A child bites: what are the reasons and what to do

Some parents have to deal with the problem when their baby suddenly starts biting. There can be many reasons for this behavior. It is important to accurately identify them and take action to wean your child from this habit.

Why does a child bite

As a rule, the baby begins to show a tendency to bite at the time when his teeth are cutting through. During this period, he is not yet aware of his actions. The task of the parents in this case is to help the baby. If the child continues to bite at an older age, then it is necessary to explain to the child that he is behaving badly and ugly.

Such situations happen very often in kindergartens and playgrounds. In this case, biting appears as the first way to protect oneself.

Reasons why a baby starts biting:

• The desire to bite occurs in children in a state, as well as as a result of despair or helplessness.
• Some children seek to express dissatisfaction with something in this way or want to draw adults’ attention to themselves.
• Some children bite because they feel pain.
• At a young age, a child learns about the world through taste. Therefore, biting may be a manifestation of learning something new.
• If the child feels weaker than his opponent or does not know how to stand up for himself differently.
• The baby can take revenge for an insult.
• For some children, biting is a way to gain a leadership position.

In any case, parents must immediately take effective measures to stop such behavior of the child and wean him from this habit. Retaliatory actions must be taken immediately after the offense has been committed. But at the same time, it is important not to raise your voice at the baby or hit him. The remark should be made in a stern voice, calmly, so that the child understands why he is being scolded.

What to do if a child bites

First, watch your baby and find out in what situations he tends to bite. If possible, you should take measures to prevent your child from engaging in such behavior and resolve the conflict in another way.

Whenever you see a child about to bite, you should cover his mouth with your hand to create a physical barrier to prevent him from biting. At the same time, say in a stern and decisive voice that biting is prohibited. Of course, the baby will not understand this the first time. But the 10th time or the 20th time your prohibition will be understood. It is important that all adults surrounding the baby react in a similar way, and not be touched by his actions.

Don't hit your child or yell at him. The child bites out of an overwhelming feeling of anger and helplessness. At this moment he is not aware of his actions. Punishment will further provoke the child into aggression.

You need to help your child express his emotions in words. For example, tell him about the biting boy, his behavior and what it led to. Invite your child to take part in this fairy tale, let him suggest his own ways to protect himself from a biting boy. You must convey that you need to express your bad feelings and not bite.

Older children benefit from using time-outs. If something is unacceptable, you should be excommunicated from the game and left alone for a while, asking you to think about your behavior. It is not necessary to take the baby out of the playroom for this. It's enough to just take him to a corner. At the same time, the child should not be distracted by anything, otherwise the entire educational effect will come to naught.