feeling. For example, parents might walk away from them. If the child keeps biting, show that you’re still in control. Stay calm, briefly telling them how their behavior makes you feel. You can explain that biting can have consequences as a form of correction. Words that express feelings can also be used with the child, for example: “You look like you’re angry!”—this can help them learn to use words in the future. You’ll need to persist several times for the child to learn. If the child bites someone else’s child, stay calm and quickly apologize to the child and the other parent. Talk to the child; you could say: ‘No! Biting hurts.’ Then remove them from the situation for a short time. Depending on how upset the other child is, a short note or text to the parent to apologize can also help. Some children continue to bite, no matter how much you try to manage their behavior. If parents feel frustrated, exhausted, or angry because of the baby biting, or if the child’s behavior worries them so much that they stop doing things they used to enjoy, such as seeing friends or going to shops, it’s a good idea to get support. The pediatrician can help, or if that’s not enough, they may refer you to a child psychologist. This specialist can help you find out if there is a reason behind the child’s behavior that needs further evaluation or a specific treatment plan. Also See: First Teeth – When They Come In and Symptoms Photos: pxhere
