Just yesterday, I was speaking with a mom about her toddler’s biting. She was yelling and giving a timeout when he’d bite, which was REALLY often. His mom was super upset because he was biting more than ever. ⁣
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⁣☞ I’m going to tell you, what I told her:

MOST BITING HAPPENS BECAUSE . . . 

✔️ A young child doesn't yet have the communication skills he needs to deal with his big emotions

✔️ Young children have poor impulse control

✔️ The little guy is seeking attention

✔️ Youngsters bite as a way of testing others

✔️Biters like to explore the environment with their mouth

✔️Kids bite when they feel fearful, frustrated, excited, or angry

It’s common for toddlers to be aggressive. The part of their brain that has to do with rational thinking and self-control is still developing. Since a toddler can’t articulate his feelings, it comes out in behavior. ⁣
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Toddlers love to feel powerful. So we need to watch our reactions so we don’t encourage more biting. ⁣

Use Empathy, NOT punishment

So, here’s a 3 step strategy to use with biting that focuses on empathy and teaching instead of punishment.

Don’t get me wrong, biting is not okay. But punishment is not as effective as teaching. Teach the behavior you’d like instead of punishing your kids for unwanted ones. ⁣
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But FIRST— attend to the child who was hurt. ⁣
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SHOW YOU UNDERSTAND

1. Show your biter you understand. “I know you’re angry your brother grabbed your truck”⁣

SET BOUNDARIES
2. Say something like, "It’s okay to be angry … but it’s not okay to bite."

LATER WHEN CALM, TEACH
3. Next time I’d like you to say, “Sam, I’m still playing with the truck.

At a time when everyone is cool and calm, take a practice run. Role-play what happened and let your biter practice more effective responses. ⁣
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