Reasons Children Bite

My friends and I met last week; our main topic of discussion was the various reasons why children bite. Biting is not an unusual, though it is a dangerous behavior and needs to be controlled in the early stages. Biting could expose child and the bite victims to bacteria and infection. Once we know the reason we can take steps to discourage the child against future biting and this dangerous behavior.

Some of the reasons children bite:

 
1) Infants bite just to experiment; all babies experience pain while teething and may engage in biting about anything he/she gets hold of  including near and dear ones fingers.

It is very difficult to dissuade an infant to not bite at this stage; it would help to provide appropriate alternatives like teething rings.

2) Young children and babies bite out of mere curiosity; he/she wants to explore the world around him/her and finds the easiest way to do so by the senses of touch, taste and smell.  

The child can be dissuaded at this stage by using a firm ‘No’ whenever he/she bites. This would send out a clear signal to the child that his behavior is wrong and it should not be repeated.

3) Your child could use biting as a form of self defense when another child or sibling bullies him/her.

You as a parent could explain to your child that biting is not the solution; you could also address the bullying issue and make sure he/she is not victimized in future.

4) It is also possible that your child resorts to biting to deal with a stressful situation at home.

Special attention is required in case of children that bite due to stress. Parents need to make the child feel wanted by being more loving and attentive to him/her.

5) Children could also start biting as a response to parent’s divorce or to cope with death of a loved one.

Some amount of positive reinforcement could help the child to deal better with his/her emotions.

6) Toddlers could bite out of frustration like wanting a parent’s attention or when he/she wants to play with another child’s toy. Most toddlers find it difficult to express their wants and needs and may bite to put his point across.

Understand that the child does not want to cause harm, however his behavior is to be addressed. Attend to the victim first especially if he/she is a child. Next express your disapproval of your child's behavior and explain that biting is harmful and hurts others.

Teach your child to communicate his/her feelings positively; praise him/her when they communicate feelings in a peaceful manner. Watch out for your child’s frustration points when he/she is playing with others and try to step in and divert the child’s attention before he reacts adversely.

Lastly nip the habit of biting at the bud by discouraging the child to repeat the behavior of biting, but never punish him/her harshly for indulging in this behavior.