Preventing Biting in Early Years
Young children will experiment with biting in different ways such as:
Biting on their teething rings
Dummies
Nipping on their parents.
Young children may bite because they do not have the language skills to express their own fears and frustrations and because they are unable to manage their own anger. When children start using their teeth to express their fears or frustrations, you must take preventative measures.
Here are some strategies below to try with your child:
1- Is there a pattern/Trigger.
Monitor when your child bites. Is there a certain time of day your child is biting? Is it before mealtimes? Is it when your child is frustrated? Is your child tired around the time of biting?
2- Distraction Method.
If you can see triggers or patterns to when your child may attempt to bite then try to distract them away from this thought process, suggest looking at a story together, playing with a toy, outside time. The goal here is to reduce the tension and shift your child’s attention.
3- Offer them something to bite on.
If you feel that your child is biting due to a need for oral stimulation then offer your child something that they can safely bite on or chew such as food, teething ring a chewy gem etc. This enables the child to gain the oral stimulation safely. If your child has the understanding explain where the teething ring/chewi gem will be kept so they can access this themself when needed.
Here are a few examples of products that we use at nursery:
Bread sticks/Rusks/Carrot Sticks
Chewi Gem products via their website.
Teething Ring
Tommy Tippee Teeth and Soothers
Sophie the Giraffe (Amazon)
4- Discuss biting with your child.
If your child is able to understand then ask the child, why they are biting. The child may tell you ‘I don’t like it when they touch my hair’ etc, explain to the child what to do differently in this situation such as you need to tell somebody to stop or to move away from the situation.
5- Suggest ways to share.
Use a timer to remind your child to visually show the child how long they can play with a particular toy. Sharing is one of the most common triggers for biting.
6- Reading stories about biting.
Whilst reading a story talk to your child about how the characters in the story and how they may be feeling. Ask the child to talk to you about what they can see happening within the pictures of the story.
Here are some examples of books below:
Teeth Are Not for Biting by Elizabeth Verdickoffsite link
No Biting by Karen Katzoffsite link
No Biting, Louise by Margie Palatinioffsite link
7- Use Positive Reinforcement.
Your child could possibly be biting to seek attention. Try to really promote the positive behaviour rather then rewarding the negative actions with attention. Praise your child when he or she is behaving well often so they know they get more attention and reward for positive behaviour.
8- Teach them that biting is wrong.
When your child bites use simple but firm words such as ‘No Biting’ ‘No.’ If your child will understand then explain that it hurts others and why it is wrong.
9- Be Consistent
Reinforce the ‘No Biting’ rule at all times, be consistent with all of the strategies at all times. This is very important that everybody is completing the same strategies too.
For more information and support then please speak to our Behaviour Co-ordinator at St Andrews Nursery- Abbie Smith who will be happy to assist you with further support and guidance.
