Most of the time when toddlers bite they are feeling frustrated or afraid, when they can't express themselves through other outlets like throwing a tantrum or crying. Although they primarily bite when they are teething they may be doing it for a variety of other reasons. All infants experiment with biting, they bite their teething toys, there fingers, their pacifier, and they even bite mom and dad. It helps the learning/experiment process along if mom and dad say ouch you bit me, real loud, but doesn't blame, lecture or punish the baby. Soon the baby's biting experiment will stop, although there will be a few painful moments before then. What do you do when your toddler bites? Do you think they are experimenting?
My baby never bit me as an infant and once she turned into a toddler she would start biting toys or her shirt but that's because she was teething. One time she wanted to Play biting but I let her know that was not okay and that it hurt. She tried playing that a few other times and eventually she stopped and would say that no we couldn't because it was an ouch.
We had some different experiences with this one, which was actually surprising because everyone I have talked do has not really reported the same thing. I guess it is just one of those things you have to take as they come.
since I handled a lot of kids which are my cousins and nephews, I have seen some of them bite when they were small. Mostly when they are angry with someone, two of them bang their heads onto a wall or the floor when they get frustrated.
This biting syndrome is common to toddlers. I think it is not really because of teething or maybe at first because of the itchy gums that is teething. But some toddlers tend to develop that habit of biting for fun. We have a term for that - gigil - which means the toddler bites you because of too much love. But whatever the reason for biting, that is not a good habit and should be arrested at the first sign because the growing teeth may be damaged by that unconscious biting.
This post reminded me of many funny incidences. How mothers just bite their lips hard when a baby bites the nipples while breastfeeding. Anyways, that's how children grow up. Experimenting with various body parts is their way of knowing and understanding functions of their newly found assets.
None of mine did that but I have seen so many kids have this habit of biting and some of them bite real hard. I think it's the way the kids show their anger or express their disapproval for things they do not like. But what would you say when you visit a friend and his 5 years old bites you suddenly? I have had couple of such experiences and always thought they did not like any of my actions in particular which became the trigger for their reaction.
It's a pretty common issue, we've actually written a blog post on this subject which can help if your toddler has been biting. You can view it here: Dealing With Toddler Biting And Hitting Like you said, there are a lot of different reasons it can happen, and those can range from anything as a way to express themselves or get attention, to intentionally hurt others or simply for the feeling it makes on their teeth. Fortunately it tends to end up before too long!
@James McAllister I went through the article mentioned in your comment and agree with most points mentioned in that blog. I could identify with some of the points specifically the ones related to pushing rules. I understand that kids in a certain age love pushing not only other kids but things like chairs, tables etc. They consider it a game for instance when I took my child to public library for the first time I was too embarrassed when she started pushing chairs in the study area. I tried to stop her but that was a tough job so I had to take her out of library. What I faced that day was a nightmare for me. By the way, she is a well behaved girl otherwise.
@Mika Haha, I can definitely relate to that. One of my friends had a toddler who did the same thing, but especially when we were somewhere public. It's like she figured out she had the power to effect all of these things, gather attention from those around and spur a reaction and she used it for all that she could. Like you said it's not always even malicious or to cause trouble, they just think it's fun. I think there's another thread here right now talking about toddlers who scream just for the fun of it and it's a similar premise - they realize they can, so they do.
Most toddlers I know had this biting behavior including my son. Thankfully, most doesn't last long. I was fortunate that my son's bites weren't violent enough and that he actually listened when I told him to stop because it hurts. My nephew was worse and he seemed to want to bite for all reasons one can think of. He was stronger than my son and he wouldn't just bite adults but kids as well so I had to be on guard when he played with my son. This is an annoying and worrisome phase but the toddler easily outgrows this one quite typically.
I personally think biting is a common thing with toddlers, it's one of the means that they express themselves with, and it's left for the parent to be observant enough to discover the reason for the bite. I really don't see anything wrong in a toddler biting, as long as whatever is entering his or her mouth is clean, then I have nothing to worry about. Age plays a huge factor in deciding when they stop with the biting. So therefore, I believe that when they find another best way to express themselves, the biting would eventually stop.
My toddler cousin really bite almost everything that's why his pinworms are always happy. There comes a point where he suck the toy spoon through his anus just to get the itching worms so my auntie decided to check upon pyrantel conducted by doctor from the nearest clinic.
I never experienced a biting phase with my daughter my son however tried to bite alot especially when he is frustrated he is not ver vocal as of yet and i think this is one of the ways he expresses himself at the time he also tries to be playful biting but it does hirt and is always told not to do it i havent yet found a solution for it for him but hoping as he begons to talk more it will ease off its usually only me he bites aswell!! Or my daughter when they are fighting over a toy etc. I havent had any issues with him biting outside the house or other people/ their children however.
I agree with you that most children bite during their teething time or to show their frustration as they find teeth being their most effective weapons or when they can do nothing else to stop you from stopping them. I have faced many 4-6 years old with this biting habit . I still remember when a child of 6 took me by surprise and bit my forearm just because I was trying to stop him from playing a dirty toy.
Yes, biting for toddlers is normal especially during teething time. You can correct it anyway by training them to bite in teether, not in your hand. Although according to some researcher, toddlers bite out of frustration and fear, well I don't think so it was true. I do believe they bite because it is their instinct to bite.
Did you just say the baby put a spoon inside his body through his anus? I think that is such an awful, horrible thing! How and why did the baby do that? Back to the topic, I agree with what most people have expressed. Most kids bite to ease the itch of teething. But in my opinion no child should still be biting by age 4. By this stage, they should have been clearly shown that biting is not fun and is not allowed.
My cousin is a very active toddler and we're just letting him rummage around the house and so my auntie don't always put her eyes into him. He's 5 now and can talk faster and yell and run etc. He's a very active toddler, sometimes my auntie is too anxious of him for having strong symptoms of ADHD.
Yes! They do bite a lot. My mother used to say that I bite a lot whenever I'm irritated with my diapers. Also of course when babies are teething, it would be pretty normal for them to bite. My cousin had this baby who's been used to sucking a pacifier and whenever I put my finger on his lips he tends to bite it. I just had my finger wet with saliva!
I think biting is also some sort of a defense mechanism for toddlers if they have no other way of doing a thing that they think they need to do. Well, I remember my son bits a lot when his cousins would try to get a toy from him, by force. I guess he does it because he had no other means to pull the toy away. He also bits someone who hurt him- and again its his cousins who are just like his age. However natural it was, we have him reprimanded, because we don't want things to get worse, especially with his own cousins. Good thing he had, and his cousins as well, outgrow the habit.
We never had much of an issue with biting, although we were foolish enough to use pacifiers though and that kind of backfired. I guess its one of those damned if you do damned if you don't type scenarios, or maybe not.
My son has teeth, and some are still growing so he is having his little "experimental" moments with them. He sometimes touch his own teeth and ends up biting his finger. There were a few times when I gave him something he bit me thinking it was food. On certain occasions he would try to bite his toys and stuffed animals. This is new for the both of us and we're trying to get use to it.
I would attribute it to teething and also just as they feel elated when they are able to walk so too they feel satisfied that they can now bite which is a new thing for them.