Biting

LaDonna Werth and Lisa Poppe - Early Childhood Extension Educators Author

02/28/2024 Added

2 Plays

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It is very common for a child to bite others at some point during their early years. When children do not have the skills or the vocabulary to express their feelings, they might engage in a behavior, such as biting, as a way to let you know how they feel.

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[00:00:01.899]Fit and Healthy Kids - An Early Childhood Podcast (with music).
[00:00:05.510](LaDonna Werth) Hello from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
[00:00:09.030]This is LaDonna Werth and Lisa Poppe -
[00:00:10.970]Extension Educators in the field of Early Childhood.
[00:00:14.500]We are here to talk littles in your life. (music)
[00:00:19.532]A parent came to me the other day and stated I cannot believe
[00:00:23.532]my adorable little toddler is starting to bite other children.
[00:00:27.842]I don’t know where she got this new habit.
[00:00:30.872]What can I do to stop this behavior!
[00:00:33.601]Lisa can you give us any advice on toddler biting.
[00:00:37.601](Lisa Poppe) What parents need to know is, it is very common
[00:00:41.344]for a child to bite others at some point during their early years.
[00:00:45.224]When children do not have the skills or the vocabulary
[00:00:49.254]to express their feelings, they might engage in a behavior,
[00:00:52.577]such as biting, as a way to let you know how they feel.
[00:00:56.583]Children might bite for a variety of reasons:
[00:00:59.437]For instance, Frustration – she might bite because she wants her toy back
[00:01:03.477]or because her sister is sitting too close to her.
[00:01:06.996]She might bite because she feels overwhelmed by the proximity
[00:01:10.186]of other children or expectation to share her toys.
[00:01:14.674]She also might bite because biting causes a big reaction
[00:01:18.364]from adults and she is seeking their attention.
[00:01:21.032]So biting can result in adults interacting
[00:01:23.902]with the child or gaining the adult’s attention.
[00:01:26.512]She also might bite to relieve pain from new teeth coming in.
[00:01:30.654]OR she might bite because she does not know how to express
[00:01:34.084]emotions when she is hungry, when she's tired, scared or even anxious.
[00:01:38.854](LaDonna Werth) What do we need to remember about this new biting behavior?
[00:01:43.644](Lisa Poppe) Well, the important thing for you to remember when
[00:01:46.604]biting occurs is to stay calm with your actions and your words and
[00:01:50.384]try to figure out the reason WHY the biting happened.
[00:01:54.384]Remember there is a reason for the behavior.
[00:01:57.234]So for example, if your child bites you when your attention
[00:02:00.614]is focused on another person in the room, you might think
[00:02:03.945]your child bit you to get your attention.
[00:02:05.905]Once you understand the reasons why your child bites,
[00:02:09.586]you can teach her a new way to express her feelings
[00:02:12.836]or her requests during situations when she is likely to bite.
[00:02:17.047]It takes time, patience and repeated practice, but
[00:02:20.177]once she has mastered the skills needed to appropriately express
[00:02:24.177]her feelings, biting and other challenging behaviors will decrease.
[00:02:29.126](LaDonna Werth) Children get frustrated often and they may bite.
[00:02:33.126]What can we do to help them.?
[00:02:35.616](Lisa Poppe) If your child is biting out of frustration,
[00:02:38.466]you can say, “You are so frustrated.
[00:02:41.466]You want that toy.”
[00:02:43.156]Teach your child simple words such as “mine” or “no.”
[00:02:47.236]Or you can teach some basic sign language or
[00:02:50.056]gestures for things like “help” or “stop.”
[00:02:52.866]It is a matter of giving them the words to use instead of the action.
[00:02:57.748](LaDonna Werth) How can I help a child when they are playing?
[00:03:01.748](Lisa Poppe) So, if your child is biting because she lacks play skills,
[00:03:06.629]join her in play by sitting on the floor and coaching her.
[00:03:10.197]She might need guidance to learn and practice how
[00:03:13.062]to join play, take turns, share, communicate with
[00:03:16.981]other children, and ask help if she needs it.
[00:03:19.891]So for example, if another child tries to take her doll,
[00:03:23.528]you might say, “Molly thinks your doll looks fun.
[00:03:26.098]She wants to play too.
[00:03:27.938]Can we show Molly where the other dolls are?
[00:03:30.338]It's as simple as role playing with them.
[00:03:33.278](LaDonna Werth) When a child gets overwhelmed how can a parent help them?
[00:03:38.168](Lisa Poppe) If he is biting at times when he feels overwhelmed by anger,
[00:03:42.229]frustration, or disappointment, you can teach him about emotions
[00:03:46.229]and ways to deal with them in order to reduce, or eliminate, the biting behavior.
[00:03:51.519]You can use books about emotional literacy or teaching tools.
[00:03:55.560]You can also help him to identify and label his own emotions or
[00:03:59.560]others emotions as they are being experienced.
[00:04:03.560](LaDonna Werth) Is biting a common problem with very young children?
[00:04:07.678](Lisa Poppe) YES! Biting is a common behavior for very young children,
[00:04:12.619]but one that must be addressed immediately.
[00:04:15.400]Children might bite when they feel overwhelmed by an emotion
[00:04:19.400]and do not have the words or skills to tell someone or ask for help.
[00:04:23.592]Parents can watch and learn when their child is likely to bite.
[00:04:27.212]For instance, during play dates with friends,
[00:04:30.042]when left alone with a sibling, or when teething.
[00:04:32.986]When this happens teach your child a new skill to replace the biting behavior.
[00:04:38.416](LaDonna Werth) Thank you, Lisa, for giving us insight to why very young children bit.
[00:04:44.614](music) This has been LaDonna and Lisa with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:04:49.700]Until next time, enjoy your family time together.
[00:04:53.510](music) Fit and Healthy Kids is a co-production of
[00:04:56.363]Nebraska Extension, Georgia Extension,
[00:04:58.473]Kansas State Extension, South Dakota State Extension,
[00:05:01.583]and the Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral.

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