Little Nippers: Biting in Child CareWhat To Do About It
One of the most prevalent issues in child care and an issue which still generates some of the most letters to CareforKids.com.au is biting in child care and how to deal with it. If your child has been the victim or the perpetrator of biting in child care, you are definitely not alone.
US statistics from The National Association for the Education of Young Children1995, estimated one in ten children on average shows biting tendencies - the other nine are most likely kicking, pushing, fighting, scratching or screaming! And when we say biting tendencies, this is a tendency over a prolonged period, not just an isolated taster, which almost every child will do at some point!
Biting is as inevitable a part of life for children in child care centres as frequent coughs and colds! Young children explore their world with their mouth and biting is a natural extension of that process. For children under three years the urge to bite arises from this natural curiosity and it can also be linked to feelings of stress, frustration and excitement as well as hunger!
In a child care environment biting is an emotional and stressful experience for both the biter and the victim and for the parents of both children, who can feel incensed, upset, worried and guilty, particularly when we are told our child is the biter.
Although it can be a serious problem and certainly inflicts pain and jaw shaped bruises, it's important that we don't over-act to a biting incident - both at home and in child care. A child who bites isn't necessarily trying to inflict pain and suffering on another child, it's just part of a baby's development. Child care centres are generally very practical about these incidents and follow a strict procedure about dealing with biting.
If you are advised that your child has bitten another child, or has been bitten, make sure you work with your child care provider to deal with the issue as quickly and effectively as you can.
Ask to read the centre's policy on biting. Ask about any strategies the centre uses to manage biting and where possible apply these strategies at home so that the issue is managed consistently and dealt with quickly. A good child care centre will usually be very adept at dealing with biting. They will generally alert the parents of both parties and talk to the parent of the biter about the reasons for and how to deal with the issue.
The following are the most common reasons for biting:
- Teething
- Natural curiosity/exploration
- Excitement
- Frustration / communication development
- Attention seeking
- Powerlessness
- Stress
When this does happen remember the following:
- Act calmly, maintain a quiet and controlled voice, remove the biting child from the situation and say very firmly 'No biting! Biting hurts'.
- Take care of the child who has been bitten first, calm the child with cuddles and kind words and clean the bite area.
- Once the victim is feeling better, approach the biter and explain why it was wrong.
- Encourage the biter to say sorry to the victim and comfort them with cuddling and/or gentle strokes.
- If the biter is old enough, ask him/her to suggest what could be done instead of biting and give him/her other ways to deal with a stressful or frustrating situation.
It is important to remember that the vast majority of children will have grown out of the biting phase by the time they go to pre-school or start school. If a child does continue after five years old, the cause should be explored with a GP or child psychologist as it may indicate something more serious.
For more in depth tips and advice click here.
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