[J920]

I just spoke to the daycare and my 2.5 years old bit another student on the cheek. Prior to this she had been throwing tantrums like throwing herself on the ground and kicking.
Before all this, the teacher said my daughter was her little helper and just had a sweet disposition. This is all new so I dont know how to figure out what is wrong.
Has anyone had a similar problem and how have you dealt with it?

[DivasMomma]

when my daughter was a year, she bit my arm...so i bit her back! It wasnt enough to leave a mark, but hard enough to knwo what it feels like...needless t say, she hasnt bitten me or anyone else since....
at 2 1/2 you probably have to handle things differently...maybe try explaining things to her, if she can sit and listen....that about all i can think of sry not too much help

[Samual]

If she jealous of someone else in the class who recieves more attention from the teacher? She probably doesn't realise just how much biting can hurt, but she is old enough to know that she should not be doing it, Mikey was a biter so once when he bit me I started fake crying and saying how much it hurt and he never did it again.

[J920]

Your responses are funny! Especially because I went home for lunch and read a parenting a book and then i read some things on the web - and they all said no biting back. And that when they see the other person/child cry it might feed into it.
hahaha! Its funny what we as parents do and if I aint broke dont fix it. (Bad grammar intentional).
I will ask her teacher if she has been jealous, but it seems they were fighting over who gets to sit in a chair.

[mcmama]

Sometimes the feelings just overtake them at that age and they bite. What I used to do in daycare was immediately give the child who had been bitten WAY more attention. The child who bit would just have to go to time out and calm down and not be part of our group until their behavior was acceptable again. I never made apologizing a condition for return, because that gets old pretty quickly.

It also helps if the biter has something to bite, instead of someone. Stuffed toys and blankies are good for this - they can remember to bite the toy instead of a person when they get mad.

[Alejandros Mommy]

I'm a bad mom....I bit Aiden when he tried this.....but he never did it again. I also have "pulled" his hair when he yanked on mine. Just enough to show him it hurts...he understood as he put his hand on his head and said "ouch".

But it has worked for me with both my kids. It stopped this kind of behavior....it doesn't always work for every child though.

[mrmnmom82]

My nephew thinks it's funny to bite! He laughs after he bites his parents. I suggested they have him bite a bar of soap? Or at least get a time out.

[twinzplus3]

I wouldn't bite back. (In fact, I had a biter and I didn't bite back. . .) I think it's a very unmerciful way to deal with a child. (And I say that not to offend other parents who have responded but bc I know J920 and I have similar beliefs--that comment will make sense to her. )

Anyhow I agree with mcmama that sometimes their emotions just take over. While certainly you should speak about the biting, really, the teacher needs to give a consequence (like time out--just like mcmama suggested) because by the time you arrive the situation is over and long forgotten (esp. at that age.) I would work with the teacher to encourage an appropriate and immediate consequence for biting. If it happens in your presence. . .still take swift and immediate consequences. With Emily--my only biter--I just would pick her up, make my "I'm not happy face" and very quietly but calmly tell her that we don't bite. Then we'd sit in time out. . .or the stroller. She did bite a few more times after that but I think the twinness has something to do with it. (She would bite in response to something darling sister did--like pulling hair.)

Anyways, my point is that if you're consistent and deal with it swiftly--whatever manner you choose--you won't have a full blown biting issue. The trick is to nip it in the bud!