Bitter

[bri]

My son is starting to bit the daycare children, he is almost 18 months. I know this is common and is hopefully a phase but it does little to comfort me when I have to tell a parent their child was bit again. I keep telling him ouch when he does it, I am always watching him like a hawk but it still keeps happening. The parents are great about it and say he is only 18 months, they say if he was older they would have a problem with it. But its my job to keep these kids safe an happy how am I suppost to do that with my son bitting them I am worried if this keeps happening I am going to lose some fantastic clients, but I can't kick my own son out.

[sunnydays]

I have been having trouble with a daycare boy the same age as your son...it got to the point that I had to warn the parents that I might have to let him go. I love this family and their child and I really don't want to let him go. So, we are working on it full force. In addition to watching him like a hawk, the thing that is helping a lot right now is to let him have his soother (we clip it to his shirt). We tried a teething ring, but it didn't help. Before now he has always just had his soother at naptime here, but although it is not ideal, it is keeping him from biting and I guess we'll have to wean him off it later when the biting phase has passed. In addition, I am watching him at all times and putting him in a playpen or taking him with me if I need to step out of the room for a moment. We've gone from 5-10 bites a day to almost none with this strategy. I am also playing turn taking games with him and have advised his parents to do the same, to teach him how to take turns and ask for things in an appropriate way as the biting usually occurs when he gets frustrated because another child won't give him the toy they are playing with. He is getting it and doing really well, but it takes a lot of work. Good luck!

[kidlove]

Hmmm. do you think he's teathing? maybe he needs something to bite on throughout the day to get rid of the urge.? or is it anger? Hide around the corner and wait for him to bite....right before he does it shout "NO!" loudly, maybe that will scare him out of it? he needs to know its wrong, alot of times at that age, a booming voice will set them straight. I only had a biter once but it was temp care for a week, so I really didnt have to deal with it. GOOD LUCK!