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Understanding and Managing Biting Behavior in Children: Tips for a Positive Environment
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I have dealt with biting in my care, it was a toddler class. The child seemed upset so when i noticed child getting upset I would give a biting toy or one that was in the freezer to help. Started singing songs that the child and the other children liked to distract from biting
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Great approach, Fabi! Addressing the root cause of the behavior and providing alternative outlets for emotions is key. Using sensory tools and engaging activities is an effective way to prevent biting incidents.
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I have had biters in my care and it can be a very frustrating situation for all. What I’ve found works for me, is documenting when the bite occurs, time it happens, children involved, and any other pertinent information that might be helpful. One example is I determined a child was biting around 10:30 a.m. every morning. Turns out she was hungry! Having the child shadow you is helpful for awhile to break the chain. A huge problem I identified was my reaction to the situation. I was reacting very “big” and I believed the child wanted to see that as well.
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Eileen, documenting and analyzing biting incidents is crucial. Identifying triggers, such as hunger, and adjusting routines can be effective. Maintaining a calm and composed reaction is essential for positive behavior management.
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Being a home tutor, I have encountered so many biters! Some of them just go through a phase of literally chomping everything in their sight. But instead of getting frustrated I always try to figure out what is triggering their biting. For most of them it turns out to be just experimenting, trying to explore new objects with their mouth. In such situations, I gently redirect their behaviour and make them focus on other interesting stuff. A lot of positive reinforcements later, voila! Problem solved. And if it’s just a teething phase then just wait it out and maybe get them teething toys. I see a lot of parents scolding their kids in such situation, which I don’t recommend at all. As educators and carers of these little bundles of joy, our aim should be to create a positive environment for them.
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As a larger center, we have dealt with biting quite a bit. It seems to come and go in waves at times. We have a very thorough policy that we follow. We have learned much from trainings and our local Grantwood AEA about how to help with biting. We always sit down and do a parent meeting right away so that we can all be on the same page. We share with we are seeing, ask what they are seeing and create a plan on how we are going to tackle it together! This is so productive. We share what techniques we have learned and are using, what we see happening, what pattern has developed or why and how we will address it at the center in conjunction with how parents are addressing it at home. We try to be as proactive as possible with families but also in the classroom. We look at if they are hungry, when and where is the biting taking place, who is it happening with same/different peers, has anything changed at center or home, what are they trying to communicate. It can sometimes be a process, but it is important to us to help the children work through it and also to not have the parents feel “bad” because their child is biting.
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Kimberly, your approach of open communication, involving parents, and being proactive in identifying triggers and patterns is commendable. Creating a collaborative plan is key to addressing and reducing biting incidents effectively.
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yes i have had a child who bite in my center before. We talked to her mom and the other childs mom about it. we have used different teethers to whatever we could find to help stop the habit.
