Biting! and how to stop it.
Help! My child is biting other children and even their teacher!
You may feel guilty that you are doing something wrong if your child is biting others. Research shows that 6% of two year old boys, and 4% of the girls were reported to often hit, kick or bite (Dr Richard Tremblay, University of Montreal). Humans are more physically aggressive between the ages of 24 and 30 months than at any other time in their lives. So using teeth when frustrated is quite common among toddlers.
Humans are more physically aggressive between the ages of 24 and 30 months than at any other time in their lives.
What’s the Cause? Developmental or emotional?
Biting can be a simple developmental phase as a result of undeveloped language skills. However it can also be a sign of alarm or high frustration in children. It’s essential that parents and teachers know the foundational cause otherwise the cure might be worse than the problem!
Biting can be a sign of alarm or high frustration, or just a simple developmental phase.
Assessing the cause
Is the child older than 36 months? Is the biting frequent and intense? If so, significant steps need to be taken. The first and most essential step is to deal with the underlying emotional cause. Behavioural interventions will not work in these situations. You need an attachment approach.
If biting is a short term developmental challenge, then gentle interventions are more appropriate. Simply keeping the child away from others, keeping a close eye on them is sufficient.
However, where this is serious and teeth leave serious physical marks on other children and adults action must be taken. It is imperative that the underlying causes are quickly and accurately addressed so that the biter is stopped and other people are protected.
Purchase our Biting Intervention – only $10
Our biting intervention gives parents and teachers a map to understand children who bite. The intervention guides you through attachment rich steps to stop this scaring and hurtful habit. It can be done!
Our Guarantee: If this booklet does not meet your expectations and value for money, we offer a free 30 minute telephone or skype consultation plus a full refund of your money.
Oftentimes using teeth is a symptom of an underlying emotional issue. We recommend that parents and teachers consider the
- adult-child attachment relationship and the
- anxiety state of the child when intervening to stop a child from using their teeth.
Our resources on this are evidence based and attachment friendly for parents and teachers.
Check out our sister company, Kakapo Creek – a boutique early childhood centre on Auckland’s North Shore, New Zealand.
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